Contract Specialist Job in Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)

Vacancy No. AZMP-25-12552250-CVS Department Bureau of Land Management
Salary $59,966.00 to $94,317.00 Grade 9 to 11
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/16/2024 Close Date 10/29/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)


Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource.

This position is remote position with Bureau of Land Management, Arizona State Office in the Branch of Procurement & Acquistions.

We expect to fill 1 vacancy at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

All current career/career-conditional or former federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; Veterans' Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA); Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) and former Public Land Corps (PLC) eligibles; Persons eligible under other Special Hiring Authorities. CTAP and ICTAP eligibles within the local commuting area.

Duties

  • Performs pre-award and post-award functions, including cost/price analysis, contact administration and close out for a variety of supplies, services, equipment, and/or construction contracts.
  • Develops procurement plans, prepares and issues solicitation documents, reviews offer, determines financial responsibility, and awards contracts.
  • Monitors contract performance and negotiation of modifications to ensure compliance and satisfactory progress and completion of contracts.
  • Negotiates contract pricing arrangements to include firm fixed-price, time and materials, indefinite delivery, and/or other contracts of similar complexity.
  • Conducts the necessary research and investigation to supply factual background or support in matters of contractor disputes, protests, claims, and terminations.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Be sure to read the 'How to Apply' and 'Required Documents' Sections.
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license: nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
  • Direct Deposit Required.
  • Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
  • Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
  • If selected for this position, you will be required to annually complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450 within 30 days of reporting to duty.
  • May require a one year probationary period.
  • Required to obtain and maintain an appropriate FAC-C level and to hold and maintain a Contracting Officer Certificate of Appointment (COA) commensurate with the workload of the office.
  • This position is covered by a bargaining unit.

Qualifications

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

In order to be considered, you must meet one of the Individual Occupational Requirements for the Contract Specialist (GS-1102 Series) position below:
Applicants must have a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field;
-OR-
Have 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.

In addition to the basic education requirement, in order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement - please be sure to include this information in your resume.

Specialized Experience Requirements:
For GS-09: You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-07 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples: Supporting a Contracting Officer as a specialist in performing a full range of contract activities. Providing acquisition support to customers for a wide range of contracting types and methods and performs pre-award and post-award functions for basic contracting types, including commercial items and established sources.

-OR-
Education: Completed 2 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or masters or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B. or J.D in accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. You must provide a copy of your transcripts in this application.

-OR-
Combination of experience and education: Applicants do not possess the full amount of experience described above or the full amount of graduate education described above. However, the applicants have a percentage of the experience and a percentage of the education which when combined totals 100% of the necessary experience and education needed to qualify for this position. (Only graduate education beyond one year, i.e., 18 semester hours, may be combined with experience under this provision.) NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification.

Specialized Experience Requirements:
For GS-11: You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-09 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples: Providing acquisition support and guidance to customers and coordinate with team members for a wide range of contracting types and methods and performs the full range of pre-award and post-award functions for semi-complex contracting types, including purchases over the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), open market purchases, and established sources purchases.

-OR-
Education: Completed 3 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. You must provide a copy of your transcripts in this application.

-OR-
Combination of experience and education: Applicants do not possess the full amount of experience described above or the full amount of graduate education described above. However, the applicants have a percentage of the experience and a percentage of the education which when combined totals 100% of the necessary experience and education needed to qualify for this position. (Only graduate education beyond two years, i.e., 36 semester hours, may be combined with experience under this provision.) NOTE: Applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts for verification.

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.

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Physical Demands: The work is sedentary. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

Work Environment: The work is performed in an office setting and involves everyday risks or discomforts, which require normal safety precautions.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement which requires that you have a degree in accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitativemethods, organization and management, or related disciplines appropriate to the position, or a combination of education and experience---courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

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

    OR

  2. At least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitativemethods, or organization and management.

For GS-9: 2 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or masters or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B. or J.D.

For GS-11: 3 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

If using education to qualify, you must submit copies of all transcripts or a list of college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. See Required Documents section for more information.

Additional information

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit E-Verify.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information: CTAP or ICTAP

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service

This position is fully remote.

This position is covered by a bargaining unit.

This position is considered a career ladder opportunity, with a full performance level of GS-11. If selected at a lower grade level, you may be non-competitively promoted to the next grade level at the discretion of your supervisor and is contingent upon meeting regulatory and legal requirements for promotion, satisfactory performance, and the availability of higher-level work. Promotion is not guaranteed, and no promise of promotion is implied.

This announcement is being advertised concurrently under number AZDE-24-12552246-CVS, which is open to all qualified persons. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.

Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees. If eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive or Student Loan Repayment.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online questionnaire will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. The best qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be contacted for an interview.

Your answers to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:
Contracting/Procurement:
Knowledge of various types of contracts, techniques for contracting or procurement, and contract negotiation and administration.

Negotiation: Works with others toward an agreement that may involve exchanging specific resources or resolving differences.

Technical Competence: Knowledge of how to perform one's job. Refers to specialized knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience.

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.

Problem Solving: Identifies and analyzes problems; uses sound reasoning to arrive at conclusions; finds alternative solutions to complex problems; distinguishes between relevant and irrelevant information to make logical judgements.

Reading Comprehension: Understands and interprets written material, including technical material, rules, regulations, instructions, reports, charts, graphs, or tables; applies what is learned from written material to specific situations.

Reasoning: Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions.

In order 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.

In the evaluation process, due weight will be given to job related experience, education, training, incentive awards and performance appraisals. Applicants must have a performance rating of at least the equivalent of fully successful to be eligible for promotion or placement. Applicants may provide a copy of a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months. If the applicant is unable to provide a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months, the applicant may provide a written explanation as to why.

Required Documents

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

Resume or Application. At a minimum, your resume MUST contain job title (include job series and grade, if federal), duties, starting and ending dates (month and year), hours worked per week, and salary. USAJOBS has a template to ensure a complete resume.

Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). Failure to provide required information will result in loss of eligibility. You are welcome to submit an optional cover letter.

Transcripts: You MUST submit a copy of ALL your college transcripts or a list of ALL college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. Upon selection, official transcripts must be received prior to appointment. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your 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.

Current and former federal career and career-conditional employees: Submit a copy of your most recent (non award) SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, or equivalent document that verifies tenure (block 24, code 1 or 2) and Competitive Status (block 34, code 1).

Former Public Lands Corps (PLC) Member: Submit a copy of your "Certificate of Eligibility for Noncompetitive Hiring" along with a copy of your "PLC Participant Verification Work Hours Sheet."

Applicants eligible under PL-114-47, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act as a current or former employee of a land management agency, who is serving or previously served on a temporary or term appointments, you must submit the following documentation to receive consideration:

  • SF-50(s), Notification of Personnel Action, that documents your service under competitive examining procedures in time limited appointments that totals 24 months at land management agencies without a break in service of two or more years (initial, extension, and termination of all appointments); and
  • Documentation of satisfactory performance, if available, such as performance evaluations, references by supervisors, or other documents, e.g., memorandums of record, whereas the supervisor documented an acceptable performance level.
Applicants eligible under a Special Hiring Authority for Veterans, you must submit proof that supports your claim. This may include:
  • A legible copy of your DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, member 4 copy or any official documentation or statement from the Armed Forces that confirms your dates of service and that your separation, discharge, or release from active duty was under honorable conditions.
  • If you are currently on active military duty, you must provide documentation (e.g., campaign document, award citation, etc.), that verifies entitlement to veterans' preference or that shows length of service, AND that your character of military service is honorable.
  • If you have a service-connected disability, a copy of your Veterans Affairs (VA) letter indicating the combined percentage rating of your disability.
  • Required Documents as indicated on page 2 of the SF-15 to support your claim. NOTE: The SF-15 alone cannot be used to verify eligibility.
Special Hiring Authorities: If you are applying for this position based on eligibility under other noncompetitive special appointing authorities, you MUST submit proof of this eligibility.

Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles: Submit documentation verifying your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility - this includes a copy of the agency notice and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location.

If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here.

Please note that documents selected for transfer from your USAJOBS profile are NOT automatically added to your application. You need to transfer your document(s) in the "Documents" step during the application process.

Required documentation must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the closing date of this announcement.

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

THIS IS AN ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS THROUGH USAJOBS.

Your application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time by 10/29/2024.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have access to a public library, State Job Service Office, etc., you should use these resources to apply online. You must follow the steps described below to complete the application process:

YOU MUST HAVE OR CREATE A PROFILE IN USAJOBS. Your profile must contain a current resume for submission. See Required Documents section for what to include in your resume.

INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION COULD RESULT IN AN INELIGIBLE RATING.

The USAJOBS Resume Builder was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. The Resume Builder is an available tool when you login to your USAJOBS account.

  1. Review the Appointment Eligibility Criteria: The eligibility section of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement. You will ONLY be considered for the appointment eligibilities that you selected. You must provide proof of your eligibility to be considered.
  2. You must submit a resume and also complete the online application and assessment questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.
  • 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.
  • The eligibility portion of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this announcement. You may choose more than one eligibility. You must provide proof of your eligibility and will only be considered for the questions that you answer "yes".
  • Please note, your eligibility will be based solely on the selections you have indicated in this section. You must provide the supporting documentation to support your claim to be considered. You may choose more than one eligibility in this section.
  • To view the assessment questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12552250 Note: If invited to take additional competency assessment(s), you will be able to preview a sample exercise at the time of the assessment.
If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements.

Note: Set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account. To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (Welcome | Login.gov), 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://help.usajobs.gov/how-to.

FOLLOW UP. Check your application status before the announcement closes. It is your responsibility to ensure that a complete application (including a resume, on-line questionnaire, and applicable supplemental documentation) is received by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on 10/29/2024. NOTE: Technical problems may take at least 1 business day to resolve; therefore, you are highly encouraged to complete the application process prior to the closing date.

Agency contact information

Chan Saechao
Address
BLM Arizona State Office
BLM Arizona State Office, AZ-953
One North Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85002
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJobs account. You will receive an acknowledgement email from USAJobs that your submission was successful once we have received your online questionnaire, resume, and any supporting documentation. You will be notified of the status of your application and/or referral to the hiring official via your USAJobs account after the evaluation process is complete. You will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required.

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.


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


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