Duties
As a Contract Specialist, GS-1102-12, you will:
Plan the overall approach to meet contracting program objectives for a variety of requirements with multiple complexities. Analyzes difficult/controversial contracting issues, determines, recommends and/or implements course of action which may depart from previous approaches for long-term contract performance or short-term contracts with extremely stringent time frames. Provides 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. Reviews a diverse variety of requisition packages for adequacy and compliance with administrative, regulatory, and procedural requirements and consistency with current market practices and conditions. Serves as a contracting authority and advisor to management, customers, and contractors in assignment area relative to the market, the industry, specifications, socioeconomic concerns, and similar matters. Performs 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. Exercises experienced judgment, initiative, and resourcefulness to identify regulations and laws which do or do not apply to the particular procurement, to consider financial arrangements and incentives, and to develop justifications for adopting a contractual posture. Prepares required documents to support solicitation issuance and reviews and advises less experienced specialists in the preparation of documents. Determines appropriate method of procurement, contract type, and financing arrangements to fit special circumstances. Reviews and evaluates requisitions for which previous experience and historical data are not usually directly available or applicable such as complex services, architect and engineering services or environmental related construction.
Oversee the procurement of a wide variety of services, supplies, construction and architect and engineering. Researches, interprets, analyzes, and applies all regulations, business and industry practices, market trends, Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Comptroller General decisions, public law, case law, and precedents. Devises special terms, provisions, clauses, and conditions applicable to the solicitation and contract as required. Ensures that the price schedule is properly structured and determines sources to be solicited. Prepares solicitation, amendment, and contract documents incorporating applicable terms, conditions, provisions and clauses. Receives and performs oversight of quotes/bids/proposals evaluations and determines the acceptability of offers based on an analysis of financial and technical information gained. Conducts price or cost analysis as needed. Recommends or determines the competitive range. Formulates negotiation strategies and identifies areas subject to negotiation (e.g., price, quantity discounts, packaging, payment discounts, transportation, and delivery). Prepares pre-negotiation positions and memoranda based on audit and/or technical recommendations. Conducts any necessary conferences to discuss offers received; performs price or cost analysis; plans and conducts negotiations on price, technical requirements, and/or terms and conditions of the contract. Obtains and reviews subcontracting plans as required. Determines the need for final proposal revisions.
Execute post-award contract performance management actions on assigned contracts. Appoints Contracting Officer Representatives (CORs) within delegated authority and manages the COR program as required. Evaluates contractor performance for compliance with terms and conditions of contracts and ensures timely submission of contract deliverables and performance metrics. Makes field site visits, if necessary, detecting and correcting labor standards violations, taking appropriate action to expedite delivery or performance when required by mission changes, monitoring the contractor's use of government-furnished property inventories, and issuing change orders as necessary. Obtains additional funds or de-obligates funds as necessary. Analyzes a variety of unusual conditions, questions, or issues including complex contract administration problems, e.g., disputes, labor violations, and claims, and identifies alternative courses of action which may depart from previous approaches. Determines the reasonableness of claims. Researches and recommends appropriate action for resolution of difficult problems or claims through interpretation of contract requirements. Negotiates and prepares contract modifications including those caused by changes in technical requirements, in quantities, ordering unpriced options, and similar issues.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
- Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
- You may be required to serve a probationary period
- Subject to background/security investigation
- Required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement, OGE-450, (5CFR Part 2634, Subpart I USOGE, 6/08). Executive Branch Personnel Confidential Financial Disclosure Report upon entering the position and annually.
- Must meet DoDI 5000.66 requirements applicable to the duties of the position.
- The employee must have completed the mandatory contracting courses prescribed by the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) for Level 1 certification.
- Must complete Level Two Certification within 24 months of appointment to the position.
- Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Clearance.
- Required to handle and safeguard sensitive and/or classified information in accordance with regulations to reduce potential compromise.
- 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 file an OGE Form 450, Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, upon appointment and will be required to file annually, in accordance with the Ethics in Government Act, 1978.
- May be required to pass the Contracting Officer Review Board (CORB) and hold a warrant.
- This position is designated as Essential Personnel and may be subject to duty in preparation for, or in response to, a state of emergency or disaster declaration.
- Essential Personnel duty designation will not exceed 14 calendar days per year unless otherwise approved in advance by the TAG.
Qualifications
General Experience: Must have experience in positions supporting competencies in business, finance, risk management, project management, or supply chain management. Experience must include competencies such as skill in collecting and analyzing data and the ability to communicate clearly and effectively and other professional competencies in procurement administration or purchase card management.
Specialized Experience - Must have specific experiences, training, and competencies (Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities) that prepared the applicant to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities required (Advanced Level) - Must have one year of contracting experience at the GS-11 level. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following: (1) Performing acquisition planning including market research and knowledge of a wide variety of contracting methods that satisfy mission needs and meet customer requirements, (2) Advising Contracting Officer Representatives and advising customers on procurement preparation and development of contractually acceptable specifications, work statements, and quality assurance criteria, (3) Reviewing procurement requests to assure clarity, adequacy, and completeness, and (4) Reviewing contract terms and technical specifications to identify any special requirements. Must have Level 1, DAWIA Foundational Certification (or equivalent, see Certifications Issued by Federal (non-DoD) Organizations).
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; religions; 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.
Education
Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience above in order to qualify. For this job, you must meet the qualifications requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.
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.
Required Documents
You are required to provide documentation that supports the eligibility and qualification claims made in your resume and assessment questionnaire. You must submit the applicable documents listed here and those listed with the eligibilities you select in the announcement questionnaire with your application package. Applicants who do not provide supporting documentation that fully support their claims will not be referred to the hiring manager. Cover letter is optional.
A complete resume is required. Your resume must show relevant experience, job title, duties and accomplishments. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications. The following information should be provided in your resume, but it is acceptable to provide elsewhere in your application package: employer's name, starting and end dates (Mo/Yr.), hours per week, and pay plan, series and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09) for relevant federal experience. TIP: A good way to ensure you include all essential information is to use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS to create your resume.
Are you applying for a promotion? If you are a current GS employee applying for a higher grade than the grade that you currently hold you must provide an SF-50 that shows that you have held the next lower grade for at least one year. Some SF-50s effective within the last 52 weeks will not demonstrate you have held the next lower grade for at least one year (e.g. General Adjustment SF-50 from this year). In many cases, we need to see two (2) SF-50s to determine time-in-grade and eligibility for promotion. If you are a DoD employee, you can obtain a copy of your SF- 50(s) from MyBiz.
Are you claiming membership in any professional organizations, or possession of a license, certificate or credentials? Check the Conditions of Employment section above to see if any are required. If you claim membership, license, certification, or credentials, you must submit a copy of said document in your application package.
Are you using education as a substitute for some or all of the experience requirement? Is there a basic education requirement for this position? Check the Education section above to see what is allowed and what is required. Any claims you make in your resume or assessment questionnaire regarding education or degrees MUST be supported by official or unofficial transcripts or a list of courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned issued from your school. While unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial application, an official transcript will ultimately be required if you are selected for the position. You may submit a copy your degree(s) if specific coursework does not have to be verified. Claims for approved "grandfather" clauses must be fully supported with documentation.
Are you a veteran claiming 5-point veterans' preference or claiming sole survivorship preference? You must submit a copy of your latest DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (any copy that shows all dates of service, as well as character of service [Honorable, General, etc.] is acceptable) OR a VA letter that shows dates of service or service connected disability AND character of service. If you have more than one DD-214 for multiple periods of active duty service, submit a copy for each period of service. If you were issued a DD-215 to amend aforementioned information on the DD-214 you must submit that too. If you are not sure of your preference eligibility, visit the Department of Labor's website: Veterans' Preference Advisor
Are you a disabled veteran or claiming 10-point veterans' preference?
If you are eligible to claim 10 point veterans preference you must submit a DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty as described above for 5-point preference.
You must also provide the applicable supporting documentation of your disability (e.g. disability letter from the VA) as described on Standard Form-15 (SF-15). http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf.
Are you an active duty service member? Active Duty Service Members are required to submit a statement of service printed on command letterhead and signed by the command. The statement of service must provide the branch of service, rate/rank, all dates of service, the expected date of discharge and anticipated character of service (Honorable, General, etc.).
Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents contain personal information such as SSN and DOB and some documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove said personal information before you submit your application. You must provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected.
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/Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To view the Occupational Questionnaire, click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12570373
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement 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.
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.
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/.
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.