Contract Specialist Job in District of Columbia, DC

Vacancy No. 2025-08-DH Department Federal Maritime Commission
Salary $82,764.00 to $153,354.00 Grade 11 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/26/2024 Close Date 12/11/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
District of Columbia, DC


Summary

This position is located in the Office of Management Services (OMS), Office of the Managing Director (OMD), Federal Maritime Commission (FMC or Commission). The OMS directs and administers a variety of management service functions that provide administrative support to the program operations of the Commission. The OMS procures, secures and/or furnishes all supplies, equipment and services required in support of the agency's mission, and arranges for facilities management and security.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens; no prior Federal experience required.

Duties

Ideal Candidate Statement: The ideal candidate for this position will have strong expertise in federal procurement and contract management, with the ability to serve as a Contracting Officer with an FAC-Professional certification or equivalent. They will excel in developing procurement packages, including crafting statements of work, conducting market research, and guiding acquisition strategies. The candidate will demonstrate a high level of attention to detail, ensuring compliance with regulations while managing multiple priorities. Strong communication and collaboration skills are essential, along with a proactive approach to problem-solving. Experience working with internal stakeholders and external vendors to deliver timely and effective procurement solutions is key.

The following are the duties of this position at the GS-13. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties and will receive training to help you grow in this position.

  • Develop the acquisition objectives, advise program officials of the objectives, and prepare or assist with the preparation of all documentation, up to and including award.
  • Perform price/cost analysis techniques, such as comparing proposed prices to historical prices, market research, or independent government estimates, to evaluate the reasonableness of contractor proposals.
  • Explain contracting programs, policies, and procedures to groups or individuals at meetings, conferences, or in-house visitations.
  • Interpret contract provisions of procurements for contractors and other contract specialist and evaluate contract proposal to using applicable laws, regulations and policies.
  • Perform procurement planning for IT equipment, services and/or supplies.
  • Utilze Federal contracting laws to conduct contract negotiations.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • A 1-year probationary period is required (Unless already completed).
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a background investigation.
  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
  • If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
  • Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
  • FMC participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.
  • Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
  • Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
  • May be required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.

Qualifications

You must meet the Basic Requirement and the Additional Qualification Requirement listed below by the closing date of this announcement:

Selective Placement Factor:
This position requires special qualifications that have been determined to be essential to perform the duties of this position and will be used as a screen out element. Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified:

Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting (FAC-C) Level 2 or equivalent certification for this position.

Education:

Basic Requirements for GS-11 and GS-12
A. A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field;
-or-
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.

Basic Requirements for GS-13 and Above
Completion of all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to GS-13 or higher level contracting positions, including at least 4-years experience in contracting or related positions. At least 1 year of that experience must have been specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level of the position, and must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position.

and

A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, that included or was supplemented by 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. This also applies to positions at the same grade in the same agency or other agencies if the specialized experience requirements are met. However, they will have to meet the basic requirements and specialized experience requirements in order to qualify for promotion to a higher grade, unless granted a waiver under Paragraph D.

Waiver: When filling a specific vacant position, the senior procurement executive of the selecting agency, at his or her discretion, may waive any or all of the requirements of Paragraphs A and B above if the 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. With respect to each waiver granted under this Paragraph D, the senior procurement executive must document for the record the basis of the waiver. If an individual is placed in a position in an agency on the basis of a waiver, the agency may later reassign that individual to another position at the same grade within that agency without additional waiver action.

Specialized Experience:
In addition to meeting the basic requirements, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade of federal service. You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows:

For the GS-11: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes developing procurement packages which include obtaining and/or developing memorandums, scopes of work, independent Government cost estimates, reporting requirements, security requirements checklists, technical packages, evaluation criteria, methods of solicitation and any other required documents; Conducting pre-solicitation/pre-proposal conferences and processes protests; Performing detailed analysis of bids/proposals received, ensuring strict compliance with specifications on advertised procurements, and recommending award to lowest responsible, responsive bidder.
OR
Ph.D (or equivalent doctoral degree) or three academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education.

For the GS-12: You must have one year of specialized 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 establishing methods of procurement, milestones, acquisition plans, and types of contracts; developing procurement plans by reviewing previous history, market conditions, and specification; Reviewing requests for and makes recommendations pertaining to progress payments, price revisions, and special payments; Determining the extent to which subcontracting plans comply with regulatory guidelines; monitoring subcontracting for compliance with plans; issues consents to subcontract; identifying potential funding and production problems; and initiating remedial or corrective actions.

For the GS-13: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes developing procurement objectives and strategies to be pursued under assigned programs, taking into account considerations such as competition maximization, pricing arrangements, subcontracting, and other special considerations; Advising requesting offices of the pre-solicitation process and the use of different contracting methods, processing of unsolicited proposals, use of the multiple award schedules, and any special provisions relating to propriety rights, rights in data, or similar considerations; Responding to protest by researching and developing the necessary analysis, documentation, and history; Applying Federal Acquisition laws, regulations, and policies to plan, evaluate, negotiate, and manage IT-related procurements, ensuring compliance, value, and effective interpretation of contract terms and conditions.

Education

Please refer to the following sections for additional education information: Qualifications and Required Documents.

Additional information

  • Must be a U.S. citizen
  • Federal employees are required to adhere to the 14 Principles of Ethical Conduct.
  • We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
  • We may fill like positions within 12 months of the close of the announcement.
  • This is a non-bargaining unit position.

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.

Your application includes your resume and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume will result in a "not qualified" determination.


Rating: This position will be filled through OPM's Direct Hire Authority. Veterans' preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this announcement. Applications received as a result of job fairs, recruitment events, and emergency hiring mechanisms in support of this hiring initiative will also be accepted during the duration of the direct-hire authority. For more information on Direct Hire Authorities, you may visit OPM's Frequently Asked Questions fact sheet. Subject matter expert(s) may evaluate your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the specialized experience (under the qualifications section) and the competencies listed below:
  • Contracting/Procurement
  • Oral Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Reasoning

Referral: If you are found qualified, your application will be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview. We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)), you must be assigned to the Well Qualified category or better to receive special selection priority.

Required Documents

A complete application includes 1. A resume, 2. Vacancy question responses (eligibilities and occupational questionnaire), and 3. Submission of any required documents (below). Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you will not be considered for this position (or will not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).

All applicants are required to submit a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.)

CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION
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. If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, you must submit the following documents:

  • To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position based on the competencies listed above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility including:
    • Agency notice,
    • SF-50 that reflects current grade,
    • SF-50 that reflect full performance level of the position, and
    • Your performance appraisal which must reflect "fully successful" or equivalent).
  • Displaced District of Columbia Government, Department of Corrections employees will be eligible for priority consideration and competitive appointment (Public Law 105-274). Eligible candidates are not restricted by geographic location or grade level in jobs for which they apply. Documentary evidence is the same as stated above.
EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION
For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.

A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.

If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.

  • The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. EST, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon EST on the announcement's closing date.
  • To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents.
  • Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
  • To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • To return to saved application at a later date, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Agency contact information

Cassie Hayden
Address
Office of Management Services
800 North Capitol Street NW
Suite 926
Washington, DC 20573
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS My Account tab and clicking on Application Status. For a more detailed update of your application status, you may click on more information.

Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.


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


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