Senior Acquisition Support Specialist

About the role

The Senior Acquisition Support Specialist serves as the Lead Acquisition Subject Matter Expert (SME) supporting the NEXUS IT Team and acquisition modernization initiatives and provides support to the BD team as needed. The incumbent provides expert Federal and State acquisition knowledge, operational contracting expertise, and business process guidance to ensure acquisition regulations, stakeholder requirements, procurement workflows, contract writing systems, and compliance controls are accurately represented within technology-enabled solutions. The successful candidate possesses extensive experience serving as a Contract Specialist (CS), Contracting Officer (CO), Acquisition Lead, Functional Lead, Product Owner, Procurement Analyst, Program Management Advisor, or similar acquisition professional. Leveraging practical acquisition and contracting experience, the incumbent serves as the primary liaison between acquisition stakeholders and technical teams, translating operational requirements into business, functional, technical, testing, implementation, and modernization requirements.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the principal Acquisition Subject Matter Expert supporting NEXUS acquisition modernization initiatives and the BD team as needed on AIR-BD.
• Provide expert guidance regarding Federal and State acquisition regulations, policies, procedures, and contracting operations.
• Advise executive leadership and project stakeholders regarding acquisition modernization, organizational transformation, and business process improvement opportunities.
• Ensure acquisition business requirements and regulatory obligations are accurately represented within NEXUS functionality and workflows.
• Act as the primary acquisition advisor supporting software development, testing, implementation, deployment, and sustainment activities.
• Provide operational acquisition insight that enables technical teams to make informed system design decisions.
• Serve as the acquisition authority for validating business processes, workflow designs, and acquisition-related functionality.
• Serve as the authoritative advisor regarding real-world Federal and State acquisition operations.
• Educate NEXUS technical, development, testing, implementation, and support teams on Government acquisition business processes.
• Explain acquisition decision-making authorities, approval structures, acquisition milestones, stakeholder interactions, and governance requirements.
• Provide subject matter expertise regarding PRISM, Momentum, SPS/PD2, and related Federal contract writing systems.
• Validate that technical designs, workflow configurations, and business process changes accurately reflect acquisition operations and assess impacts on stakeholders, compliance requirements, and mission outcomes.
• Analyze contract writing system functionality, workflow processes, approval chains, interfaces, reporting capabilities, and compliance controls.
• Explain document generation processes, acquisition data structures, routing requirements, procurement controls, and system dependencies.
• Support modernization, migration, enhancement, implementation, and integration efforts involving acquisition platforms.
• Evaluate business requirements against current system capabilities and future-state operational needs.
• Provides expert acquisition support throughout the entire procurement lifecycle, from requirements definition and acquisition planning through contract closeout and records management.
• Supports requirements planning, acquisition planning, market research, and Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) development activities.
• Develops acquisition strategies, procurement approaches, solicitation packages, and supporting acquisition documentation.
• Participates in source selection activities, proposal evaluations, and contract award processes in accordance with applicable regulations and policies.
• Supports funding certification activities and integration of acquisition actions with financial management processes.
• Provides contract administration support, including contract modifications, performance monitoring, compliance oversight, and stakeholder coordination.
• Assists with contractor performance management, issue resolution, and contract execution activities.
• Supports invoice review, funding reconciliation, financial validation, and contract-related reporting requirements.
• Administers contract option exercises and other post-award contractual actions.
• Performs contract closeout activities, records management, acquisition reporting, and documentation retention in accordance with regulatory requirements.
• Supports internal and external audits by providing acquisition documentation, analyses, and subject matter expertise.
• Conducts compliance reviews and assessments to ensure acquisition activities align with applicable Federal, State, and organizational policies, procedures, and controls.
• Assessing acquisition workflows and ensuring modernization efforts align with actual contracting operations.
• Support requirements validation for pre-award, award, post-award, administration, and closeout functionality.
• Analyze acquisition data relationships and validate implementation of acquisition business rules.
• Recommend enhancements that improve operational efficiency, compliance, user experience, reporting, and audit readiness.
• Provide expert understanding of authorities, responsibilities, and interactions among Government stakeholders.
• Explain and document the roles of Contract Specialists, Contracting Officers, Program Managers, CORs, Financial Management Offices, Legal Counsel, Competition Advocates, Small Business Specialists, Procurement Executives, and Executive Leadership.
• Analyze acquisition workflows and business processes; identify challenges and recommend solutions that improve operational efficiency, compliance, audit readiness, and mission performance.
• Support requirements validation for acquisition systems by analyzing business rules, data relationships, interfaces, and interoperability among procurement, financial, reporting, and enterprise business systems.
• Provide advice regarding stakeholder engagement and acquisition governance throughout the acquisition lifecycle.
• Support identification and resolution of stakeholder conflicts, workflow inefficiencies, and organizational barriers.
• Translate acquisition business processes into technical and functional requirements.
• Develop and review user stories, business rules, workflow diagrams, process maps, and test scenarios.
• Participate in Agile development activities including requirements gathering, backlog refinement, sprint planning, demonstrations, testing, deployment, and implementation.
• Assist organizations with adoption of modernized acquisition technologies and workflows.
• Develop standard operating procedures, user guides, training materials, knowledge articles, and process documentation.
• Support communication strategies that facilitate successful modernization efforts.
• Mentor Government and contractor personnel regarding acquisition operations and contract writing system functionality.
• Lead acquisition teams by assigning work, providing coaching, mentoring, and technical guidance.
• Provide expertise regarding stakeholder authorities, responsibilities, governance processes, and organizational interactions; support workflow development, stakeholder engagement, and resolution of operational barriers.
• Support professional development of acquisition personnel ranging from entry-level to senior acquisition professionals.
• Foster collaboration among acquisition, business, operational, and technical organizations.
• Promote continuous process improvement and knowledge sharing.
• Support succession planning and workforce development initiatives.
• Assist organizations in building sustainable acquisition support capabilities.

Requirements

• Demonstrated experience utilizing PRISM to support acquisition planning, solicitation development, contract award, contract administration, and procurement reporting activities.
• Experienced using Momentum Acquisition to support acquisition lifecycle management, financial integration, workflow approvals, and compliance requirements.
• Proficient in SPS/PD2 (Standard Procurement System/Procurement Desktop-2) or equivalent contract writing platforms to create, manage, modify, and administer procurement actions.
• Experience supporting acquisition operations within CON-IT, Comprizon, Procurement Desktop-Next Generation (PDNG), or similar modern acquisition management systems is highly desired.
• Familiarity with Federal Shared Service acquisition solutions and government-wide acquisition platforms supporting enterprise procurement operations is preferred.
• Experience working with integrated acquisition and financial management systems to ensure alignment between procurement, funding, reporting, and compliance requirements.
• Knowledge of enterprise procurement modernization initiatives, system enhancements, business process improvements, and acquisition technology transformations.
• Expert knowledge of Federal and State acquisition regulations, policies, procedures, and procurement operations.
• Extensive knowledge of FAR, agency supplements, acquisition governance, and contracting best practices.
• Comprehensive understanding of acquisition lifecycle processes from acquisition planning through contract closeout.
• Expert knowledge of PRISM, Momentum, SPS/PD2, and related acquisition platforms.
• Thorough understanding of Government stakeholder roles, responsibilities, and delegated authorities.
• Knowledge of procurement financial management, commitment, obligation, expenditure, and reconciliation processes.
• Knowledge of acquisition reporting, audit support, internal controls, and compliance requirements.
• Ability to translate acquisition operations into business, functional, and technical requirements.
• Ability to communicate complex acquisition concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong business process analysis, workflow mapping, and requirements management skills.
• Strong analytical, facilitation, leadership, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong mentoring, coaching, and workforce development abilities.
• Knowledge of Agile development methodologies and software implementation practices.
• Knowledge of business process reengineering and organizational change management methodologies.
• Ability to balance regulatory compliance, mission objectives, user needs, and technology capabilities.
• Expert understanding of acquisition stakeholder roles, authorities, responsibilities, and interactions, including Contracting Officers, Contract Specialists, Program Managers, CORs, Financial Management Offices, Legal Counsel, Procurement Executives, and Executive Leadership.
• Ability to explain acquisition governance structures, approval processes, stakeholder responsibilities, and decision-making frameworks to technical and non-technical audiences.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Acquisition Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, Information Systems, Finance, Contract Management, or related discipline.
• Minimum ten (10) years of Federal or State acquisition and contracting experience.