Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking an experienced Acquisition Analyst II / Contract Specialist to support federal acquisition lifecycle activities for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Office of Acquisition Services (OAS). The ideal candidate will bring demonstrated experience supporting government contracting activities from pre-award through post-award execution, ensuring acquisition actions are accurate, compliant, timely, and properly documented.

This role is designed for a detail-oriented acquisition professional who understands the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), agency acquisition policies, and the documentation discipline required to support complex government procurements. The successful candidate will assist acquisition teams with market research, acquisition planning, solicitation development, proposal evaluation support, contract administration, modification processing, procurement reporting, and contract file management.

The ideal candidate is a self-driven professional who can independently manage assigned acquisition actions, identify potential issues before they impact milestones, communicate effectively with stakeholders, and produce high-quality acquisition documentation with minimal supervision.

Summary of Contractor Role

The Acquisition Analyst II / Contract Specialist will provide acquisition lifecycle support to CDC OAS by assisting contracting officers, program managers, and acquisition stakeholders throughout the procurement process.

The contractor will support assigned requirements by conducting acquisition research, preparing procurement documentation, assisting with solicitation and evaluation activities, supporting negotiations and award documentation, processing post-award actions, maintaining procurement files, and preparing acquisition status reports.

The role requires strong organizational skills, knowledge of federal acquisition processes, and the ability to manage multiple procurement actions simultaneously. The contractor will use federal acquisition systems, Microsoft Office applications, agency templates, contract writing tools, and electronic contract file management processes to support successful execution of CDC acquisition requirements.

This position supports CDC’s mission by helping ensure acquisition actions move efficiently through the procurement lifecycle while maintaining compliance with applicable federal regulations, policies, and procedures.

Position Day-to-Day Activities / Responsibilities

• Support acquisition planning activities by reviewing requirements packages, researching procurement approaches, and assisting with acquisition documentation.
• Conduct market research activities to identify historical procurement information, industry capabilities, acquisition alternatives, and supporting documentation.
• Analyze acquisition requirements and provide recommendations regarding applicable acquisition strategies, policies, procedures, and documentation requirements.
• Assist with development, review, and editing of acquisition documents including:
  • Requests for Proposals (RFPs)
  • Requests for Quotes (RFQs)
  • Invitations for Bid (IFBs)
  • Market research reports
  • Acquisition plans
  • Determinations and findings
  • Memoranda for the record
  • Procurement checklists
• Prepare and support pre-solicitation and solicitation notices through applicable government channels.
• Support small business acquisition activities, including preparation of documentation supporting SBA 8(a) reviews when applicable.
• Assist with proposal and quotation evaluation activities by:
  • Coordinating evaluation documentation
  • Supporting technical and past performance reviews
  • Organizing evaluation materials
  • Documenting findings
• Analyze business and pricing information contained within vendor proposals and quotations.
• Support negotiation preparation by organizing pricing analyses, negotiation objectives, and supporting documentation.
• Prepare award documentation and acquisition files for contracting officer review.
• Support contract administration activities including:
  • Contract modifications
  • Option exercises
  • Administrative changes
  • De-obligations
  • File updates
• Maintain accurate electronic procurement files and ensure documentation is complete, organized, and compliant with agency requirements.
• Track procurement milestones, deliverables, and acquisition actions using Microsoft Excel, SharePoint, agency acquisition systems, and reporting tools.
• Prepare weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly acquisition status reports.
• Participate in acquisition meetings, stakeholder discussions, and procurement reviews.
• Identify acquisition risks, delays, and documentation gaps and recommend corrective actions.
• Support continuous improvement efforts by identifying opportunities to streamline acquisition processes and improve workflow efficiency.