CONTRACT SPECIALIST Job in Fort Detrick, MD

Vacancy No. MCAD256136810683H Department U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center
Salary $46,148.00 to $156,755.00 Grade 2 to 3
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 1/22/2025 Close Date 1/31/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Fort Detrick, MD


Summary

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service.

About the Position:This recruitment is for a Contract Specialist, NH-02 full performance level NH-03 with PEO-IEW&S. PEO-IEW&S is dedicated to designing, delivering and sustaining advanced technologies to give our Soldier the decisive edge.

Duties

1. Makes directed day-to-day adjustments in accordance with schedules and operations. Monitors assignments and projects to meet changes in priorities and workload. Provides technical advice and guidance to government customers on usual problems or situations to include contracting terms and conditions, price reasonableness, market research, and request for quotes/proposals for conventional problems or situations.
2. Performs acquisition planning functions; such as plans, develops, and establishes the contractual strategy for assigned requirements. Determines the types of contracts (i.e. cost reimbursement, award fee, incentive fee, fixed fee, escalation, re-determinable, cost-sharing, time and material, and numerous variations of firm fixed price) and negotiation authority to be used to prepare justification. Becomes familiar with major programs(s) such as large-scale subsystems, components, equipment, systems, and services to be acquired by the Technical Contracting Division.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • This position requires the incumbent be able to obtain and maintain a determination of eligibility for a Top Secret security clearance with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access or access for the duration of employment.
  • This position requires pre-employment financial disclosure and annually thereafter in accordance with DoD Directive 5500-7-R.
  • This is an Army Acquisition Workforce position. Selectees must meet position requirement for Practitioner certification within 60 months of entrance on duty in Career Field "Contracting".
  • This position is subject to a pre-employment screening, and random testing thereafter, to include testing based on reasonable suspicion and testing due to direct involvement with an on-duty accident.
  • One year probationary period may be required.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens


In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Basic Requirement for Contract Specialist:

Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) from an accredited educational institution authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees.

OR

Exemption: You are exempt from the education requirements above if (A) you are a current civilian employee in DoD who occupied GS-1102 positions or contracting positions with authority to award or administer contracts above the simplified acquisition threshold in an Executive Department on or before September 30, 2000; OR (B) you are a current military member who occupied a similar occupational specialty to the GS (or equivalent)-1102 on or before September 30, 2000.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

NH-02 Requirements

Have three years of progressively responsible general work experience with one year of that experience equivalent to at least the NH-01 pay band (GS-04 grade level) which includes;
1) Negotiating contracts dealing with new procurement acquisitions and with equitable adjustments to existing contracts resulting from changes to Government requirements, and contractor deficiencies;
2) Preparing and forwards the solicitations to recommended sources;
3) Analyzing preproduction costs, direct labor hours, overhead rates, proposed bills of materials, and estimated profits for purposes of determining reasonableness to establish the Government's target objectives; and
4) Administering contracts from award through the point of contract closeout or termination

OR

Have successfully completed a full four-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)

OR

Have the general experience as described in A, but less than three years; and I have some education as described in B, but less than the required four years. I have computed the percentage of the requirements that I meet, and the total is at least 100% (To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 36. Then, divide your semester hours of education by 120. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.). (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)

OR

Have the experience as described in A AND the education described in B. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.

NH03 Requirements

Have three years of progressively responsible general work experience with one year of that experience equivalent to the NH-02 or equivalent pay grade level, which includes;
1) Negotiating contracts dealing with new procurement acquisitions and with equitable adjustments to existing contracts resulting from changes to Government requirements, and contractor deficiencies;
2) Preparing and forwards the solicitations to recommended sources; and
3) Analyzing preproduction costs, direct labor hours, overhead rates, proposed bills of materials, and estimated profits for purposes of determining reasonableness to establish the Government's target objectives.
4) Administering contracts from award through the point of contract closeout or termination. ADMINISTRATIVE CAREERS WITH AMERICA (ACWA) ASSESSMENT: This series is covered under the ACWA examining program. The position is being recruited at the NH02 level. If selected at this level you must meet the qualification requirements for the position and complete/pass the ACWA assessment.

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:
  • Contracting/Procurement
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Problem Solving
  • Reasoning

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications

Additional information

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • One year probationary period may be required.
  • Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
  • This position requires you to submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE450) upon entry, and annually thereafter.
  • Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
  • If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
  • This is a Career Program 14 - "Contracting" Career Field position.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement.

If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference.

DoD Priority Placement Program (PPP) Applicants will receive preference consideration at the full-performance grade level only.

Only PPP applicants currently occupying a formal training program position are entitled to exercise their priority status.

Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment. A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements.

As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

1. Your resume:

  • Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
  • If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
  • For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and you may not receive consideration for this position.
  • For additional information see: What to include in your resume.
2. Other supporting documents:
  • Cover Letter, optional
  • Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
  • This position has an individual occupational requirement and you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses

NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

Future Military Retirees*: You are required to submit a copy of your retirement DD Form 214 (Member 4 Copy) OR certification document** OR a copy of your retirement letter AND a copy of your terminal leave request (if applicable). You will be required to provide your DD Form 214 (Member 4 Copy) upon issuance.

Future Separation from the Military*: You are required to submit a copy of your most recent DD Form 214 (Member 4 Copy) OR certification document** OR a copy of your most recent active duty orders AND a copy of your terminal leave request (if applicable). You will be required to provide your DD Form 214(Member 4 Copy) upon issuance. *Active duty military members who are selected may not be appointed unless on terminal leave or already separated from the armed forces. ** The "certification" is any written document from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. The Statement of Service must be signed by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of your unit or higher headquarters, AND the Statement of Service letter must include your rank, dates of active duty service, the Type of Discharge, Character of Service (i.e. honorable), and, if applicable, when your terminal leave will begin. NOTE: Within the Department of Defense (DoD), the appointment of retired military members within 180 days immediately following retirement date to a civilian position is subject to the provisions of 5 United States Code 3326

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on01/31/2025 to receive consideration.

  • To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12670683).
  • Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
  • You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
  • It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
  • Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk
Address
AD-W6DP35 PEO INTEL ELEC WARFARE AND SENS
DO NOT MAIL
Fort Detrick, MD 21702
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking (as applicable) for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.