Professional Protest Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Metrics LLC is a veteran-owned federal IT and acquisition support firm that helps government agencies run efficient, compliant procurement programs. We are preparing to support the the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with end-to-end contracting support across its active portfolio of research and administrative contracts. This is a part-time, primarily remote position anticipated to begin in fall 2026. The person in this role will be Metrics' lead acquisition expert on the engagement working with two mid level acquisition specialists as we support NIH staff who need help getting their contracting work done correctly and on time.

What You'll Do

• Work directly with NIH program managers, contract oversight representatives, administrative staff and two Metrics team members providing acquisition support as we work to understand what NIH needs to buy and translate those needs into complete, compliant contracting packages ready for the Contracting Officer to act on.
• Write the core procurement documents for a high volume of contract actions — including scopes of work, cost estimates, sole-source justifications, and acquisition plans — covering everything from small purchases to large, complex contract awards.
• Research the commercial and federal marketplace for goods and services NIH wants to acquire: identify vendors, compare pricing, review similar contracts at other agencies, and summarize your findings in written market research reports.
• Support the evaluation process when NIH receives proposals from vendors — help develop the evaluation criteria and scoring guides, attend advisory sessions with the review panel, and produce supporting documentation (while staying strictly in an advisory lane and not voting or making selection decisions).
• Help NIH manage its existing contracts after award: track spending against budgets, flag contracts that are burning funds too fast or too slow, help draft contract changes and extensions, and prepare formal written performance assessments for vendors.
• Enter and track contract actions in NIH's internal procurement and financial systems, keeping data accurate and current as awards, modifications, and option exercises occur.
• Analyze tricky or ambiguous contracting situations, identify the compliant path forward, and document your analysis and recommendations in a format the Contracting Officer and program staff can act on.
• Attend occasional in-person meetings at NIH's Bethesda, Maryland campus when needed; most work is performed remotely.

Requirements

Must Have

• Bachelor's degree (any field)
• At least 7 years of hands-on federal government contracting or acquisition support experience — not just adjacent experience, but direct work on federal procurement actions from start to finish
• Strong working knowledge of federal contracting rules (the Federal Acquisition Regulation) and how they apply to real procurement situations, including IT purchases
• Proven experience writing each of the following document types on actual federal contracts: cost estimates (IGCEs), scopes of work or performance work statements, sole-source and limited-competition justifications, and acquisition plans
• Experience supporting proposal evaluation panels in an advisory capacity, and clear understanding of the ethical boundaries around vendor selection decisions
• Experience helping contracting officer representatives monitor vendor performance after award — including tracking spending, preparing formal performance evaluations, and supporting contract modifications
• Ability to pass a federal background investigation at the Public Trust level (required before accessing NIH systems; Metrics will support this process upon hire)
• Location: must be able to attend occasional in-person meetings in Bethesda, MD without travel reimbursement (most work is remote)

Nice to Have

• Prior contracting support experience at NIH, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or another health-focused federal agency
• Familiarity with NIH's internal procurement and financial systems (POTS or NBS)
• Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) at Level II or III, or equivalent Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) contracting certification
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification
• Experience writing standard operating procedures, training guides, or reference materials to help non-contracting staff understand the acquisition process
• Familiarity with how GAO bid protest decisions affect acquisition planning and documentation strategy
• Experience with biomedical research, scientific IT procurement, or research administration contracting environments

Providing quality government consulting in today's resource constrained environment, Metrics LLC balances proven best practices with innovative approaches. Our result: Highly effective outcomes and highly competitive solutions. For more information, go to https://www.metrics-llc.com/home.html