Procurement Specialist III

Fermilab; Lead (SD); On-site; USD 89,000 - 117,000; Full time

Job summary

Fermilab in Lead, South Dakota, is seeking a Procurement Specialist III to lead complex, high-dollar procurement and subcontracting for major construction and technical projects. You will manage full subcontract lifecycle and partner with project teams to develop strategies and ensure compliance with federal contracting requirements.

The role requires a bachelor’s degree in a related field and 7+ years of experience, strong negotiation, documentation, and stakeholder-management skills, and the

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with a discipline in Supply Chain, Business, English, or Communications and 7+ years of experience.
• Extensive experience managing large-dollar construction procurements and subcontracts.
• Cradle-to-grave procurement experience from solicitation to closeout.
• Strong knowledge of federal construction contracting requirements and procurement regulations.
• Experience administering construction contracts with subcontractors and project teams.
• Experience reviewing certified payroll and Davis-Bacon compliance.
• Experience processing change orders and reviewing schedules of values.
• Working knowledge of FAR requirements.
• Strong analytical, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to manage complex procurements and maintain compliant files.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Skills

Cradle-to-grave procurement

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Documentation

Construction procurement

Federal procurement regulations

Contractor management

Cost analysis

SOW development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, English, or Communications

Job description

The expected hiring range for this position is:

$88,800.00-$116,900.00.

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

What your day-to-day as a Procurement Specialist III at Fermilab will look like:

• 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.

We are looking for:

• 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.

The candidate we’re really 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.

Work Arrangement:

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

Why 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:

Drug-Free Workplace & Pre-Employment Screening

Fermilab is dedicated to fostering a safe, productive and drug-free environment. An offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check and drug screening.

HSPD-12

In accordance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) new employees are required to obtain and maintain a HSPD-12 Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Credential. To obtain this credential, new employees must successfully complete and pass a federal background check investigation. This investigation includes a declaration of illegal drug activities, including use, supply, possession, or manufacture. This includes marijuana and cannabis derivatives, which are still considered illegal under federal law, regardless of state laws. Failure to obtain or maintain such government access authorization could result in the withdrawal of a job offer or future termination of employment.

Foreign Government Sponsored Activities

Fermilab employees, and certain guest researchers and contractors, are subject to particular restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Sponsored or Affiliated Activities, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. Such individuals will be asked to disclose any participation for review by Fermilab's Office of General Counsel.

REAL-ID Requirement for access to Fermilab Campus

Fermilab requires all members of the public to produce a REAL-ID, or equivalent, to access the Fermilab Campus for interviews or career events. A list of acceptable forms of ID can be found here: https://get-connected.fnal.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/REALID-Documents.pdf. If a candidate is selected for an interview but does not possess any of the equivalent documents, we may schedule a virtual interview.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Fermilab is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, and other legally protected categories.