Contract Specialist III in Vienna, Virginia at Kikiktagruk Inupiat Corporation, LLC

Position Summary:

The Contract Specialist III provides advanced federal acquisition and contract administration support to Indian Affairs (IA), assisting program officials with the procurement of supplies and services and the administration of complex government contracts. This position serves as a business advisor to program officials throughout the acquisition lifecycle, supporting acquisition planning, procurement strategy, solicitation development, cost and price analysis, contract negotiations, contract modifications, performance monitoring, and contract closeout.

The Contract Specialist III applies comprehensive knowledge of federal contracting principles, regulations, policies, and procedures to support complex and sensitive procurement activities. The role requires the ability to independently analyze acquisition issues, develop recommendations, negotiate contract actions, resolve performance and administration challenges, and provide guidance to program offices and less experienced team members.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Applies knowledge of administrative support functions within a federal acquisition operations environment to assist program officials on acquisition and administrative matters affecting procurement of supplies and services using source selection procedures; the evaluation of contract price quotes; and the administration or termination and closeout of contracts.
• Performs contract administration activities, supporting a variety of offices/customers under IA, and assists in the monitoring of Contractor's performance, verification of deliveries, and similar activities.
• Researches and prepares modifications to contracts and conducts analysis of alternatives and the capabilities and characteristics of the assigned contractors.
• Utilizes cost/price analysis techniques to support the development of cost related sections of solicitation documents and the analysis of cost and price data, labor and material cost, etc.
• Supports the development of budgets for planned procurements. Writes, analyzes and evaluates solicitations for completeness and accuracy, specifically as it relates to how price and technical are aligned in the solicitation. Analyzes and evaluates contractor price/cost quotes for new procurements, changes, follow-on procurements, etc., which may result in new contracts or the issuance of modifications or the termination of existing contracts.
• Supports the extension of periods of performance and contract closeout processes and provides advice/guidance on alternatives should extensions not be actionable.
• Helps ensure that all appropriate steps have been taken to safeguard the interests of IA, and that all requirements of law, executive orders, regulations and other applicable procedures have been met.
• Assists customers in developing statements of work/need/objectives and procurement strategy; and develops evaluation plans, pricing methodologies, and executes various contract administration functions.
• Serves as a point of contact for program officials on acquisition and administrative matters affecting major procurement of supplies and services using source selection procedures; the evaluation of contract price proposals/quotes; and the administration or termination and closeout of major contracts. Provides authoritative recommendations to improve procurement operations and customer service.
• Coordinates contract administration activities for long-term, extensive technical service contracts. Contract types vary with the complexity of the acquisition and the best interests of the government, ranging from Firm-Fixed-Price through Fixed-Price-Incentive and Fixed-Price-Award Fee. The contract specialist monitors contractor's performance, approval of progress payments, reviewing and providing recommendations on contractor proposals resulting from change orders, scheduling, problems that have arisen and proposed solutions, verification of deliveries, and similar activities; interprets contract provisions for contractors and for officials of IA, and provides appropriate advice and guidance; and conducts in-depth analyses of contractors' financial and management systems and facilities for ability to perform and for compliance with Government or contractual requirements.
• Negotiates modifications to contracts of medium complexity, to include ratifications of unauthorized commitments, change orders and similar time-sensitive and time-consuming tasks. Decisions are supported by in-depth analysis of alternatives and knowledge of the unique capabilities and characteristics of the assigned contractors and require resolution of incomplete or conflicting technical and contractor data. In determining a negotiation position, the contract specialist must reconcile differences between the reports of different technical specialists.
• Utilizes in-depth cost/price analysis techniques involving many different and unrelated factors and processes where there may be little historical cost data or precedent. Responsible for supporting the development of cost-related sections of complex solicitation documents, analyzing cost and price data, labor and material cost, etc.
• Supports the development of budgets for planned procurements. Analyzes and evaluates cost-related areas of complex solicitations for pricing structure and instruction to offerors. Analyzes and evaluates contractor price/cost proposals for new procurements, changes, follow-on procurements, etc., which may result in new contracts or the issuance of modifications or the termination of existing contracts.
• Conducts detailed studies of contractor's management, operational and financial policies to determine capability to perform the contract. Evaluates the contractor's financial status and profit and loss statement, balance sheets, and other financial data.
• Coordinates the extension of periods of performance, resolves delivery and acceptance disputes, approves partial payments and final payments, and performs closeout or any necessary contract cancellations due to nonperformance by the contractor or for the convenience of IA. Prepares IA response to protests.
• Ensures that all appropriate steps have been taken to safeguard the interests of IA, and that all requirements of law, executive orders, regulations and other applicable procedures have been met.
• Supports complex, sensitive and important procurement programs and initiatives that serve as a guide for other IA procurement activities.
• Where appropriate, provides high-quality technical assistance to fellow team members on problems of unusual complexity or sensitivity in the procurement of supplies and services. Provides specific guidance to less experienced members of the team in any of the major areas cited above.
• Periodically meets with team members to discuss matters of common team interest and to make suggestions or recommendations on work or administrative matters.
• Pre-Award Functions. Serve as a business advisor to program officials in acquisition planning. Prepares determinations and findings and solicitation documents. Performs detailed analyses of all elements of cost and/or price in contractor proposals/quotes and makes determinations for best path(s) forward in the acquisition.
• Post-Award Functions. Responsibilities typically include drafting of contract documents to effect negotiation and award of contract modifications, issuance of stop work orders, and issuance of cure notices or show cause letters, approval of progress payments, final payment and contract closeout, termination of contracts for convenience or default.

Minimum Requirements:

• Demonstrated experience developing solutions, recommendations, and acquisition strategies across multiple projects, functional areas, or organizations to support mission and program objectives.
• Extensive knowledge of Federal acquisition and contracting principles, laws, statutes, Executive Orders, regulations, and procedures applicable to both pre-award and post-award contracting activities.
• Advanced knowledge of contract types, contracting methods, and contract administration practices, including the ability to support and monitor complex, long-term service and technical contracts.
• Strong understanding of business practices, market conditions, industry trends, and commercial acquisition practices sufficient to evaluate procurement strategies and contractor capabilities.
• Proven ability to plan, execute, and administer contracts and contract modifications, ensuring proper acquisition methods, contract structures, documentation, and regulatory compliance.
• Knowledge of programmatic and technical requirements necessary to assess contractor performance, evaluate solutions, and provide acquisition guidance to program stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to prepare, present, and defend acquisition strategies, analyses, recommendations, and performance assessments to management and customers.
• Strong negotiation skills, including the ability to effectively engage with contractors, vendors, technical experts, program managers, and government officials to achieve successful acquisition outcomes.
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify acquisition challenges, evaluate alternatives, modify standard approaches when appropriate, and recommend effective solutions.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously, work independently with limited oversight, and meet aggressive deadlines in a fast-paced acquisition environment.
• Experience supporting project teams and collaborating with senior acquisition professionals, task leads, and management to achieve program objectives and customer requirements.
• Ability to contribute to team leadership efforts, coordinate activities across multiple stakeholders, and support the successful execution of acquisition and contracting initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Contracts Management, Acquisition Management, Public Administration, Finance, or a related field.
• Experience supporting Federal civilian or Department of Defense (DoD) contracting organizations.
• Working knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), agency supplements, and source selection procedures.
• Experience with contract administration, cost/price analysis, acquisition planning, and contractor performance management.
• Professional certification such as FAC-C Professional, DAWIA Contracting Certification, NCMA CPCM, or equivalent acquisition credential.

Work Environment:

This is a primarily remote position supporting Indian Affairs acquisition operations. The Contract Specialist III is expected to work normal operating hours, generally Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time, excluding federal holidays, with flexibility to accommodate mission and workload requirements. Occasional work outside normal business hours or travel may be required based on government needs.

The position requires regular coordination with IA program officials, contracting personnel, government stakeholders, and other contractor support teams.

Apply online at our website: https://kikiktagruk.applicantpool.com/

Disclaimer:

This is not to be an exclusive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of the person in this job. KIC is an Equal Opportunity Employer as to all protected groups, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Pursuant to The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act 43 U.S.C. Sec. 1601 et seq., and federal contractual requirements, Kikiktagruk Inupiat Corporation may legally grant certain preference in employment opportunities to KIC Shareholders and their Descendants. Successful candidates must adhere to KIC's Drug and Alcohol policy/testing requirements and may be required to pass a background and/or Motor Vehicle Records check. The salary range for this position is based on several factors, including relevant experience, education, skills, and current market conditions