CONTRACT SPECIALIST
At the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), contract specialists perform a range of
functions related to acquisition strategy. They plan, award, and administer various
contracts to include supplies, services, construction, and research and development.
An Inside Look
Contract specialists are the only FBI employees
allowed to contractually obligate federal government
funds for the purchase of goods and services. They
engage in highly complex contract negotiations
representing large dollar values. Unlike at other
federal agencies, our contract specialists manage
the full lifespan of their contractual agreements.
They also work with federal agency partners to
identify procurement requirements and source-
selection procedures based on evaluation factors,
prepare solicitation packages, implement industry
standard negotiation tactics, and provide all contract
administration.
Contract specialists work out of our Clarksburg, WV
oce and our new FBI campus in Huntsville, AL. Our
Huntsville campus is a 38,000 acre federal research,
development, testing, and engineering center at the
Redstone Arsenal, which also houses the Hazardous
Devices School and the Terrorist Explosive Device
Analytical Center.
Procuring Products and
Services
Contract specialists are involved in the procurement
of a wide range of FBI goods and services. Their
purchases have a direct impact on our mission.
Examples include:
• Building construction
• Helicopters
• IT hardware and software
• Professional services
• Forensics software
• Ammunition
• Drones
• Night-vision goggles (NVGs)
• Advertising services
Necessary Experience
To become a contract specialist, you must have a
bachelor’s degree or higher from a U.S.-accredited
college or university and have completed at least
24 semester hours in any combination of the
following elds: Accounting, Business, Finance,
Law, Contracts, Purchasing, Economics, Industrial
Management, Marketing, Quantitative Methods, or
Organization and Management.
• A Federal Acquisition Certication in Contracting
(FAC-C) is desired but not required.
• Training and certication can be achieved on
the job and in accordance with FBI Procurement
Training Plans. Certication requirements may be
viewed at: www.fai.gov.
• For contracting professionals coming from
the Department of Defense, a valid Defense
Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA)
certication is equivalent to a FAC-C at the same
certication level, provided the FAC-C education
and continuous learning requirements have been
met. Your resume and transcripts must clearly
demonstrate meeting these requirements.
