Contract Specialist (GS-12/13)
Defense Contract Management Agency
Salt Lake City, UT · $90k–$138k a year · Posted November 5, 2026
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Where Salt Lake City, UT ranks
Where Salt Lake City, UT placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #1Cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree in the Mountain West19% · of 14
- #1Best all-round cities for new graduates in the Mountain West66 / 100 · of 11
- #2Cities with the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in the Mountain West142 jobs · of 15
- #2Best all-round cities for remote workers in the Mountain West66 / 100 · of 11
- #3Best cities for software and engineering jobs in the Mountain West289 openings · of 22
- #3Best all-round cities for mid-career professionals in the Mountain West60 / 100 · of 11
Rankings about legal jobs
- Best cities for legal jobs #1 New York (854 openings)
- Best cities for legal pay after cost of living #1 San Mateo ($238k)
- Most requested AI skills in legal jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (3.9%)
- Employers with the most legal jobs #1 Morgan & Morgan (195 roles)
Pay compared with the market
This listing pays about $113,939 a year. Across 53 open contract specialist listings that state pay, the middle half runs $88,000 to $130,500 and the median is $107,500. That is inside the middle half of those listings, 6% above the median.
Listed pay is what employers advertise, not what people are paid.
Skills this job asks for
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About the job
Summary
See below for important information regarding this job. Additional vacancies may be filled from this announcement. DCMA Location Negotiable upon Selection. This job will close when we have received 150 applications, which may be sooner than the closing date. See DCMA Location List, not all locations may be available.
Duties
If selected at the GS-12 level, duties will be performed in a developmental capacity. Serves as a Contract Specialist providing technical assistance and guidance to facilitate management effectiveness and efficiency. Works with process managers and Directorate personnel to improve Contract Management Office (CMO) process performance. Participates, and at times serves as the lead, for the complete development, testing, deployment, communication, training, and sustainment of DCMA corporate Information Technology (IT) applications supporting the DCMA mission. Facilitates execution of and compliance with policy and achievement of performance goals. Facilitates changes to, and deployment and implementation of new policies and tools. Provides functional and technical expertise to CMOs, agency leadership, and the Department in the execution of the procurement mission.
Qualifications
To qualify for a Contract Specialist, your resume and supporting documentation must support: A. Basic Contracting Requirement: 1.) A baccalaureate degree from an accredited educational institution authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees OR 2.) A current civilian employee in DoD or member of the Armed Forces, who occupied an 1102 position, contracting officer position, or comparable military contracting position with authority to award or administer contracts above the simplified acquisition threshold on or before September 30, 2000 are excluded from the requirements of "1" above. And B. Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position and is directly in or related to this position. To qualify at the GS-12 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military or private sector. To qualify at the GS-13 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military or private sector. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements including time-in-grade (General Schedule (GS) positions only), time-after-competitive appointment, minimum qualifications, and any other regulatory requirements by the cut-off/closing date of the announcement. Creditable specialized experience includes: GS12: Assisting in delivering technical guidance on standard procurement processes to ensure established compliance requirements are met. Analyzing contract management workflow data to identify operational bottlenecks to inform performance improvements. Providing functional support for automated contract administration system integration activities. GS13: Providing technical contract administration advisory services involving complex procurement issues. Leading performance improvement initiatives to ensure compliance with federal acquisition policies. Managing the full life cycle of enterprise-level contract administration software applications.
Education
If the position has a minimum education requirement you MUST provide transcripts (unofficial are acceptable at the time of application) to support your educational claims. Or, if you are using education to qualify in lieu of specialized experience you MUST provide transcripts (unofficial are acceptable at the time of application) to support your educational claims. The transcripts must include your name, the name of the college or university, class/course list, completed number of credits/hours, and the date degree conferred (if applicable). Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Licenses must be current at time of application. GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.
How you will be evaluated
The assessments for this job will measure the following Competencies: Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility and/or score. Once the application process is complete, a manual review of your resume and supporting documentation will occur to determine if you are eligible and among the best qualified as determined by the predetermined cutoff score. Your score is based on your responses to the assessment questionnaire. If you meet the minimum qualifications of this position, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire Assessment. This additional online assessment is required and must be completed within 48 hours of submitting your application (which may be prior to the closing date of this announcement), unless you have requested Reasonable Accommodation for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Your results will be kept on record for one year when applying for future jobs that require the same USA Hire Competency Based Assessments.
How to apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. To preview the questionnaire, please go to https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13105162. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/17/2026 to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account. You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. NOTE: Resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://www.usajobs.gov, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. As required by 5 C.F.R. § 302.106., DLA will provide Section 508 conformant ICT to employees with disabilities. All ICT interfaces with the public related to vacancy announcements and career transition opportunities must conform to the applicable requirements in the current ICT Standards and Guidelines (36 C.F.R. § 1194).
Other information
This position does not meet criteria for appointment of Reemployed Annuitants. The DoD criteria for hiring Reemployed Annuitants can be found at: DoDI 1400.25-V300. Tour of Duty: 1st Shift FLSA: Exempt Bargaining Unit: No Selectee may be required to serve a trial/probationary period. Acquisition, Technology & Logistics(AT&L) NON-CAP: Position requires DoD Acquisition Contracting, Foundational certification within required timeframes. Selectee must also achieve 80 hours of Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) every 2-years. Click here for more details and Resources. Military spouses working remotely are exempt from in-person work under the conditions explained by OPM's February 12, 2025 memorandum and the March 20, 2025 Frequently Asked Questions.