Jobs and Careers

Senior Contract Specialist

Washington, United Statespart_timeVerifiedPosted 18 Nov 2025

💰 $150,000/yr($134,000/yr – $150,000/yr)

About the role

ROLE
We are seeking a Senior Contract Specialist to support the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) Office of Acquisition in Washington, DC. 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!

RESPONSIBILITIES
I. Acquisition Planning & Pre-Award

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

II. Pricing & Cost Analysis

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

III. Solicitation & Source Selection

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

IV. Award, Administration & Closeout

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

V. Systems, Data & Training

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 SharePoint
Prepare acquisition documents, pricing tools, reports, and briefings using Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

VI. Policy & Stakeholder Support

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

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE