Contract Specialist Supervisor

Fairfax County, VA

$88K — $155K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in public administration, business administration, or a related field with coursework in procurement principles
  • 5-7 years of experience in technical procurement work, particularly in government procurement
  • Certification from a recognized professional purchasing or grants organization
  • Strong experience with automated procurement systems
  • Public procurement expertise including contract development and oversight

Responsibilities

  • Supervise a contract team, including workload assignment and performance evaluation
  • Provide procurement and contractual guidance to staff and departments
  • Ensure compliance with procurement laws and best practices
  • Oversee major acquisitions and negotiations
  • Collaborate with various stakeholders, including customer departments and legal teams

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance
  • Long-term disability and group term life insurance
  • Paid leave including parental and volunteer time
  • Continuous learning opportunities
  • Child care support and employee assistance programs
Full Job Description
Salary : $88,765.46 - $155,339.60 Annually
Location : FX. CTY. GOVERNMENT CENTER, 12000 GOVERNMENT CENTER PKWY., FAIRFAX (EJ32), VA
Job Type: FT Salary W BN
Job Number: 26-01047
Department: Procurement & Material Mgmt
Opening Date: 07/18/2026
Closing Date: 7/31/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
Pay Grade: S29
Posting Type: Open to General Public

Job Announcement

This is a staff position located in the Contracts Division of the county's central procurement department. The Contracts Division, comprised of three contract teams, supports the strategic contracting and procurement needs of more than 60 Fairfax County government departments through the planning, solicitation, award, and administration of major contracts.

This position serves as the first-line supervisor of a contract team and performs the full range of supervisory responsibilities, including assigning work, establishing workload priorities, setting performance expectations, coaching employees, evaluating performance, approving leave, resolving employee relations issues, and fostering staff development. Ensures the timely completion of procurements, maintains high-quality work products, promotes consistency in procurement practices, and creates a collaborative, customer-focused team environment.

Provides procurement and contractual guidance to contracting and non-contracting staff in all facets of the acquisition process, including acquisition planning, solicitation development, source selection, cost and price analysis, negotiations, contract award, and contract administration. Reviews the work of subordinate contract specialists to ensure sound judgment, compliance with procurement laws, regulations, policies, and procedures, and the consistent application of best procurement practices. Trains, mentors, and develops staff while providing strategic guidance on complex procurement and contracting issues.

Oversees major acquisitions requiring detailed analysis, negotiations, and executive-level coordination. Serves as the primary liaison with assigned customer departments, providing procurement leadership and strategic acquisition planning. Monitors team workload and performance metrics to ensure customer service objectives and procurement timelines are achieved. Promotes sustainable and responsible procurement practices; collaborates with the supplier diversity coordinator to enhance participation by small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses; and coordinates responses to public records requests in accordance with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. Works closely with the County Attorney's Office, Risk Management Division, and other county stakeholders to resolve complex contractual and procurement matters.

Must possess significant public procurement and contracting expertise to develop and review solicitations, contracts, determinations and findings, sole source and emergency procurement justifications, Board agenda items, contract modifications, and other procurement documents to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and sound procurement practices.
Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

(Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in public administration, business administration or a related field, including or supplemented by courses in purchasing and supply management principles, laws, methods and procedures; plus five years of progressively responsible experience in technical procurement work, including considerable experience with automated procurement systems.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:
Certification by a nationally recognized professional purchasing and/or grants organization is required.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check and credit check to the satisfaction of the employer.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
  • Five or more years of experience in public procurement and contracting working for the government (local, state, federal).
  • Two or more years of supervisory experience and demonstrated experience leading, mentoring, and developing professional staff.
  • Procurement and contract experience to include the sourcing and selection of suppliers.
  • Experience obtaining products and services for a government organization to include preparing written formal (above $200K) solicitations (with terms and conditions), receiving, and evaluating bids, awarding and administering contracts.
  • Experience conducting formal Requests for Proposals (over $200,000).
  • At least 5 years of experience developing solicitations, analyzing technical and cost proposals, negotiating contracts and agreements, contract administration and responding to Freedom of information (FOIA) requests,
  • Working knowledge of the Virginia Public Procurement Act.
  • Advanced knowledge of procurement and contract administration.
  • Proficient with basic Microsoft Office Suite applications, SharePoint, and SAP Enterprise Software - Finance and Logistics.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Bachelor's degree in accounting, business administration, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, public administration, or a related field.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Job is generally sedentary in nature. Ability to travel to and attend meetings, conferences, and site visits within and outside the county. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview and may include exercise.
Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home (including ) We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.

#LI-JY1
Merit Positions

Fairfax County is proud to offer employees an attractive and comprehensive benefits program, including the following:
  • Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage
  • Group Term Life Insurance
  • Long Term Disability
  • LiveWell Program
  • Flexible Spending Programs
  • Paid Leave (annual, sick, parental, volunteer activity, and more!)
  • Paid Holidays
  • Deferred Compensation
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Employees' Child Care Center
  • Continuous Learning Opportunities
Please click for a summary of our benefits.

NOTE: Fairfax County Government is a qualifying employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. For more information about the PSLF program:

For additional details please visit the
Non-Merit Positions
  1. Non-Merit Benefit Eligible: scheduled to work a minimum 1,040 hours and no more than a maximum of 1,560 hours in a calendar year.
    • Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage
    • Flexible Spending Program
    • Deferred Compensation
  2. Temporary: scheduled to work a maximum of 900 hours in a calendar year.
    • No benefits

01

What is the highest level of education that you have completed?
  • Less than 12th grade
  • High school diploma or GED
  • Some college
  • Associate's degree
  • Bachelor's degree
  • Master's degree
  • Doctorate degree

02

If you answered "Some college" for the highest level of education completed, please indicate the number of quarter or semester hours you have completed towards a degree.
  • Less than 45 quarter hours
  • 45 to less than 90 quarter hours
  • 90 to less than 135 quarter hours
  • 135 to less than 180 quarter hours
  • 180 or more quarter hours
  • Less than 30 semester hours
  • 30 to less than 60 semester hours
  • 60 to less than 90 semester hours
  • 90 to less than 120 semester hours
  • 120 or more semester hours
  • Not applicable

03

Please indicate your area(s) of study or major(s)/minor(s) towards a degree. Check all that apply.
  • Public administration
  • Business administration
  • Finance
  • Procurement/contract management
  • Law
  • Other (related field)
  • Other (non-related field)
  • Not Applicable

04

If you answered "Other (related field)" or "Other (non-related field)" for the previous question, please list all of your majors and minors. If this question does not pertain to you, or you do not have a degree, enter "Not applicable".
05

Have you completed college-level courses in purchasing and supply management principles, laws, methods and procedures?
  • Yes
  • No

06

Do you possess a certification by a nationally recognized professional purchasing and/or grants organization?
  • Yes
  • No

07

Please enter any applicable nationally recognized professional purchasing and/or grants management certifications you possess. Please spell it out - do not enter an acronym. Enter 'None' if you do not possess a nationally recognized procurement certification.
08

How many years of full-time equivalent progressively responsible experience do you have in technical procurement work, including considerable experience with automated procurement systems?
  • None
  • Less than one year
  • One to less than two years
  • Two to less than three years
  • Three to less than four years
  • Four to less than five years
  • Five to less than six years
  • Six to less than seven years
  • Seven to less than eight years
  • Eight to less than nine years
  • Nine or more years

09

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have in public procurement and contracting?
  • None
  • Less than one year
  • One to less than two years
  • Two to less than three years
  • Three to less than four years
  • Four to less than five years
  • Five to less than six years
  • Six or more years

10

Please indicate the types of governmental organizations which you have worked for in the past (Check all that apply)
  • Federal government
  • State government
  • Local government
  • College/university
  • Public school system
  • None of the above

11

How many years of professional full-time equivalent experience do you have supervising subordinate staff (assigning work and establishing workload priorities, establishing performance criteria and standards, evaluating performance)?
  • None
  • Less than one year
  • One to less than two years
  • Two to less than three years
  • Three to less than four years
  • Four to less than five years
  • Five or more years

12

How many years of full-time equivalent procurement and contract experience do you have to include the sourcing and selection of suppliers?
  • None
  • Less than one year
  • One to less than two years
  • Two to less than three years
  • Three to less than four years
  • Four to less than five years
  • Five or more years

13

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have obtaining products and services for a government organization to include preparing written formal (above $200K) solicitations (with terms and conditions), receiving, and evaluating bids, awarding and administering contracts?
  • None
  • Less than one year
  • One to less than two years
  • Two to less than three years
  • Three to less than four years
  • Four to less than five years
  • Five or more years

14

Please indicate which of the following areas you have at least five years of experience. Check all that apply.
  • Developing solicitations (IFB's and RFP's)
  • Analyzing technical and cost proposals
  • Negotiation contracts and agreements
  • Contract Administration (amendments, renewals, price modifications) and managing supplier performance
  • Responding to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests
  • None of the above

Required Question

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