Clarification from the agency

Current members of the Air National Guard.

As a Contract Specialist, GS-1102-11, you will:

Plan the overall approach to meet contracting program objectives for procuring a wide variety of requirements. Perform market research/analysis to determine availability of the requirement; analyze market trends, commercial practices, conditions and technological advances. Determine appropriate method of procurement using a wide range of contracting methods and contract types. Select appropriate contracting approaches, techniques, and procedures to solve a variety of acquisition problems. Analyze contracting issues and recommend best course of action. Perform acquisition planning along with the program manager/customer, technical, legal, and finance personnel to develop market research, acquisition strategy, milestones, evaluation/source selection criteria, and/or incentive or award fee provisions, as applicable. Exercise latitude in dealing with problems arising during the pre-award phase of the procurement action. Plan and carry out the work, selecting the approaches and techniques to be used, and determine actions to be taken on assigned contracts. Use judgment in interpreting guidelines, in adapting procurement procedures to specific situations and in recommending solutions to problems encountered. Provide business advice and assistance to technical personnel involved in the development of the performance work statement/statement of work/statement of objectives or data requirements. Review requisition packages for adequacy and compliance with administrative, regulatory, and procedural requirements and consistency with current market practices and conditions. Review procurement requests to determine whether, based on market analysis, the requirement can be performed by small businesses; actively solicits Small Businesses and a wide range of socioeconomic groups. If appropriate, initiate action to have all or part of a procurement set-aside exclusively for small business/socioeconomic performance. Prepare applicable determinations and findings. Assist with the development of evaluation criteria to use in determining source selection and best value requests for quotations/proposals which include utilization of past performance data and technical qualifications for awards based on other than lowest price. Procurements usually involve a variety of considerations such as socioeconomic, market conditions and strategy, difficult-to-define scopes of work, legal conditions, rigid deadlines, or incentive arrangements. Resolve problems that limit competition that discourage potential offers. Conduct site visits/pre-proposal/pre-bid conferences and modifies requirements as necessary. Serve as the point of contact for assigned procurements.

Assist in procuring a wide variety of services, supplies, and/or construction. Apply all statutory requirements including regulations, policies, procedures, business and industry practices, market trends, Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Comptroller General Decisions, public law, case law, and precedents to all acquisitions. Contracts assigned may contain a variety of unique attributes such as special handling provisions or other specialized terms and conditions, unfavorable market conditions, and limited competition requirements. Ensure the price schedule is properly structured, prepare the solicitation, recommend most appropriate solicitation method, draft solicitations and amendments, and determine the acceptability of offers based on an analysis of contractor past performance, responsibility and various technical factors. Obtain and review subcontracting plans as required. Recommend the competitive range. Conduct any necessary conferences to discuss proposals received; perform price or cost analysis; plan and conduct negotiations on price, technical requirements, terms and conditions of the contract. Determine need for final proposal revisions. Recommend award. Prepare final contract to include appropriate standard clauses and special provisions, final pricing and payment terms, and incentives. Document selection decision and justifies basis for award. Make notifications to unsuccessful offers or debriefs as appropriate. Prepare responses to any protests, as required, fully documenting and defending the Government's position. Take any necessary corrective action resulting from a protest. Enter contractual information into a contract writing system software database.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Conditions of employment

• NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERSHIP IS REQUIRED
• This is an excepted service position that requires membership in a compatible military assignment in the employing state's National Guard, required prior to the effective date of placement.
• Selectee will be required to wear the military uniform.
• Acceptance of an excepted service position constitutes concurrence with these requirements as a condition of employment.
• Males born after 31 December 1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Federal employment suitability as determined by a background investigation.
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
• Participation in direct deposit is mandatory.
• May be required to travel by military or commercial aircraft in the performance of TDY assignments.
• Irregular and/or overtime (compensatory) hours may be required to support operational requirements or contingencies or may be required to work hours outside of the normal duty day.
• Required to handle and safeguard sensitive and/or classified information in accordance with regulations to reduce potential compromise.
• The incumbent must meet the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) requirements applicable to the duties of the position.
• The incumbent must meet the continuing acquisition education, training and experience requirements IAW DoDI 5000.66.
• In accordance with the Ethics in Government Act, 1978, incumbent is required to file an OGE Form 450, Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, upon appointment and will be required to file annually.
• The incumbent must obtain and maintain secret security clearance.
• This position is designated as Essential Personnel and may be subject to duty in preparation for, or in response to, a state emergency or disaster declaration.
• This designation will not exceed 14 calendar days per year unless otherwise approved in advance by the TAG.

Qualifications

Each applicant must fully substantiate (in her/his own words) that they meet the requirements of the specialized experience listed below; otherwise, the applicant will be considered unqualified for this vacancy. DO NOT COPY THE VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT OR THE POSITION DESCRIPTION. IF YOU DO THIS YOU WILL BE CONSIDERED UNQUALIFIED FOR THE VACANCY. Please ensure that you have included beginning and ending dates (month and year) for all jobs listed on your resume.

Military Grades: E6.

Compatible Military Assignments: Not specified.

General Experience:

1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees.

OR

1. 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.

(This requirement can be obtained within the degree or in addition to the degree.)

AND

C. The Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) dictates specific education, training requirements, knowledge and experience factors for Acquisition Corps Officers and individuals holding Contracting Officer positions above the simplified acquisition threshold must meet certain criteria. Groupings of education, training and experience standards provide the framework for progression in a career field and are used for the purpose of characterizing an acquisition officer's qualifications within a given career field. If applicants have not completed all the training required for their current position, they may not be considered as candidates to fill the vacant position on a promotion basis. If prevented from completing mandatory courses, this certification must be met within 18 months of selection. The three career levels are:

Level I : Basic or Entry level positions at GS-5 to GS-9.

Level II: Intermediate or "Journeyman" level positions, GS-9 to GS-12.

Level III: Advanced or Senior level positions, GS-13 and above.

Specialized Experience:
Must have at least 12 months experience equivalent to at least GS-9 or 3 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. Additionally, all applicants must have completed two years of experience in contracting positions, which must have equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled, and must have completed mandatory contracting courses for a GS-11 position.

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, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine if you meet the qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application package, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this position. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

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

• Contracting/Procurement
• Contract Performance Management
• Acquisition Strategy

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

1. Your resume showing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates (including Month and Year, e.g., 02/2017, Feb 2017, etc.) of employment and duties performed.
2. RIP

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