Clarification from the agency

This position is being filled through Direct Hire Authority and is open to all U.S. Citizens and ICTAP/CTAP eligibles in the local commuting area.

The GS-12 Contact Specialist is responsible for contracting actions within contracting divisions, actively engaged in all phases and activities related to the procurement process.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Conduct initial planning by requirements definition, testing, prototype procurement, initial production, full production, spare and repair parts, construction, architecture, and engineering, information technology acquisition, software support, technical data, off-line product improvement, sustaining engineering, training equipment and materials.
• Conduct procurement planning by considering acquisition background and objectives including delivery requirements, tradeoffs, cost, and risks. Determine the method of procurement, method of source selection, and contract type. Establish milestones and schedules for each procurement.
• Research trends in supply/demand, production lead times, information technology, and factors that affect market prices. Consider special contracting methods such as incrementally funded long-term contracts and indefinite-quantity contracts.
• Select the type of contract to solicit, such as possible price competition; ability to establish a realistic price through the use of price analysis; ability to realistically estimate cost; type and complexity of the requirement; the urgency of the requirement; etc.
• Coordinate with appropriate personnel to exercise contract options, including preparation of preliminary notice by the Government to exercise an option; review and critique of the technical performance evaluation prepared by the program office; evaluation of the option price/estimated cost; preparation of the required determination and findings; and preparation of the contract.
• Other duties as assigned.

This position is inside the bargaining unit. The position will be included in the Local 12, AFGE bargaining unit.

This position has a full performance level of GS-13. Promotion to the GS-13 is not automatic nor guaranteed and requires additional qualifications. Applicants must meet additional educational and training requirements to be eligible for promotion to the GS-13 grade level.

Below are the additional requirements for the GS-13 grade level.

1. 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 of 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 successfully perform the work of the position.

AND

2. 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.

Conditions of employment

• Must be at least 16 years old.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
• Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
• Subject to financial disclosure requirements.
• Must hold a Federal Acquisition in Contracting Certification (FAC-C) or Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification. Failure to maintain this certification may be grounds for dismissal.
• FAC-C certified professionals must complete 100 CLP hours in each 2 year period.

Qualifications

You must meet the Basic Education Requirements listed in the education portion of this announcement AND the Specialized Experience to qualify for the Contract Specialist position, as described below. Please read these requirements carefully.

Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal Service.

Specialized Experience: In addition to the basic requirement, to qualify for this position you must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 which is the next lower grade level of the normal line of progression of this position in the Federal government. Specialized experience is experience that is related to the work of this position and has provided you with the competencies required for successful job performance. Qualifying specialized experience for the GS-12 Contract Specialist includes:

• Experience analyzing pre-award and post-award functions involving highly specialized acquisitions;
• Experience evaluating responses to solicitations for price reasonableness, compliance with terms and conditions, and adequacy of competition;
• Experience conducting acquisition planning and contract pre-award functions to include: determining method of procurement and contract type, documenting the acquisition strategy, and obtaining appropriate approvals;
• Experience administering contracts to include contract scope determinations, contract modifications, supplemental agreements, justifications, approval reviews/fair opportunity evaluations and claims disputes, and contract terminations;
• Experience interpreting and applying the Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overhaul (RFO), relevant laws, regulations, policies, standards, or procedures to specific contracting issues.

How you will be evaluated

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

This position is being filled through the Direct Hire Authority. Applicants meeting the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements and scoring above the USAHire cut score will be referred to the selecting official. Traditional rating/ranking and veterans' preference does not apply to this position.

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.).

USA Hire
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

• Accountability
• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

All candidates who have provided a complete application, meet the minimum qualification requirements and score above the USAHire cut score will be referred for consideration.

Click here for Evaluation details.

INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must meet the basic and minimum qualification requirements for this position and score above the USAHire cut score to receive consideration. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.

The following documents must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the vacancy closing date.

• Resumes: Required: provide a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one from your profile. To receive full consideration for relevant and specialized experience, please list the month, year, and number of work hours worked for the experience listed on your resume. We also suggest that you preview the vacancy questions and confirm that your resume supports your question responses.
• Displaced Employee Placement Documents - Only required if requesting priority consideration under CTAP or ICTAP eligibility.
• Unofficial Transcript(s) (in English): You MUST submit all applicable academic transcripts demonstrating that you meet the basic educational requirements (ex. BA/BS, MA, JD, Ph.D., etc.). If specific coursework is required to qualify, you must supply an unofficial transcript from each academic institution in which the required courses were taken in order to receive credit. You may upload your unofficial transcript(s) as one document with a maximum size limit of 5 MB.
• FAC-C or DAWIA Certificate: Applicants MUST hold a FAC-C (Professional) or DAWIA certificate. A copy of the certificate must be submitted. In addition, you must also submit documentation of currently completed CLP hours as an indication that your certificate is current. The 100 CLP hours does not need to be complete, but please document the hours you have currently completed.

Optional: Veterans Documents (if applicable): Veterans preference does not apply but if you wish to make us aware of your veteran status as a 5-point (TP) preference eligible, you must submit a copy of your DD214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. Your DD 214 must show the type of discharge and dates of active duty. To show 10-point (CP/CPS, XP) preference, you must submit a copy of your DD214 and the proof of entitlement of this preference, which is normally an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs certifying to the present existence of the service-connected disability and indicating the percentage of your disability. In addition, a Standard Form (SF-15) should be included, but is not required. (For active-duty service members expecting honorable or general discharge or release within 120 days, click Active Duty). For more information, go to Feds Hire Vets - Veterans Preference.

NOTE: The OFFICIAL Transcript(s) MUST BE RECEIVED, if you are selected, and prior to receiving the firm offer with a start date.

Cover Letters are not mandatory and will not be used to verify experience but may be submitted.

Reference the Education Section for College Transcript and Evaluation of Foreign Education.

Do not upload password-protected documents.

Applicants selected for employment who are not current DOL employees will be required to provide proof of citizenship, and the E-Verify system will be used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1 year probation period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probation period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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