Senior Acquisition Consultant

Job Family :
Operational Effectiveness Consulting

Travel Required :
None

Clearance Required :
Active Secret

What You Will Do :

The Senior Acquisition Consultant acts as a strategic advisor and team lead within the Department of State's IT Acquisitions Office, overseeing approximately 20 enterprise software and hardware licensing agreements. This role manages the full federal acquisition lifecycle, supporting Contracting Officer Representatives (CORs) from requirements gathering through post-award management. The consultant leads a cross-functional team of 9 (analysts, SMEs, and program support staff) to develop comprehensive acquisition packages and ensures compliance with federal regulations and internal standards. The Senior Acquisition Consultant ensures acquisition packages meet FAR, State policy, Small Business requirements, and internal quality standards, while also supporting strategic planning, operational governance, financial tracking, and stakeholder communications across the Division.

Responsibilities include:

Acquisition Strategy & Package Development

• Support the development of acquisition package including Requests for Information (RFIs), Requests for Quotes (RFQs), Statements of Work (SOWs), Acquisition Plans (AP), Independent Government Cost Estimates (IGCEs), Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition (JEFO/J&A), bid sheets, and supporting materials for federal IT enterprise agreements.
• Ensure compliance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Department of State Acquisition Manual (DOSAM), NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP)/ General Services Administration (GSA) policies, small business requirements, and internal quality standards.
• Maintain a master acquisitions schedule that tracks expiring agreements, periods of performance, renewal windows, package timelines, and milestones across the enterprise portfolio.
• Develop acquisition strategies in collaboration with CORs across contract vehicles, including SEWP and GSA, and contract types, including Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP), Time-and-Materials (T&M), Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs), and Delivery Orders (DOs).
• Lead discussions with information technology software and hardware original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), resellers, and subject-matter experts regarding pricing, terms and conditions, catalog discounts, BPA structures, and acquisition strategies.

Program Office Support & Stakeholder Engagement

• Facilitate weekly or bimonthly meetings with CORs, Global Acquisitions representatives, OEMs, and resellers to manage portfolio activities and brief leadership on risks, decisions, and next steps.
• Coordinate with Chief Information Officer (CIO) offices, Legal, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), Finance, and customer bureaus to align requirements and streamline procurement activities.
• Prepare executive communications, talking points, whitepapers, and presentations for Contracting Officer Representatives (CORs) and Division leadership.
• Lead the design and implementation of innovative processes, operating models, and strategic initiatives that address complex procurement challenges and advance mission objectives.
• Oversee and support the analysts in managing office funding budgets, submitting funding requests, tracking and analyzing sales and operational reports, and coordinating reporting to other offices.

Team Leadership & Operational Support

• Oversee team operations, including coaching, workload management, and quality assurance.
• Support program leadership with weekly reports, burn-rate analyses, dashboards, deliverable trackers, and executive briefings.
• Collaborate with vehicle managers and Guidehouse leadership on daily operations, resource planning, progress reporting, and project financials.
• Mentor junior consultants and contribute to business development and integrated solution delivery.

What You Will Need :

• An ACTIVE and MAINTAINED "SECRET" Federal or DoD security clearance
• Bachelor's degree
• FIVE (5) years or more of experience leading or supporting multi-disciplinary teams or in management consulting
• Ability to work onsite in Washington, DC 2-3 days per week

What Would Be Nice To Have :

• Prior experience with the Department of State
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or equivalent project/program management certification
• Experience leading or supporting multi-disciplinary teams or in management consulting
• Project/program management experience within large, diverse organizations
• Strong risk identification, issue escalation, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent attention to detail, organizational, and prioritization skills
• Familiarity with core acquisition documentation
• In-depth knowledge of federal procurement processes and acquisition package requirements

The annual salary range for this position is $98,000.00-$163,000.00. Compensation decisions depend on a wide range of factors, including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, security clearances, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs.

What We Offer :

Guidehouse offers a comprehensive, total rewards package that includes competitive compensation and a flexible benefits package that reflects our commitment to creating a diverse and supportive workplace.

Benefits include:

• Medical, Rx, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Personal and Family Sick Time & Company Paid Holidays
• Position may be eligible for a discretionary variable incentive bonus
• Parental Leave and Adoption Assistance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Basic Life & Supplemental Life
• Health Savings Account, Dental/Vision & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Student Loan PayDown
• Tuition Reimbursement, Personal Development & Learning Opportunities
• Skills Development & Certifications
• Employee Referral Program
• Corporate Sponsored Events & Community Outreach
• Emergency Back-Up Childcare Program
• Mobility Stipend

About Guidehouse

Guidehouse is an Equal Opportunity Employer-Protected Veterans, Individuals with Disabilities or any other basis protected by law, ordinance, or regulation.

Guidehouse will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law or ordinance including the Fair Chance Ordinance of Los Angeles and San Francisco.

If you have visited our website for information about employment opportunities, or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Guidehouse Recruiting at 1-571-633-1711 or via email at RecruitingAccommodation@guidehouse.com . All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodation.

All communication regarding recruitment for a Guidehouse position will be sent from Guidehouse email domains including @guidehouse.com or guidehouse@myworkday.com . Correspondence received by an applicant from any other domain should be considered unauthorized and will not be honored by Guidehouse. Note that Guidehouse will never charge a fee or require a money transfer at any stage of the recruitment process and does not collect fees from educational institutions for participation in a recruitment event. Never provide your banking information to a third party purporting to need that information to proceed in the hiring process.

If any person or organization demands money related to a job opportunity with Guidehouse, please report the matter to Guidehouse's Ethics Hotline. If you want to check the validity of correspondence you have received, please contact recruiting@guidehouse.com . Guidehouse is not responsible for losses incurred (monetary or otherwise) from an applicant's dealings with unauthorized third parties.

Guidehouse does not accept unsolicited resumes through or from search firms or staffing agencies. All unsolicited resumes will be considered the property of Guidehouse and Guidehouse will not be obligated to pay a placement fee.