Summary

The Office of Procurement is tasked to procure supplies and services on behalf of the Agency following Federal and CSOSA acquisition regulations. The Office of Procurement is responsible for awarding and administering the full range of contracts for various services, from simplified acquisitions to multi-million-dollar procurements containing several different processes or elements.

This job is NOT a remote or full-time telework position. You will be expected to report to the office.

This job is open to

Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Veterans

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference

Military spouses

Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.

Individuals with disabilities

Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.

Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista

Individuals who have served at least 2 years with the Peace Corps or 1 year with AmeriCorps VISTA.

Special authorities

Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed in another hiring path.

Clarification from the agency

Status Candidates (Merit Promotion and VEOA Eligibles): Applications will be accepted from current and former competitive service Federal employees, and people eligible under special hiring authorities such as the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA), Disabilities Program, etc.

Duties

The incumbent is the Contract Specialist and performs contracting work using formal advertising procedures. The incumbent advertises, solicits, locates sources, and procures various products and/or services. Prepares an invitation for bid, publicizes the requirements for items and services to be procured, issues the solicitation document, reviews the bids for responsiveness to the solicitation, determines the bidders' financial responsibility and performance capability, and awards the bids contract.

Administers contracts by assuring compliance with the terms and conditions of contracts, including resolution of problems concerning the obligations of the parties.

Reviews contractor invoices for completeness. Determines liquidated or actual damages for nonperformance and/or recommends termination action. Prepares replies to other involved agencies, appeal boards, or congressional inquiries.

Reviews requisition package for adequacy, consistency, and compliance with administrative, regulatory, and procedural requirements.

Uses judgment in interpreting guidelines, adapting procurement procedures to specific situations, and recommending solutions to encountered problems. Provides business advice and assistance to technical personnel involved in developing the performance work statement/statement of work or data requirements.

Conducts any necessary conferences to discuss proposals received; performs price or cost analysis; plans and conducts negotiations on price, technical requirements, terms, and conditions of the contract. Determines the need for final proposal revisions. Recommends award. Prepares final contract to include appropriate standard clauses and special provisions, final pricing and payment terms, and incentives. Documents reason for the decision and justifies basis for the award. Prepares the unit's response to any protests, as required, fully documenting and defending the Government's position.

Uses various contract types, such as performance-based, fixed price, purchase orders, cost-reimbursement, cost-plus-fee (including fixed fee, incentive fee, and award fee), and other transactions to procure items and/or services. Reviews procurement submissions for adequacy and completeness and resolves any problems before initiation of contractual action.

Monitors outstanding contracts to ensure satisfactory progress ensures compliance with the contract terms and conditions and identifies problems that threaten contractor performance.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable
Background security investigation, drug test, and favorable adjudication
May be required to successfully complete a one year probationary period (unless already completed).
Time-in-grade requirements must be met within 30 calendar day of the closing date of this announcement
This is not a virtual or remote position; you must live within or be willing to relocate within a commutable distance of the duty location which is Washington D.C. (District of Columbia).
All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments directly deposited into a financial institution of their choosing.
Must possess and maintain a Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting Professional (FAC-C Professional) or Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Advanced Contracting certification through-out employment with CSOSA.

Qualifications

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR (SPL) - Federal Acquisition Certification (Mandatory) for ALL grades advertised.
This position requires the applicant to possess a current FAC-C (Professional) or an equivalent DAWIA (Level III - Advanced) Contracting Certification at the time of application.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You must upload a copy of your certification prior to announcement closing or you will be considered ineligible.

In order to further qualify for the GS-12 position, you must meet the Basic Education or Experience Requirements and the Specialized Experience stated below.
BASIC EDUCATION OR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT GS-12
A. A four-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field (Copies of Official Transcripts required).
B. 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.
OR
C.EXCEPTION: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the basic requirement for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. Employees who occupy GS-1102 positions at grades 5 through 12 will be considered to meet the basic requirements for other GS-1102 positions up to and including those classified at GS-12.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT GS-12
You must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience for this position includes but not limited to:
Performing the full range of pre-award and/or post-award functions using a range of contracting types and methods to procure a wide range of supplies and services (professional and non-professional), which may include Small Business Administration (SBA) Program, Information Technology (IT), Architect-Engineer (A-E) Services, and Construction in addition to General Services Administration (GSA) Buys, Interagency Agreement (IAA), and Small Purchases.

Pre-Award: Work related to the contract pre-award process (i.e., the work necessary to secure a contract to acquire goods and/or services). Perform contracting work using formal advertising and/or limited negotiation procedures. Prepare and issue the solicitation document; review the offers for responsiveness to the solicitation; determine financial responsibility and performance capability of the bidders/offerors; and award the contract. This includes, but not limited to:

Activities associated with pre-award such as proposal, negotiation, contract formation, final approval/signatures, amendments, change order, correspondence, contract repository, and contract issues.

Post-Award: Work related to the contract post-award process (i.e., the work accomplished after contract award). Perform contract administration work such as monitoring of contract performance, renewal (exercise option), contract/schedule extensions, contract terminations, and contract closeout to include but not limited to:

Evaluating responses to solicitations for price reasonableness, compliance with terms and conditions, and adequacy of competition.
Applying acquisition, contract, and procurement regulations to prepare solicitations containing appropriate provisions, clauses, terms, and conditions that communicate the requirements to industry.
Executing and conducting the procurement process from solicitation to award (cradle to grave) and through all post-award phases of contracting, including modifications, final evaluation, and contract closeout.
Administering contracts to include contract scope determinations, contract modifications, supplemental agreements, justifications, claims disputes, or contract terminations.
Working independently on assigned contracting tasks with general guidance (i.e., researching, evaluating proposals, drafting documents, etc.).

In order to further qualify for the GS-13 position, you must meet both the Basic Education or Experience Requirements and the Specialized Experience stated below.
BASIC EDUCATION OR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT GS-13
A. Demonstrate completion of all mandatory training prescribed by the Federal Acquisition Certification-Contracting (FAC-C) Professional or equivalent requirements which can be found at FAC-C (Professional) Certification Requirements | FAI.GOV
AND
B. Have at least 4 years of experience in contracting or related positions.
-AND-
C. Successful completion of a full four-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field, that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours/36 quarter hours in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.
-OR-
D. EXCEPTION: Applicants for GS-1102-13 positions will be qualified if they have held a GS-1102-13 position since January 1, 2000.ORD.D. WAIVER: Requirements of paragraphs A and B above may be waived if the agency's senior procurement executive certifies that the applicant possesses significant potential for advancement to levels of greater responsibility and authority, based on demonstrated analytical and decision-making capabilities, job performance, and qualifying experience.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT GS-13
You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the next lower grade/level (GS-12) in the Federal Service. Specialized experience for this position includes but not limited to:
Performing the full range of pre-award and/or post-award functions using a range of contracting types and methods to procure a wide range of supplies and services (professional and non-professional), which may include Small Business Administration (SBA) Program, Information Technology (IT), Architect-Engineer (A-E) Services, and Construction in addition to General Services Administration (GSA) Buys, Interagency Agreement (IAA), and Small Purchases.
Pre-Award: Work related to the contract pre-award process (i.e., the work necessary to secure a contract to acquire goods and/or services). Perform contracting work using formal advertising and/or limited negotiation procedures. Prepare and issue the solicitation document; review the offers for responsiveness to the solicitation; determine financial responsibility and performance capability of the bidders/offerors; and award the contract. This includes, but not limited to:

Activities associated with pre-award such as proposal, negotiation, contract formation, final approval/signatures, amendments, change order, correspondence, contract repository, and contract issues.

Interpreting and applying relevant laws, regulations, policies, standards, or procedures regarding contracting issues.
Reviewing requirement packages/or requests for completeness, accuracy, clarity, and compliance with administrative, regulatory, and procedural requirements.
Maintaining the status of all assigned contract actions with regards to pending options, funding, work progress, and completion.
Maintaining effective and supportive relationships and take initiative to resolve areas of disagreement and contractual issues, while identifying an alternative course of action.
Working independently on assigned contracting tasks with little to no guidance (i.e., researching, evaluating proposals, drafting documents, etc.) Assisting other team members as needed.

Education

Education is not substitutable for Specialized Experience at GS-12 nor GS-13 grade levels.

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT
All applicants must submit copies of their official transcripts with their application packet. This is required in order to verify that you meet the basic education requirements listed in the Qualifications section. Applicants who do not provide transcripts will not be considered qualified.

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY FOR THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS? 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.
PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.
GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Additional information

Time-in-Grade: Current or former federal employees who have held a GS position in the preceding 52 weeks, must meet the time in grade requirement. To be eligible for the GS-12 position, applicants must have served 52 weeks as a GS-11 or higher in the Federal Service. To be eligible for the GS-13 position, applicants must have served 52 weeks as a GS-12 or higher in the Federal service.

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, you must be a preference eligible or a Veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.

If you are an eligible Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) applicant, you may apply for special selection over other applicants for this position. Individuals who have special priority selection rights under the CTAP or ICTAP must be well qualified for the position. To be well qualified, applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and meet the mid-level (scoring between 85 and 89) of the rating criteria for all factors or the established cutoff score. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must submit one of the following as proof of eligibility for the special selection priority: a separation notice; a "Notice of Personnel Action" (SF-50) documenting separation; an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; OR a Military Department or National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456. Additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill future vacancies for identical positions within the next year.

Relocation expenses are not authorized.

Bargaining Unit Status: Not Eligible

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

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.

CSOSA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

CSOSA uses E-Verify, if you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System. Federal law requires DHS to use the E-Verify System to verify employment eligibility of all new hires, and as a condition of continued employment obligates the new hire to take affirmative steps to resolve any discrepancies identified by the system.

Position is Mission Essential and is not subject to administrative dismissal in emergencies based on inclement weather conditions, or other emergency situations, as appropriate. A Mission Essential employee is required to report for, or remain at, work in emergency situations; dismissal or closure announcements do not apply to him/her unless his/her supervisor instructs otherwise.

If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

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.

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.

Your application will be evaluated according to the extent and quality of experience, education, and training. If you meet the basic qualification requirements, your resume, online questionnaire and the documentation you submitted to support your responses will be evaluated against the knowledge, skills, and abilities and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. The assessments measure the critical competencies that are required to successfully perform the job. This evaluation determines which candidates will be referred to the selecting official for consideration.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

Accountability
Attention to Detail
Customer Service
Decision Making
Flexibility
Influencing/Negotiating
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Reading Comprehension
Reasoning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork

The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Required Documents

You must submit a complete Application Package which includes:
-Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).To apply for this position,
- Your resume' showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed.
- Other supporting documents:
- Cover Letter, optional
- College transcript(s), if qualifying based on education
- Most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held (if applying as a status candidate with current or former Federal Service)
- DD-214, SF-15 Form and VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty from Veterans for consideration under Veteran hiring authorities
- Noncompetitive appointment authority documentation, if applicable
- Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program Documentation, if applicable (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and will not be considered any further.

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

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

Click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Agency contact information

Dwayne Jenkins

Phone: 202 220-5449
Email: dwayne.jenkins@csosa.gov

Address: CSOSA
800 North Capitol Street NW Suite 700
Washington DC, DC 20002
US

Next steps

Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.

Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.

To be considered for the position, you must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments.

CONTRACT SPECIALIST Job in Washington, DC