Contract Specialist Iii (#24-224)

Strategic Analysis, Inc. (SA) is seeking Senior Contract Specialist to join our team supporting DoD's premier research agency, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), whose mission is to make pivotal investments in breakthrough technologies for national security. The position of Senior Contract Specialist assigned to DARPA's Contract Management Office (CMO). CMO’s role is to serve as DARPA’s acquisition advisor and make awards in select, critical technology areas.

As a Contract Specialist supporting CMO, you will be part of a team focused on providing innovative acquisition and business solutions to meet DARPA's goal of advancing breakthrough technologies for national security.

This position is a hybrid work schedule and requires one day in the office weekly, four days working remotely.

Qualified candidates will have experience in federal research and development contracting, demonstrated competence in cost analysis. Candidates must have excellent communication and writing skills and be able to work independently and recognize contracting issues that need to be elevated.

Responsibilities:

Pre-award Support

• Assist the Contracting Officer in the organization, management and administration of a complexity of contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, task orders, delivery orders, and other contractual documents and special projects as required prior to and during negotiations. This assistance shall consist of, but not limited to, analysis, data collection, and drafting records; develop Government prices and terms for analysis; post synopsis and award announcements on Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) and Federal Grants websites; coordinate, assemble, and update electronic and hard copy solicitation, contract and contract related files; and analyze elements of cost in proposals.
• When required, coordinate and clarify all elements of cost with either the Offeror, Defense Contract Management Agency, or Defense Contract Audit Agency.
• Research problems on a wide variety of contractual issues and draft appropriate correspondence for internal and external distribution.
• Assist in the development and review process for Broad Agency Announcements with the Contracting Officer and technical personnel.
• Use Standard Procurement System, Procurement Desktop – Defense (PD2) or any follow-on DoD-mandated contract writing system to draft contract documents and amendments.

Post-award Support

• Assist the Contracting Officer in the preparation of contract modifications (incremental funding, redirection of effort, performance extensions, incorporation of change orders, etc.).
• Prepare necessary modifications to clarify questions concerning such topics as increase in scope, specification changes, language ambiguities, and/or clarification of contract clauses.
• Prepare draft stop work orders, cure notices or show cause letters, and may include the termination of contracts.
• Other duties include monitoring the status of Government property and invoicing and payment processes.

Solicitation Support

• Assist in coordination and administratively manage the entire acquisition process to include all activities, e.g., Scientific Review Memorandums associated with various types of solicitations (e.g., Broad Agency Announcements, Special Notices, Requests for Proposal and Requests for Information), evaluation of proposals, and award approval process while ensuring all documents are available to appropriate personnel, including preparation, drafting and coordination of documents related to the above.

Requirements:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree. A major in any of the following fields is preferred: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods or organization and management.

Clearance

• Active DoD SECRET or Higher Clearance.

Experience and Skills

• Twelve (12) years of specialized federal contracting experience (DoD Research & Development (R&D) (FAR Part 35) experience preferred). Examples of Specialized Contracting Experience:
• Developing, preparing terms and conditions in proposals related to the award of contracts.
• Negotiating and awarding contracts, contract modifications, and/or subcontracts.
• Participation in negotiating, awarding, or administering contracts, or the analysis of procurement policies and procedures.
• Administering the terms and conditions of contracts, including such aspects as preparing contract modifications, evaluation of performance under the contract, and contract termination.
• Analyzing proposed prices or costs, including such aspects as evaluating technical and audit reports, forecasting price trends, evaluating economic factors, estimating production.
• Efficiencies and evaluating methods of allocating cost through various types of overhead and general and administrative expense.
• Formulating policies and procedures for the acquisition of goods or services, participating in procurement management reviews and contract clearance, or developing positions on claims and protests related to contracts.
• Expert Microsoft Office Word and Excel, experience in analyzing data sets of numbers, and writing clear and concise reports.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in government or commercial procurement (government preferred); contract administration and negotiation; cost and pricing analysis.
• DoD, Procurement Desktop Defense (PD2) contractual software, and R&D contracting experience a plus.
• Experience with Non-FAR based instruments such as Other Transaction Agreements, Grants, and/or Cooperative Agreements a plus but not required.