IT Contract Specialist

IT Contract Specialist

Reports To: Kaiva Program Manager Location: Fully Remote - United States Schedule: Monday-Friday; must work an Eastern Time (EST/ET) schedule Hours: Full-time, 40-hours/week FLSA Status: Exempt Clearance: Moderate Risk Public Trust required; active Public Trust or security clearance preferred

Position Summary The IT Contract Specialist provides full cradle-to-grave federal acquisition and contracting support for information technology requirements. The position applies experience aligned with the federal 1102 Contracting Series to plan acquisitions, develop complete procurement packages, support solicitation and source selection activities, administer awards, produce acquisition reports, maintain compliant contract files, and support contract closeout. The specialist works closely with program, technical, legal, finance, policy, and contracting stakeholders to deliver timely, accurate, and FAR-compliant acquisition outcomes.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide cradle-to-grave acquisition support from requirements definition and acquisition planning through solicitation, evaluation, award, administration, modification, and closeout.
• Develop, review, assemble, and quality-control complete acquisition packages for IT supplies and services, including acquisition plans, procurement requests, Statements of Work (SOW), Performance Work Statements (PWS), Statements of Objectives (SOO), Independent Government Cost Estimates (IGCE), market research reports, determinations and findings, Justifications and Approvals (J&A), evaluation criteria, and other required documentation.
• Partner with program and technical personnel to refine requirements, performance standards, deliverables, contract type, period of performance, funding needs, and acquisition milestones.
• Conduct and document market research; assess commercial availability, small business considerations, competition, contract vehicles, and acquisition strategy alternatives.
• Prepare and support solicitations, amendments, requests for information or quotations, pre-solicitation documentation, and related procurement communications.
• Support proposal or quote evaluations, responsibility determinations, technical and business evaluations, competitive range decisions, clarification and discussion documentation, and source selection records, as assigned.
• Perform and document price and cost analysis, including evaluation of labor categories, indirect rates, other direct costs, escalation, level of effort, and cost-reimbursement elements when applicable.
• Prepare negotiation objectives and memoranda, award recommendations, contract award documents, notices, and contract file documentation.
• Support post-award administration, including kickoff activities, funding actions, option exercises, task or delivery orders, modifications, deliverable tracking, invoice coordination, performance monitoring, and resolution of contract issues.
• Coordinate with Contracting Officers, Contracting Officer Representatives, program offices, legal counsel, finance, policy, security, and other stakeholders throughout the acquisition lifecycle.
• Support contract closeout by validating completion, reconciling funding and property matters, confirming final deliverables and invoices, and preparing required closeout documentation.
• Maintain accurate, complete, and audit-ready acquisition and contract files in PRISM or comparable contract writing systems, FPDS or successor systems, SharePoint, and agency repositories.
• Prepare recurring and ad hoc acquisition reports, procurement planning updates, compliance data calls, dashboards, and leadership briefings; conduct quality reviews to ensure data accuracy and consistency.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures, templates, trackers, and information repositories for recurring procurement and reporting processes.
• Manage multiple concurrent acquisitions and priorities under firm statutory, regulatory, and program deadlines.
• Complete required training, certification maintenance, timesheets, security requirements, and compliance reporting.

Knowledge and Critical Skills

• Comprehensive working knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), applicable agency supplements, federal procurement policy, and acquisition ethics.
• Demonstrated 1102-series experience performing cradle-to-grave contracting functions for federal acquisitions.
• Experience developing and reviewing complete acquisition packages for IT products, professional services, software, cloud, cybersecurity, telecommunications, or other technology-related requirements.
• Knowledge of competitive and non-competitive acquisition methods, commercial product and service procedures, simplified acquisition procedures, and task or delivery order contracting.
• Ability to develop acquisition strategies and apply sound judgment regarding contract type, competition, source selection approach, small business considerations, and procurement lead time.
• Experience with cost and price analysis, negotiation support, contract administration, file documentation, and closeout.
• Experience using PRISM or a comparable federal contract writing system and federal procurement reporting or award systems.
• Strong data analysis, quality assurance, reporting, and records-management skills.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, stakeholder coordination, attention to detail, organization, and ability to manage competing deadlines in a remote environment.

Education & Work Experience

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. A degree in business, accounting, finance, law, economics, contracts, purchasing, information technology, or a related field is preferred.
• Completion of at least 24 semester hours in business-related disciplines, or other education and experience satisfying applicable OPM 1102 Contracting Series qualification requirements.
• A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible federal contracting or acquisition experience, including hands-on cradle-to-grave 1102 functions and acquisition package development.
• Demonstrated experience supporting federal civilian agency procurement or acquisition operations; experience with complex IT acquisitions is strongly preferred.
• Experience independently managing multiple acquisition actions and advising program stakeholders on package completeness, acquisition strategy, and procurement status.

Certifications, Licenses

• FAC-C (Professional), DAWIA Contracting certification, or equivalent federal contracting certification is preferred.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or other project management certification is a plus.
• Must meet contractor security vetting requirements and maintain the required suitability or clearance throughout performance.

Special Requirements

• Must meet contractor security vetting requirements and maintain the required suitability or clearance throughout performance.
• Must consistently work the established Eastern Time schedule and remain available during designated EST/ET core business hours, regardless of residence or local time zone.
• Must maintain reliable high-speed internet, a secure professional workspace, and appropriate safeguards for acquisition documentation.
• Limited travel or on-site attendance at a federal or company facility may be requested when mission needs require.

Work Environment Work is performed primarily from a professional home office within the United States using standard computer and communications equipment. The role requires frequent virtual meetings, detailed document review, and coordination across distributed federal and contractor teams.

Physical Demands Standing Occasionally Sitting Frequently Walking Occasionally Stooping Occasionally Lifting Occasionally, up to 20 pounds Computer Work Constantly Telephone Work Frequently Reading Constantly Other, please specify Extended virtual meetings and detailed document review Employee must be able to lift and/or move moderate amounts of weight, typically up to 20 pounds. Regular and predictable attendance is essential.

ADA: Kaiva will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

EEO/AA: Kaiva does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, height, weight, or marital status in employment or the provision of services and is an equal access/equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

This job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position and will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity. Essential job func