The United States Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) at Los Angeles Air Force Base is searching for a Contract Specialist (NH-1102-03, GS 12/13 equivalent).

Description:
Space Systems Command (SSC) is the epicenter of acquisition excellence for the U.S. Space Force, responsible for acquiring and developing cutting-edge military space systems. From GPS and military satellite communications to space launch and missile warning systems, SSC's portfolio is critical to national security and global operations. Be a part of a team that's pushing the boundaries of innovation and shaping the future of space capabilities.

As a Contract Specialist at SSC, you will play a vital role in acquiring highly specialized research and development capabilities for our nation's critical space programs. This is an exceptional opportunity to contribute to high-impact, multi-million-dollar contracts that directly support the U.S. Space Force mission.

As an integral member of a skilled team of contracting professionals, you will serve as a trusted business advisor and subject matter expert to program managers and senior leaders. In this role, you will conduct acquisition planning and develop contractual strategies to support specific program elements, ensuring alignment with mission objectives and regulatory requirements. This includes managing all phases of the contract lifecycle by soliciting, analyzing, evaluating, and negotiating contractor proposals for complex, large-scale, long-term contracts from solicitation through closeout. You will also provide guidance on a wide range of procurement-related topics, including future requirements, documentation, and issue resolution.

We are seeking a highly motivated and results-oriented individual who is proactive, solution-oriented, and comfortable thriving in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative team player with a proven ability to work with diverse teams and stakeholders to achieve common goals.

The ideal candidate will be forward-thinking, solution-oriented, agile, a team player, proactive, and have good research and interpretation skills. The candidate will have five or more years' contracting experience and the standard of systems level desired and hold a bachelor's degree. Knowledge of contracting principles, policies and procedures, business practices and market conditions applicable. Knowledge of Government and agency-specific guidelines and business practices, including statutes, regulations, policies and procedures that cover different contract types. The ideal candidate will have skill in applying contract price/cost analysis techniques to a variety of pre-award and/or post-award procurement actions and will have a limited warrant.

Key Skills and Abilities:
1. Professional knowledge of a wide range of Federal contracting laws, regulations, policies, procedures, methods, techniques, and contract types applicable to pre-award and post-award actions for a variety of complex contracts for unique services, commodities, and/or construction.
2. Knowledge of the business environment (e.g. economic trends, awareness of commercial business practices, standards, mergers, and acquisitions, etc.) to recognize potential programmatic/contractual impacts, and knowledge of the methods and techniques of fact-finding/market research.
3. Knowledge of the principles, methods, and tools used to assist in risk identification, assessment, and mitigation including assessing the probability and consequences of potential problems.
4. Knowledge of contract negotiation, administration, and termination principles, policies, procedures, and technical requirements; and knowledge of price and cost analysis sufficient to review proposals against previous history, actual and estimated expenditures, and established rates to determine price reasonableness or to determine a negotiation position.
5. Ability to identify problems, determine accuracy and relevance of information, use sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and make recommendations; makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions applying precedents found in government contracting case law to specific contracting situations to insure that legally binding contracting officer decisions are consistent, justifiable, and will be upheld at appellate courts or boards; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals.
6. Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and with technical accuracy, both orally and in writing, and use computers and a variety of software programs and databases, gather and analyze a variety of program information, make sound judgments concerning program progress, and effectively communicate recommendations orally and in writing to higher organizational management and contractors.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship Required
• Eligible for situational telework only, including Emergency and OPM prescribed “Unscheduled Telework”.
• PCS may be authorized. Incentive is not authorized.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
• May be required to handle and safeguard sensitive and/or classified information in accordance with regulations to reduce potential compromise.
• The employee must meet the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) requirements applicable to the duties of the position.
• This position is part of the Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP). The employee must meet the functional area certification requirements within the timeframe range of 1-5 years from appointment date into the position.
• Employee must within 30-days of assuming this position and by 31 October annually, thereafter, file an OGE-450, “Confidential Financial Disclosure Report.” Employee is required to attend annual ethics and procurement integrity training.
• May be required to travel by military or commercial aircraft in the performance of TDY assignments.
• May be required to work overtime on an unscheduled or emergency basis.
• Subject to Temporary Duty Assignment (TDY): Approximately 20 days per year.
• This position will close after 5 business days or 75 applications, whichever comes first.

Qualifications

The 1102 series has an individual occupational requirement that must be met and can be viewed here. There is no Group Coverage Qualification Standard for this series.

How you will be evaluated

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

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies as related to the series and grade of the position being filled. Final qualifications determinations will be assessed based on OPM's General Schedule Qualifications Standards found here:

Interviews: You will be contacted by e-mail and/or telephone if your application is identified as qualifying for a position being filled. An interview may be conducted. If interviewed, you will be asked to address the same knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies used to initially qualify your application for the position.

Resume:You must submit a resume that may NOT exceed two pages, and the font size should not be smaller than 10 pts. You will not be considered for this vacancy if your resume exceeds two pages or is illegible/unreadable. Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the resume you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your resume must provide:

1. Personal information - your full name, email and mailing addresses, phone number
2. Education information - the name of the school and the dates you attended
3. Work experience - paid and unpaid work with the following information:
   • Job title
   • Detailed duties and accomplishments
   • Employer's name and address
   • Supervisor's name and phone number
   • Starting and ending dates (If actual dates are not known, provide your best-estimated timeframes.)
   • Hours per week
   • Salary, if applicable
4. Other qualifications - skills, certifications/licenses, honors, awards, special accomplishments, and job-related training courses

College Transcripts (if applicable): Please see the Education section of this announcement for detailed information about transcripts.

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