Senior Acquisition Support Specialist

ROLE

We are seeking a Senior Acquisition Support 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 senior-level federal contracting support across the full acquisition lifecycle to ensure MARAD’s ship operations and mission programs are backed by accurate, compliant & timely contract actions.

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

Apply today!

• Provide senior-level acquisition support for MARAD contracts supporting Ready Reserve Force (RRF) vessels, training ships, and other fleet needs throughout the contract lifecycle
• Conduct market research and recommend acquisition strategies, contract types, competition approaches, and schedules
• Develop core acquisition documents such as Statements of Work (SOWs), Performance-based Work Statements (PWSs), Quality Assurance Surveillance Plans (QASPs), and related pre-award documentation

• Provide expert support during proposal evaluations, including price, cost, and technical analysis
• Document evaluation results clearly for the source selection record
• Perform advanced pricing and data analysis using Microsoft Excel pivot tables, lookup functions, conditional formatting, and nested formulas to support ship management services contracts
• Build Excel tools and calculators that help Administrative Contracting Officers (ACOs) and Contracting Officers’ Representatives (CORs) review invoices and approve fixed-price and cost-reimbursable charges
• Develop Independent Government Cost Estimates (IGCEs) using historical purchases, current market data, and comparable acquisitions at other agencies

• Prepare Requests for Quotations (RFQs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and combined synopsis and solicitations with appropriate terms and conditions
• Recommend special clauses, confirm funding, and coordinate legal review before solicitation release
• Support informal and formal source selections by preparing Source Selection Plans, evaluation tools and draft Source Selection Decision Memoranda (SSDMs), and by assembling complete source selection records
• Coordinate with evaluators and the Contracting Officer (CO) to set pre-negotiation objectives and support discussions and communications with offerors

• Draft award packages for task orders, delivery orders, and stand‑alone contracts, and prepare COR designation letters and related documents
• Enter award data into the Federal Procurement Data System – Next Generation (FPDS‑NG) and the Voice of Acquisition (VOA) system, and distribute executed contracts to stakeholders
• Prepare documentation to exercise options and process post‑award contract modifications
• Help resolve contractor performance issues, investigate contract discrepancies, and support contract administration and closeout

• Use the ESC‑PRISM contract writing system, FPDS‑NG, and SharePoint to manage acquisition data and e‑contract records
• Train contracting, program, and financial staff to process contracting documents and requisitions in ESC‑PRISM
• Instruct staff on generating acquisition data reports from ESC‑PRISM and FPDS‑NG
• Coach staff on storing, viewing, and retrieving records in Share Point
• Prepare acquisition documents, pricing tools, reports, and briefings using Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point

• Contribute to MARAD acquisition policies, procedures, and internal templates
• Monitor changes to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Transportation Acquisition Regulation (TAR), Transportation Acquisition Manual (TAM), and related guidance, and help implement updates
• Participate in acquisition team meetings and provide senior‑level acquisition advice to MARAD stakeholders

• At least five (5) years of operational experience in Federal Contracting

• Expert knowledge of Federal contracting law, regulation, policies, and…