Procurement Specialist III

Pay range information is a general guideline only. The pay offered will be determined based on factors such as the scope and responsibilities of the position, qualifications of the selected candidate, business considerations, internal equity, and external market pay for comparable jobs.

About the role

As a Procurement Specialist III at Fermilab, your day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• Lead complex, high-dollar procurement and subcontracting activities supporting major construction and technical projects.
• Manage the full subcontract lifecycle—from developing requirements and issuing RFPs through negotiation, award, administration, and closeout.
• Partner with project managers, engineers, construction teams, and internal stakeholders to develop procurement strategies and subcontracting requirements.
• Evaluate subcontractor proposals, responsiveness, qualifications, pricing, and cost data to support sound award decisions.
• Negotiate subcontract terms, conditions, pricing, schedules, and other commercial requirements.
• Draft and administer subcontract agreements, modifications, change orders, and other contractual documents.
• Administer construction subcontracts and monitor subcontractor performance, deliverables, schedules, payments, and contractual obligations.
• Review and approve schedules of values and subcontractor payment documentation.
• Manage certified payroll requirements and perform Davis-Bacon compliance reviews and site audits.
• Verify bonding, insurance, workplace safety, and other required subcontractor documentation.
• Ensure subcontract compliance with applicable federal requirements, including the Davis-Bacon Act, Service Contract Act, Buy American Act, FAR requirements, and socio-economic provisions.
• Coordinate subcontract changes, resolve contractual issues, and support punch-list completion and final closeout.
• Maintain complete, accurate, audit-ready subcontract and procurement files.
• Stay current on federal procurement regulations, construction contracting requirements, Laboratory policies, and industry best practices.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree with a discipline in Supply Chain, Business, English, or Communications and a minimum of 7+ years of experience or equivalent.
• Significant experience managing large-dollar construction procurements and subcontracts.
• Demonstrated cradle-to-grave procurement experience, including solicitation, proposal evaluation, negotiation, award, subcontract administration, change management, payment review, and closeout.
• Strong knowledge of federal construction contracting requirements and procurement regulations.
• Hands-on experience administering construction contracts and working directly with subcontractors and project/construction teams.
• Experience reviewing and managing certified payroll and ensuring Davis-Bacon compliance.
• Experience processing construction change orders and reviewing/approving schedules of values prior to payment.
• Working knowledge and appropriate application of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) requirements.
• Strong analytical skills with experience performing price and cost analyses.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, documentation, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to independently manage complex procurements while maintaining organized, accurate, and compliant contract files.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working for or supporting a federal government contractor.
• Professional procurement or contracts certification such as:
  • Certified Procurement Manager (CPM)
  • Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM)
  • Certified Federal Contracts Manager (CFCM)
• Experience supporting large-scale, technically complex construction, infrastructure, engineering, or scientific projects.
• Experience using LCPtracker or a comparable certified-payroll/compliance system.

What we're looking for

This is not simply a purchasing or buyer position. The strongest candidate will have substantial construction subcontract administration experience in a federal or highly regulated environment and will understand what happens after a subcontract is awarded, not just how to source and negotiate it.

Pay

The expected hiring range for this position is $88,800.00–$116,900.00.

Schedule

This role is based full-time onsite at the LBNF-DUNE site in Lead, South Dakota.

About Fermilab

Fermilab is America’s premier laboratory for particle physics and accelerator research, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. We support discovery science experiments in Illinois and locations around the world, including deep underground mines in South Dakota and Canada, mountaintops in Arizona and Chile, CERN in Europe, and the South Pole.

Pre-Employment Screening

• An offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check and drug screening.
• New employees are required to obtain and maintain a HSPD-12 Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Credential, which includes a federal background check investigation. This investigation includes a declaration of illegal drug activities, including use, supply, possession, or manufacture (marijuana and cannabis derivatives are still considered illegal under federal law, regardless of state laws).
• Fermilab employees and certain guest researchers and contractors are subject to restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Sponsored or Affiliated Activities.
• Fermilab requires all members of the public to produce a REAL-ID or equivalent to access the Fermilab campus for interviews or career events.