Contract Specialist

ROLE

We are seeking a Contract Specialist to support the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) Office of Acquisition in Norfolk, VA. In this role, you will provide day‑to‑day federal contracting support across the acquisition lifecycle, helping MARAD’s ship operations and mission programs execute accurate, compliant & timely contract actions under the guidance of senior acquisition staff.

This is a part‑time opportunity ideal for retired federal Contracting Officers and other experienced federal acquisition professionals.

Apply today!

• Support acquisition activities for Maritime Administration (MARAD) contracts supporting Ready Reserve Force (RRF) vessels, training ships, and other fleet needs throughout the contract lifecycle
• Assist with market research and data gathering to inform acquisition strategies, contract types, competition approaches, and schedules
• Draft core acquisition documents such as Statements of Work (SOWs), Performance‑based Work Statements (PWSs), and Quality Assurance Surveillance Plans (QASPs) using templates and senior staff guidance

• Contribute to proposal evaluations by assembling pricing data and documenting price, cost, and technical evaluation inputs for the source selection record
• Maintain and update Microsoft Excel pricing workbooks using pivot tables, lookup functions, conditional formatting, and other formulas to support ship management services contracts
• Build and refine spreadsheets and basic calculators that help Administrative Contracting Officers (ACOs) and Contracting Officer’s Representatives (CORs) track billing, pricing adjustments, and invoice approvals
• Assist in developing Independent Government Cost Estimates (IGCEs) by collecting historical purchase information, market research, and comparable acquisition data from other agencies

• Prepare draft sections of Requests for Quotations (RFQs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and combined synopsis and solicitations using approved templates and checklists
• Verify inclusion of required terms and conditions and route solicitation packages for funding confirmation and legal review
• Support informal and formal source selections by setting up evaluation tools, distributing proposals, tracking scores and compiling documentation for Source Selection Decision Memoranda (SSDMs)
• Coordinate with evaluators and the Contracting Officer (CO) to schedule meetings, capture action items and prepare discussion materials for communications with offerors

• Assemble award packages for task orders, delivery orders, and stand‑alone contracts, and prepare supporting COR documentation for senior review
• Enter contract and modification data into the FPDS‑NG and the Voice of Acquisition (VOA) system, and confirm accuracy against source documents
• Prepare draft documentation for option exercises and other post‑award contract modifications for review by senior acquisition staff
• Track contractor performance issues, discrepancy reports, and closeout actions, and maintain related logs and e‑files

• Use the ESC‑PRISM contract writing system to create, route, and track procurement requests, awards, and modifications under senior staff direction
• Retrieve and compile acquisition data from ESC‑PRISM and FPDS‑NG to support reporting requirements
• Maintain electronic contract files in SharePoint by ensuring documents are properly stored, labeled, and accessible
• Create user‑friendly spreadsheets, trackers, and basic job aids in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to support contracting and program staff

• Follow MARAD acquisition policies, procedures, and templates, and flag inconsistencies or needed updates to senior staff
• Stay current on key changes to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Transportation Acquisition Regulation (TAR), Transportation Acquisition Manual (TAM), and related guidance as communicated by senior acquisition personnel
• Participate in acquisition team meetings, take notes, and action items
• Provide administrative and coordination support to…