Contract Specialist Job

Vacancy No. 24-WA-00649-12417332-DHA Department Western Area Power Administration
Salary $86,962.00 to $125,685.00 Grade 12 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 5/14/2024 Close Date 12/31/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Phoenix, AZFolsom, CALakewood, COLoveland, CO


Summary

This position is part of the WAPA Headquarters, Department of Energy. As a Contract Specialist, you will be performing assignments in support of operating unit-wide and agency-wide procurement programs or the audit/review of those programs or their components.

**This is not a remote position. The selectee will be required to be physically present at one of the duty location(s) identified.**

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This is a Direct Hire Public Notice. Please read this Public Notice in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration. All U.S. Citizens

Duties

As a Contract Specialist, some of your duties will include:

  • Plan, negotiate, lead, award, and administer simple and complex procurements inclusive of all types under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).
  • Serve as a business consultant to program officials for procurement planning; assist with development of procurement objectives; coordinate actions within required regulations, policies, directives, and goals; conducts market research, prepare and maintain acquisition plans, appropriate milestone charts, and related schedules; comply with socio-economic programs, determine contract type and acquisition methodology to be employed.
  • Plan negotiation strategies, coordinate procurement actions with necessary personnel and executes necessary procurement awards to support the mission and operational needs of the Agency.
  • Perform all aspects of contract administration. Responsibilities may include incremental funding, preparation of rate and cost adjustments, redirection of effort, coordination of time extensions, incorporation of change orders, issuance of stop work orders, issuance of cure notices or show cause letters, processing claims, settling disputes, termination for convenience or cause, monitoring of Government property reporting, direction of Contracting Officer Representative (COR), approval of payments, final payment, and contract close-out.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
  • A one-year probationary period is required.
  • THIS POSITION IS IN THE BARGAINING UNIT: 1151
  • Incumbent must have a valid and current State driver's license.
  • Certification at Contracting Level Ill via the Federal Acquisition Institute (Federal Acquisition Contracting-Certification (FAC-C), or the Defense Acquisition University (Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) is required upon selection and must be maintained. Current federal employees certified at Levels I, II, or III of the legacy FAC-C program will automatically be certified in the FAC-C (Professional). Employees transitioning from DoD with an active DAWIA certification will be eligible for an equivalent FAC-C (Professional), subject to meeting FAC-C (Professional) experience, continuous learning requirements, and obtaining approval from the DOE ACM. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your certification/proof of training showing you meet the FAC-C/DAWIA requirement with your application. Failure to provide this information may result in your being removed from further consideration.
  • Incumbent must submit a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE Form 450, upon selection and annually thereafter.

Qualifications

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy.

BASIC REQUIREMENT:

Applicants must meet the basic requirement described below:

EDUCATION:

A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field;

OR

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.

Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard 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. This includes positions at other agencies and promotions up through grade 12. However, employees must meet specialized experience requirements when seeking another position.

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirement above, applicants must also meet the specialized experience listed below.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. The experience need not have been in the federal government.

To qualify for the GS-12:

Applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service. This experience MUST include all the following:

  • Accomplishing pre- and post-award functions, multi-disciplinary supply service and construction contracts and agreements.
  • Using various funding arrangements and negotiation techniques to assist with meeting procurement objectives and acquisition plans.
OR
  • I currently occupy an 1102 position in the Federal service and meet the specialized experience described above.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.


NOTE: As of February 1, 2023, the FAC-C certification program has transitioned to a single-level FAC-C (Professional) requirement:
  • DOE is adopting a single level of certification with foundational training and an examination, Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Professional. New hires without certification shall follow the FAC-C (Professional) requirements. Detailed information on core curricula courses is available at https://www.fai.gov/certification/fac-c/new-fac-c-professional
  • Current federal employees certified at Levels I, II, or III of the legacy FAC-C program will automatically be certified in the FAC-C (Professional).
  • Employees transitioning from DoD with an active DAWIA certification will be eligible for an equivalent FAC-C (Professional), subject to meeting FAC-C (Professional) experience, continuous learning requirements, and obtaining approval from the DOE ACM.


"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Work is sedentary. Occasional business travel may be required.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Work is usually performed in an office setting.

Education

This vacancy specifically states that certain educational requirements must be met (also known as a "positive educational requirement"), you must provide documentation supporting any education claims in your application. Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.

Additional information

The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

  • This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across DOE.
  • For general information on government-wide Telework polices visit: www.telework.gov
  • The selectee for this position may be eligible to receive a recruitment or relocation incentive. You will need to sign an employment agreement to be eligible for this incentive.
  • Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs are not authorized.
  • This position may be eligible for creditable service towards annual leave. Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. DOE may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

ADDITIONAL SALARY INFORMATION:
Folsom, CA: $96,148 - $124,988
Lakewood/Loveland, CO: $96,684 - $125,685
Phoenix, AZ: $90,833 - $118,079

The following locations fall under Rest of U.S. Salary of $86,962-$113,047:
Billings, SD
Bismarck, ND
Huron, SD
Montrose, CO
Salt Lake City, UT
Watertown, SD

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.

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.

This position is announced under a government-wide Direct-Hire Authority (DHA) for CONTRACT SPECIALIST positions in the 1102 series. Under the DHA, applicants who meet the Education and Qualification requirements listed in this announcement will be referred for consideration. Veteran's Preference, category rating, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply under the DHA process.

Appointments made under the DHA are processed as "new" appointments. Current Federal employees may be required to serve a new probationary period (5 CFR 315.802(b).

Successful candidates will possess the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

CONTRACTING/PROCUREMENT
ACQUISITION STRATEGY
INFLUENCING/NEGOTIATING

Career Transition Assistance Programs: If you are eligible for career transition assistance, such as ICTAP or CTAP, you must meet the Education and Qualification requirements to be referred for consideration.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (12/31/2024) of this announcement.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12417332

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you MUST provide a complete application package which includes:

  • Your RESUME showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of the each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
  • Transcripts, if specific educational requirements are indicated in this job announcement.Unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned (semester or quarter hour) and final grade is acceptable. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the educational requirements.
  • 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.) For more information see the OPM Guide to Career Transition.

Failure to submit any of the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

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 for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration.

The application process is as follows:

  1. You must have a login.gov account to sign into USAJOBS: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/account/.
  2. To begin the application process in USAJOBS, click the Apply Online button.
  3. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all required and supporting documentation.
  4. You must click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 pm (ET) on the announcement closing date.
You may update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period by returning to your USAJOBS account, select Update Application: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; 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/.

If you need help with login.gov or USAJOBS (e.g., account access, Resume Builder) visit the USAJOBS Help Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/

If you experience difficulty applying on USAJOBS, after clicking the Apply Online button, or you are experiencing a significant hardship hindering your ability to apply online, the Agency Contact listed in the announcement can assist you during normal business hours. If you receive any system error messages, take screenshots if possible, to aid technical support.

Agency contact information

Kimberly Hicks

Address

WAPA Headquarters
12155 W. Alameda Pkwy
Lakewood, CO 80228
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. The status of your application will be updated in USAJOBS as it is evaluated.

You can check the status by logging into USAJOBS. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application changes by logging into your USAJobs Account and editing the Notification Settings.

You will be contacted directly if an interview is required.


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


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