Contract Specialist

About the role

This position is within the Bonneville Power Administration, Chief Administrative Office, Supply Chain Services, Contracts and Strategic Sourcing. As a key acquisition expert, you will drive the projects that power the Pacific Northwest.

You will lead the procurement process for a diverse portfolio, including major substation construction, advanced scientific services, and specialized equipment. This is your opportunity to manage critical, high-dollar contracts from planning to completion.

What you will do

• This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT.
• The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be September 21, 2026.
• Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis.
• Build Tomorrow's Grid: Lead Complex Acquisitions at Bonneville Power Administration Join the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), a leader in the nation's energy sector, and take a pivotal role in modernizing the region's power infrastructure.
• As a Contract Specialist, you will not just be managing paperwork; you will be the business expert at the center of complex, multi-million dollar projects that keep energy flowing to millions of Americans.
• This is a career opportunity for a skilled acquisition professional to tackle challenging, mission-critical work with tangible impact.
• As a Contract Specialist, you will: Lead Procurement Strategy: Serve as a business advisor, analyzing project requirements and developing innovative procurement plans for complex construction, cutting-edge technology, and specialized professional services.
• Conduct High-Stakes Negotiations: Act as the lead negotiator, securing favorable terms and ensuring best value for the government on multi-year, high-dollar contracts with industry partners.
• Perform In-Depth Cost and Price Analysis: Dive deep into contractor proposals, analyzing complex cost breakdowns and market data to determine fair and reasonable pricing for unique and specialized projects.
• Manage the Full Contract Lifecycle: Take ownership of contracts from cradle to grave, guiding them from initial planning and award through performance monitoring, modification, and successful closeout.
• Develop Creative Contracting Solutions: Move beyond the standard playbook by devising innovative contractual provisions and financial arrangements to meet the needs of unique procurements where no precedent exists.
• Resolve Complex Contractual Issues: Act as the primary point of contact for resolving disputes, interpreting contract provisions for technical experts, and preparing the agency's response to contractor claims and protests.
• Administer Major Infrastructure and Technology Projects: Directly manage the acquisition of critical assets, including high-voltage substation facilities, specialized scientific studies, and enterprise-level IT systems.
• Drive Contractor Performance: Proactively monitor contractor progress, resolve performance challenges, and work with technical representatives to ensure projects are completed on time, within budget, and to specification.

Requirements

• In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire.
• Answer to these questions is not scored or rated.
• Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.
• When you apply you will be asked a series of questions to determine your eligibility for employment and your qualification for this position specifically.
• You must answer all of these questions completely and truthfully.
• Key Requirements: You must be a United States Citizen.
• This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
• Males must abide by Selective Service registration requirements.
• You will be required to report in person to the official duty location.
• Conditions of Employment: Selectee will be required to complete the Office of Government Ethics Standard of Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OFGE450e) within 30 days of employment and annually.
• All newly employed BPA AWF members in the GS-1102 career series will be enrolled in the FAC-C certification program through FAITAS.
• This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT.
• The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be September 21, 2026.
• Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis.

Education

This vacancy has a positive education requirement. In order to be rated as qualified, you must provide copies of your college transcripts. Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

See Department of Education Accreditation Search to verify school accreditation. Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.DO NOT email or mail in any of your application documents. Documents will not be accepted outside of the online application system.

Failure to provide copies of your college transcripts may result in a rating of "Ineligible".

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. This position is announced under a government-wide Direct-Hire Authority (DHA) for Contract Specialist positions in the 1102 series.

Under the DHA, all applicants who meet the Education and Qualification requirements listed in this announcement, at the grade level they are applying, will be forwarded to the Selecting Official for consideration. Veteran's Preference, category rating, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply under the DHA process.

Minimum Qualifications: Once the application process is complete, the Human Resources Offices or Subject Matter Expert (SME) will review your two-page resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum job qualifications.

If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses you provided in your online questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible' or 'not qualified'.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics): Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork If you are eligible for career transition assistance plans such as ICTAP or CTAP, you must meet the Education and Qualification requirements listed in this announcement to be referred for consideration.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (11/24/2026) of this announcement.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click ***

Documents you must provide

• duties performed; full name and address of each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
• Information on how to create a federal resume *** Cover Letter, optional, expressing additional information not covered in your resume.
• Transcripts, if specific educational requirements are indicated in this job announcement.
• Unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned (semester or quarter hour) and final grade is acceptable.
• It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the educational requirements.
• Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.) For more information see the OPM Guide to Career Transition.
• Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package.
• It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

What to expect next

Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement.

You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.

To be considered for the position, you must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments. Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. The status of your application will be updated in USAJOBS as it is evaluated.

You can check the status by logging into USAJOBS. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application changes by logging into your USAJobs Account and editing the Notification Settings. You will be contacted directly if an interview is required.

Please check that your USAJOBS profile contact information is current and correct each time you apply to a job--this will ensure we are able to contact you as quickly as possible.

In addition to changing your status online, we will send you e-mail notifications at each major step in the process, to include: application received, eligible or not eligible, referred or not referred, selected or not selected.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE EEO Policy: USAJOBS Help Center | Equal employment opportunity policy Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Employees or applicants may request Reasonable Accommodation (RA) for assistance, when applying or competing for a job or performing a job due to their medical condition or to exercise their religious beliefs.

If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or selection process, please contact the Staffing Specialist listed on this vacancy announcement.

USAJOBS Help Center | Reasonable accommodation policy Reasonable Accommodation for USAHire: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application.

Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis.

If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments.

You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement.

To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here. Veterans Information: USAJOBS Help Center - Veterans Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Telework: *** Selective Service Registration: *** - Who must register: *** Hiring incentives may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate based on budget availability and in accordance with federal regulations. BPA strives to ensure a safe and positive work environment.

We also understand the importance of work/life balance and offer a variety of programs and policies designed to create more flexible, responsive work environments supportive of commitments to community, home and family members.

BPA also supports employees' overall wellness through its Be Well program, which helps employees adopt healthier lifestyles and feel better about their work/life balance. The program supports five key areas of life: career, community, financial, physical and social.?