CONTRACT SPECIALIST Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. KC-25-DH-12770714HD Department John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Salary $120,579.00 to $156,755.00 Grade 13 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 7/28/2025 Close Date 8/7/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

These positions are part of the, The John F Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. The incumbents will be responsible for serving as a Senior Contract Specialist who performs pre-award and post award functions for procurements involving complex highly specialized contracts including contracts requiring some knowledge of FAR Part 36 (Construction and Architect-Engineer Contracts).

Duties

  • Documents contractor performance, cost controls, funds management, quality control, property administration, and adherence to contract delivery schedules, to ensure that the Contractor is performing in accordance with the terms of the contract.
  • Works with and advises the customer on best contracting strategies and methods and provides technical responses. May negotiate or assist in the negotiation of contract modifications and settlements for such changes.
  • Enforces contract terms, conditions, and provisions; prepares or takes action on requests for consideration; recommends and prepares contracts for terminations of default or convenience; prepares correspondence; and replies to the customer.
  • Performs or leads all pre-award contracting functions which require the use of a combination of contract methods and types to procure large, highly complex/high dollar Construction programs or services where little or no contractual precedent exists.
  • Determines method of procurement, milestones, acquisition plan and type of contract. Develops procurement plans by reviewing previous history, market conditions, and specifications or technical data packages.
  • Performs the full range of contract management activities consistent with external and internal policy and guidance.
  • Responsible for monitoring contractor's performance via meetings, conversations, correspondence, reports, vouchers, and site visits for status of contract performance, scheduling, problems that have arisen, solutions, and verification of deliveries.
  • Conducts or attends monthly Performance Evaluation Boards to formally advise the Contractor of performance on a monthly basis. Issues Corrective Action Requests when necessary to affect contractor performance.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, determined by background investigation.
  • Direct Deposit of pay is required.
  • Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt.

Qualifications

Applicants for the GS-13 level must meet the following Basic Qualification Requirements and Specialized Experience:
- A 4-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor's degree, that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. NOTE: You are required to submit your unofficial college transcripts. If selected, official transcripts will be required prior to establishing an entrance on duty date.
AND
- At least 4 years of experience in contracting or related positions - 1 year of which is specialized experience.
***AND
- One of the following:
-A current Federal Acquisition Certification
- Contracting Professional-A current DoD Contracting Professional Certification

***AND
In addition to the basic qualification requirement, you must meet the following specialized experience qualification:
One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level. Specialized experience is that which has equipped the applicant with the competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience for this position includes the following: (1) Performing the full range of complex procurement and contracting functions to include contract negotiation, administration and termination; (2) Contracts, task orders, delivery orders and Interagency Agreements, and other contractual transactions to obtain the best value for the customer; (3) Performing life cycle costing and analysis for an unusually large amount of products and services with a large dollar value associated with procurement; (4) Developing procurement plans including analyzing procurement requirements, marketing conditions, the contractor's responsibility, and availability of products/services; (5) Reconciling contractual delivery times, terms and conditions; (6) Developing new terms and conditions or other innovations necessary to satisfy the unique procurement requirements and conditions; and (7) Organizing and implementing strategically sourced contracts.

Exceptions for the GS-13: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. This also applies to positions at the same grade in the same agency or other agencies if the specialized experience requirements are met. However, they will have to meet the basic requirements and specialized experience requirements in order to qualify for promotion to a higher grade, unless granted a waiver.

NOTE: COPIES OF THE CERTIFICATION MUST BE PROVIDED WITH YOUR APPLICATION BY THE CLOSING DATE OF THE VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT.

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

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.

Education

You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Note: PDF Portfolio documents will not be processed or accepted as they appear as a one-page document.

Only education from institutions which are accredited or preaccredited/candidate for accreditation may be used to meet education requirements.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that 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

This vacancy is being filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority. All applicants who meet the basic and minimum qualification requirements will be forwarded to the selecting official for consideration. Traditional rating and ranking of applications and veteran's preference does not apply.

Telework Suitability:
This position is suitable for core or situational telework, use the Center guidance during an emergency or natural disaster.

Stipulations of Employment:
Selection may require completion of a 1-year probationary period.

If selected, you will be required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450).

Work Schedule:
This position allows for a flexible work schedule.

Miscellaneous:
The Center uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill similar positions within 90 days.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

Applicants who "self-certify" that they meet the minimum qualification standards, and other eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement may be referred to the selecting official who may conduct their own assessment for further consideration and interviews.

The selectee's eligibility will be verified prior to extending a tentative job offer. After making a tentative job offer, all pre-employment and suitability requirements will be conducted prior to a final job offer. Selections made under this notice will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would, therefore, be given new appointments to the civil service.

Veteran's Preference:
Veterans' Preference does not apply to Direct-Hire recruitment procedures. Applicants eligible for veteran preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g. DD Form 214, SF-15 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions. For more information on veterans' preference (see https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-employment-initiative/vet-guide/).

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

1. Your Resume listing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment mm/yy and duties performed. If multiple resumes are submitted, only the most current resume will be reviewed for qualifications.
2. Other supporting documents:

  • College transcript(s), if qualifying based on education or if this position has a basic education requirement
  • Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program Documentation: If you are applying under CTAP or ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible
  • Cover Letter, optional
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.
Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices. Note: A PDF Portfolio contains multiple files assembled into an integrated PDF unit. The files in a PDF Portfolio can be in a wide range of file types created in different applications. To ensure the document is not a PDF Portfolio document, open the document and if there are multiple different documents with a variety of extensions, it is a PDF Portfolio document and will not be processed.

It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted prior to the closing date of the announcement.

Career Transition Assistance Programs: CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For information on CTAP and ICTAP visit here.

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 application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section of this vacancy.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration.

  • To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
  • You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
  • You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
  • To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • You may preview the Assessment Questionnaire at: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12770714
If you have questions about this job, please contact the HR Office representative listed in the "Agency Contact Info" section of this vacancy announcement. Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Mountain Time, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, you may request an alternate application method from the Agency Contact listed in the vacancy. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon EST on the closing date of the announcement.

Agency contact information

Helen Dorsey
Address
The John F Kennedy Center for Performing Arts
2700 F. Street, NW
Washington, DC 20566
US

Next steps

For status updates on your application, please follow the directions listed above in the How to Apply section. Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. If you are selected for an interview for this position, you will be contacted directly. A final job offer for this position is typically made within several weeks after the closing date of the vacancy announcement. After confirming a job offer, all other applicants will be notified of their non-selection.


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


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