Contract Specialist Job in Alexandria, VA

Vacancy No. CERA256297381433 Department U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Salary $84,601.00 to $131,826.00 Grade 11 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 2/25/2025 Close Date 3/3/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Alexandria, VA


Summary

About the Position: This is a permanent position with Humphreys Engineer Center Support Activity (HECSA), Contracting Center located at 7701 Telegraph Road, located in Alexandria, Virginia.

Management may select at any of the grade levels announced. This recruitment provides promotion opportunity to the target grade of the position without further competition when selectee is eligible and recommended by management.

Duties

  • Serves as a Contract Specialist for pre-award and post-award functions, including acquisition planning, price/cost analysis, negotiation, administration, coordinating, and controlling the full range of contracting functions.
  • Analyzes proposals and negotiate terms and conditions of contracts and prepares Price Negotiation Memorandums (PNMs) in order to make fair and reasonable price determinations.
  • Prepares Price Negotiation Memorandums (PNMs) in order to make fair and reasonable price determinations.
  • Advises the Contracting Officer and other Government personnel on the contractors compliance with contract requirements and recommends alternatives available for effecting corrective actions.
  • Serves as lead negotiator during negotiations of contract modifications.
  • Performs contract management monitoring a group of contracts during the post-award contract phase of the procurement cycle to assure timely receipt of all contractual data specified.
  • Performs procurement planning and in coordination with the technical office and develops the contractual strategy to be used in the procurement of a specific contract/contract program.
  • Serves as Contract representative on the Product Delivery Team providing advice to team members on all aspects of contracting throughout the acquisition process.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • This is an Army Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Workforce position. The employee must meet DoDI 5000.66 requirements applicable to the duties of the position.
  • This position requires an Intermediate level II Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification within 24 months of entrance on duty, requirements found in the Defense Acquisition University Catalog at http://www.dau.mil/.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities.

  • Current Department of Army Civilian Employees
  • Current Department of Defense (DOD) Civilian Employee (non-Army)
  • Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce
  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan
  • Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act
  • Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement
  • Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible
  • Reinstatement
  • Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998


In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Basic Requirement for Contract Specialist:
Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) from an accredited educational institution and 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. (The 24 semester hour requirement can be obtained within the bachelor's degree OR in addition to the degree.)

OR

Exemption: You are exempt from the education requirements above if (A) you are a current DoD employee, in any occupational series, who has served on or before September 30, 2000, as follows: (1) Served as a GS/equivalent-1102 position or contracting officer position with authority to award or administer contracts above the SAT in any Federal agency, OR (2) Served as a military member in a comparable military occupational specialty; OR (B) you are a current member of the armed forces who occupied a position within an occupational specialty similar to the GS-1102 series on or before September 30, 2000.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

Experience at GS-11: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes: interpreting and applying contracting principals, policies, regulations in the administration of fixed-price and cost-reimbursable contracts; terminating contracts by analyzing, negotiating, and settling claims and proposals; conducting price analysis sufficient to review contractor proposals and bids; negotiating contract terms and conditions for furnishing products, services, construction, and research and development, to ensure the contacts are executed in the best interest of the organization; developing negotiations plans for individual contractors in order to identify specific areas within the contact that require negotiation. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09).

OR

Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: [insert applicable field(s) of study].

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages.

Experience at GS-12: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes: developing and implementing contractual strategies for acquisition, procurement and contract administration, programs and projects; coordinating source selection evaluations for the organization; overseeing contracting negotiation throughout all phases of contractual negotiations and close-outs; planning, establishing, or reviewing contracts, programs, policies, or procedures; performing pre-award and post-award functions on procurements for supplies and/or services to meet acquisition/contractual requirements; and performing and applying price/cost analysis techniques. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11).

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:
  • Communications
  • Contract Administration
  • Contracting/Procurement
  • Cost Accounting
  • Preparation and Negotiation
  • Technical Competence


Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent.

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • One year trial/probationary period may be required.
  • Direct deposit of pay is required.
  • Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
  • If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
  • This is a Career Program (CP) 14 - Contracting position
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • When you perform a Civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) with the government, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers the majority of your entitlements to be taxable. Visit https://www.dfas.mil/civilianemployees/civrelo/Civilian-Moving-Expenses-Tax-Deduction/ for more information.
  • Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.

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 announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

You may claim Military Spouse preference.

Military Spouse Preference (MSP) applicants will receive preference consideration and will be placed (if selected) at the highest grade for which they have applied and are determined best qualified, up to and including the full performance level.

You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference.

DoD Priority Placement Program (PPP) Applicants will receive preference consideration at the full-performance grade level only.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

Required Documents

The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc). Please review the following links to see which documents you need to provide to prove your eligibility to apply: Applicant Checklist for Internal/Merit Promotion Announcements.

As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

1. Your resume:

  • Your resume may be submitted in any format and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
  • If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
  • For qualifications determinations your resume must contain hours worked per week and the dates of employment (i.e., HRS per week and month/year to month/year or month/year to present). If your resume does not contain this information, your application will be marked as incomplete and you will not receive consideration for this position.
  • For additional information see: What to include in your resume.

2. Other supporting documents:
  • Cover Letter, optional
  • Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable
  • Proof of Eligibility to Apply: Your application must include the documents which prove you are eligible to apply for the vacancy. The Proof of Eligibility document describes authorities commonly used in merit promotion recruitment and what document(s) are required to prove you meet the requirements of the authority. You must meet the requirements of at least one of the authorities listed in the Who May Apply section above to receive further consideration.
  • Time-in-grade documentation: If you are applying for a higher grade and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one year time-in-grade requirement so you will need to provide an SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements (examples of appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within-grade Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old).
  • This position has an individual occupational requirement and/or allows for substitution of education for experience. If you meet this requirement based on education you MUST submit a copy of your transcript with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses
  • This position requires a job-related license or certification. You MUST submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses
NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

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 questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/03/2025 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 (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12701433).
  • 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. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
  • It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
  • Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
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/.

Agency contact information

Army Applicant Help Desk
Address
RA-W4LDAA USA HUMPHREYS ENGR CENTER SUPPORT ACTY
DO NOT MAIL
Alexandria, VA 22315
US

Next steps

If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.


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


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