Senior Government Contracting Specialist – Micro-Purchases & Small Federal Contracts

**EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONALS ONLY – MANDATORY PAID SKILLS TRIAL**

### ABOUT THE COMPANY


We are seeking a **highly experienced Government Contracting Specialist who can independently manage the entire federal contracting process from A to Z.**

Our company is transitioning toward federal micro-purchases, simplified acquisitions, and smaller, manageable government contracts, particularly in service-based industries.

We are NOT interested in pursuing large, complicated projects at this time.

We need an experienced professional who knows how to find opportunities, evaluate profitability, secure subcontractors, prepare quotations, communicate with government buyers, coordinate awards, and manage contract execution.

**This is NOT an entry-level virtual assistant position.**

### WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for someone who has personally managed government contracts from beginning to end.

We are NOT looking for someone who has only:

- Searched SAM.gov for opportunities.
- Assisted another government contracting specialist.
- Prepared portions of proposals.
- Performed administrative tasks.
- Worked on one phase of the contracting process.
- Completed government contracting training without significant hands-on experience.

**We need someone who has actually DONE the work, understands the entire process, and can take ownership without constant supervision.**

The ideal candidate is confident, proactive, resourceful, organized, and capable of solving problems independently.

### KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

**1. Government Contract Research & Opportunity Identification**

- Independently identify federal micro-purchases, simplified acquisitions, and smaller government contracting opportunities.
- Research opportunities through SAM.gov, agency procurement websites, small-purchase portals, and other federal procurement resources.
- Identify opportunities aligned with our company's capabilities and certifications.
- Develop relationships with government buyers and purchasing departments.
- Perform preliminary go/no-go evaluations without requiring owner involvement in every decision.
- Prioritize opportunities that are realistic, manageable, and profitable.
- Maintain an organized pipeline of potential contracts.

**2. Subcontractor & Vendor Sourcing**

- Independently locate qualified U.S.-based subcontractors, suppliers, and service providers.
- Contact vendors directly by phone and email.
- Request and obtain competitive pricing.
- Negotiate pricing and service terms when appropriate.
- Verify vendor qualifications, availability, reliability, and ability to perform.
- Coordinate subcontractor requirements and timelines.
- Build and maintain a dependable subcontractor and supplier network.

**You must be comfortable making phone calls and conducting business directly with U.S. vendors and government personnel.**

**3. Pricing, Profitability & Go/No-Go Analysis**

- Review solicitation requirements and determine feasibility.
- Obtain vendor and subcontractor pricing.
- Calculate estimated expenses, overhead, and profit margins.
- Identify potential risks before pursuing opportunities.
- Independently conduct preliminary go/no-go assessments.
- Present only well-researched, viable opportunities to ownership.
- Provide clear recommendations supported by actual numbers.

We do not want to review dozens of opportunities that have not been properly researched.

**We want someone who can identify which opportunities make business sense before bringing them to us.**

**4. Bid Preparation & Submission**

- Review RFQs, solicitations, and procurement requirements.
- Prepare complete and accurate quotations and proposals.
- Coordinate pricing and supporting documentation.
- Ensure submissions meet applicable federal procurement requirements.
- Prepare all necessary forms and supporting materials.
- Submit bids and quotations after receiving required company authorization.
- Track submissions and follow up with contracting officers.

**5. Contract Award & Execution Management**

- Coordinate awarded contracts from beginning to completion.
- Communicate with subcontractors, vendors, and government contacts.
- Monitor contract deliverables and performance deadlines.
- Ensure subcontractors understand their responsibilities.
- Address routine operational issues independently.
- Coordinate documentation, invoicing, and payment tracking.
- Assist with contract closeout and performance follow-up.

We want someone who understands that winning the contract is only part of the job. Successful execution and profitability are equally important.

**6. Independent Daily Operations**

- Manage the daily contracting workflow without constant instructions.
- Establish and maintain organized systems for opportunities, vendors, quotes, deadlines, and awards.
- Follow up on outstanding quotations and submissions.
- Proactively identify and resolve problems.
- Communicate with vendors and contracting personnel independently.
- Provide concise progress reports.
- Keep ownership informed of important decisions, risks, and opportunities.

### OUR EXPECTATIONS – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

**We are seeking an experienced professional, NOT someone who requires constant hand-holding.**

We understand that business owners must remain involved in important decisions. However, we do not have the availability to answer dozens of routine questions throughout the day.

We expect the person hired to already know how to perform government contracting work.

**You must be able to:**

- Take initiative without waiting for instructions.
- Research answers before asking questions.
- Solve routine problems independently.
- Find subcontractors and obtain pricing without being prompted.
- Evaluate opportunities and provide recommendations.
- Manage multiple contracting activities efficiently.
- Make sound preliminary business assessments.
- Present solutions rather than simply identifying problems.
- Work independently while maintaining accountability.

We expect ownership to be involved primarily in strategic decisions, final bid approvals, financial commitments, contractual signatures, and significant issues.

**Our goal is to hire someone who can RUN the day-to-day contracting operation, not someone who needs us to manage every step.**

### REQUIRED EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

- Proven experience managing U.S. federal government contracts from opportunity identification through contract completion.
- Direct hands-on experience with federal micro-purchases and simplified acquisitions.
- Strong working knowledge of SAM.gov and other federal procurement resources.
- Understanding of FAR requirements, RFQs, solicitations, and federal purchasing procedures.
- Proven ability to independently source U.S. subcontractors and suppliers.
- Experience obtaining vendor quotes, analyzing costs, and determining profitability.
- Experience preparing and submitting compliant government quotations and proposals.
- Experience communicating directly with U.S. contracting officers and vendors.
- Strong spoken and written English.
- Excellent organization, time management, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
- Demonstrated experience managing the full government contracting lifecycle.

**IMPORTANT: Experience working on only one portion of the contracting process does NOT meet our requirements.**

### MANDATORY PAID SKILLS TRIAL

**A paid practical skills trial is required for finalists before a long-term hiring decision is made.**

We are serious about finding someone who can perform the work independently. Therefore, selected candidates will be required to complete a real-world practical assessment.

The paid trial will evaluate your ability to:

1. Independently identify viable federal micro-purchase or small-contract opportunities.
2. Research and evaluate the opportunity requirements.
3. Identify qualified U.S. subcontractors or suppliers.
4. Demonstrate your ability to contact vendors and obtain competitive pricing.
5. Prepare a preliminary cost analysis with recommended profit margins.
6. Conduct an independent go/no-go assessment.
7. Present a clear recommendation on whether the company should pursue the opportunity.
8. Demonstrate organization, initiative, communication skills, and independent problem-solving.

The trial will be compensated at an agreed-upon rate. The scope, deliverables, expectations, and timeframe will be established before work begins.

The trial will not require candidates to make financial commitments or submit binding quotations on behalf of the company.

**PLEASE NOTE:**

This is NOT a training exercise.

We will not provide step-by-step instructions on how to perform government contracting tasks.

We expect candidates to already possess the knowledge and practical experience necessary to complete the assessment.

Successful completion of the paid trial does not guarantee long-term employment, but performance during the trial will be a major factor in our hiring decision.

**We are hiring based on demonstrated ability, independent execution, and results—not simply what is listed on a résumé.**

### PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

The successful candidate will be expected to:

- Consistently identify qualified, realistic opportunities.
- Develop a reliable network of subcontractors and suppliers.
- Present properly researched opportunities with accurate pricing.
- Maintain an active pipeline of smaller government contracts.
- Prepare timely, compliant quotations and proposals.
- Manage awarded contracts effectively.
- Minimize unnecessary owner involvement.
- Provide clear, organized weekly progress reports.
- Help the company build a sustainable and profitable government contracting operation.

Performance will be evaluated based on quality of work, independence, responsiveness, accuracy, pipeline development, and contracting results.

### HOW TO APPLY – REQUIRED QUESTIONS

**DO NOT SEND A GENERIC APPLICATION.**

To be considered, you MUST answer all the following questions:

**1.** How many years of direct, hands-on experience do you have managing U.S. federal government contracts?

**2.** Describe TWO federal government contracts that you personally managed from opportunity discovery through award and completion. Explain exactly what YOU handled.

**3.** Have you personally worked with federal micro-purchases or simplified acquisitions? Describe your specific experience.

**4.** Have you independently sourced U.S. subcontractors or vendors, contacted them, obtained quotes, and negotiated pricing? Explain your process.

**5.** If you were hired today, how would you independently identify and evaluate small federal contracting opportunities for our company?

**6.** What government contracting platforms, agency purchasing portals, and procurement systems have you personally used?

**7.** Are you comfortable calling U.S. subcontractors, vendors, and contracting officers directly during U.S. business hours?

**8.** How do you determine whether a government contracting