Contract Specialist

About the role

NIST is seeking a Contract Specialist to carry out all potential activities for the full acquisition cycle (pre-award and post-award) for a wide variety of complex, mission-critical acquisitions of products and services. This notice is issued under direct-hire authority to recruit new talent to occupations for which NIST has a severe shortage of candidates. This announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. EST on the date the first 100 applications are received or 05/18/2026, whichever comes first. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field; OR Completion of at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. IN ADDITION to the basic qualification requirements above, an applicant must meet the criteria below: Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 (ZA-II for NIST). Specialized experience is defined as experience in in contracting principles and procedures applicable to pre-award and/or post-award actions sufficient to procure and/or administer contracts for a variety of specialized equipment, services, and/or construction. This includes skill in negotiating sole-source contracts and modifications. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The qualification requirements in this vacancy announcement are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook. If requesting reconsideration of your qualification determination, please refer to the following site: Applicant Reconsideration

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