Summary
This position is located at the Administrative Services team, within the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Peace Corps Headquarters, Washington DC and reports directly to the Supervisory Chief Administrative Officer. The Administrative Services team supports function and activities to manage IT budget planning and execution; serve as focal point for IT acquisitions and procurement with the Office of Acquisitions and Contracts Management (ACM).
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
United States citizens.
Veterans.
Duties
The Information Technology Specialist (Contracting Officer's Representative/Portfolio Manager) performs the following major duties:
Performs Strategic Vendor Management and undertakes Procurement responsibilities including assisting staff in preparing procurement documentation including statement of objectives (SOO), statements of work (SOW) and, deliverable requirements; procurement packages; capital planning; independent government cost estimates (IGCE); division budget review and analysis; materials procurements; contract renewals; option year extensions; contract proposal review and selection; and contract inventory.
- Oversees contract administration activities for information technology (IT) hardware and/or software, services, and maintenance in multi-year, extensive technical service contracts.
- Conducts reviews for acquiring systems and software. Builds strong relationships and work collaboratively with stakeholders and customers to perform needs analysis to determine opportunities for new and improved acquisition strategies in support of their programs, products, and services.
- Plans and coordinates contract administration activities for multi-year technical service contracts. Evaluates contractor procedures for the analysis, design, development, test, and support of IT systems.
- . Recommends needed structure and/or workflow for effective operations and service delivery; and assists in developing recommendations for an overarching procurement strategy that aligns with the OCIO and Peace Corps strategic vision.
- Serves as Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) on information technology contract(s), including personal services and non-personal services, working in collaboration with other OCIO CORs, ensuring alignment between acquisition strategies, cost estimates, and contracting outcomes.
- Maintains oversight of contract and/or procurement matters, ensuring the effective use of internal controls, recommends changes when deficiencies are identified, and acquires and allocates resources to accomplish activities within established schedules and budgetary requirements.
- Develops and maintains project metrics and performance measures to ensure work performed is consistent with contract requirements, completed according to schedule, within budget, and adhering to standards.
- Manages the development of project management principles for designated projects to include effective internal controls, financial spend plans, risk and issue management/mitigation, requirements management, change control, and investment portfolio updates.
- Assists with developing requirements and contract packages, using input from subject matter experts and end users, ACM personnel, involving complex fixed-price delivery orders with special provision, contract line items, Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) and specialized procurements.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
Please read this announcement in its entirety prior to submitting your application.
- You must be a U.S. Citizen.
- You must be at least 18 years of age.
- All Federal employees are required to have federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
- 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. For additional information, see www.sss.gov.
- You must successfully complete a background security investigation with favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet this requirement will be grounds for employment termination.
- All new employees are required to certify and submit a state of understanding acknowledging adherence to the Peace Corps condition of employment prior to day 1 of employment with the Peace Corps.
- This is a bargaining unit position.
- A one-year probationary period is required.
- This position requires the filing of a Financial Disclosure report.
- This position requires a Public Trust background investigation.
Qualifications
All qualification requirements must be met by 07/10/2024 (the closing date of the announcement). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. To ensure full credit for your experience, please indicate the start and end dates (month, day, and year) of employment, the number of hours worked per week, and the location of employment in your resume. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.
Time-in-Grade (TIG) Requirements:
Current or Formal Federal employees, including current Peace Corps employees, must meet applicable TIG requirements to be considered eligible. To meet TIG for positions above the FP-09 (GS-05) grade level, you must have served at least one year (52 weeks) at the next lower grade (or equivalent) in the normal line of progression for the position to which you are applying. All current or former Federal employees (including internal employees) must provide a copy of their SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one), "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).
Basic Qualifications:
In order to meet basic qualifications for GS-2210 positions, individuals must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the competencies defined below:
- Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
- Customer Service: Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.
- Oral Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
- Problem Solving: Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.
Specialized Experience:
To be minimally qualified for this position at the FP-2 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level in the normal line of progression, FP-3 or GS-13 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.
Specialized experience is defined as: Planning and management of IT contracts, fiscal spending, and other acquisition plans, include performing strategic vendor management for IT projects and undertaking contract administration responsibilities as Contracting Officer's Representative (COR). Defines and plans project and program management milestones, monitors the efficiency and effectiveness of the program, and makes recommendations on improvements.
Additional information on qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/
Please note:
- Past experience that satisfies the Specialized Experience MUST be well documented within your resume. Failure to provide this information in your resume with corresponding start and end dates (month, day, and year) of employment, the number of hours worked per week, and location of employment may result in disqualification from further consideration.
- Specialized Experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector, or through volunteer work done with National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) or other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social).
- One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis.
- Additional information on qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site.
- Peace Corps employees are employed using the Foreign Personnel (FP) pay scale. The FP pay plan does not follow the same structure as the GS pay plan. In the FP pay plan, as the grade-level numbers decrease the level/pay for the position increases. The FP-09 is the lowest entry-level grade and the FP-01 is the highest senior-level grade.
Education
There is no education substitution at this grade level.
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.
Applications will be reviewed once the vacancy announcement closes. We use a multi-step process to review and evaluate applicants:
1. Eligibility and Minimum Qualifications
We will review your submitted resume and documents to determine if you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, including any required education, experience, and/or selective placement factors. You will be rated as ineligible if you are outside of the area of consideration (i.e., who may apply) or your application is missing any required documents. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated or falsified your qualifications, education, eligibility claims, and/or experience, this is cause for disqualification. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. You will be rated as not qualified if you do not possess the minimum qualification requirements.
2. Rating and Ranking
If you are found to meet both the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, we will assess the quality of your experience and the extent to which you possess the required experience by comparing your submitted resume and documents against your responses to the occupational questionnaire and the specialized experience at the grade level(s) for which you are applying. The occupational questionnaire is the list of questions in the automated system that you will have an opportunity to answer once you apply for the position. Based on the outcome of this evaluation, you will be assigned a numerical score (out of 100 possible). If your responses to the occupational questionnaire are not substantiated by your submitted resume, you may be disqualified from receiving further consideration.
3. Referral and Selection
If you are found to be amongst the most highly qualified applicants, you will be referred to the selecting official. As part of the assessment and selection process, the selecting official may invite you to participate in a structured interview, check your references, and/or request that you submit a writing sample or complete a written assessment or exercise to further evaluate your qualifications for this position.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):
- Acquisition Strategy
- Contracting and Procurement
- Project Management
- Stakeholder Management
- Technology Awareness
You may preview the questionnaire for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12455633
Required Documents
Your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which establish your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide any of these documents, your application will be marked as incomplete and disqualified from further consideration.
All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 07/10/2024 (the closing date of this announcement).
1. Resume: All applicants must submit a detailed resume showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including job title and duties performed. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support your qualifications. The following information must be provided in your resume:
- Full name and address of the employer;
- Official position titles;
- Start and end dates of your prior employment (including month, day, and year);
- Work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent);
- Number of hours worked per week;
- Salary;
- If you are a current Federal employee or former Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series, and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09);
- A detailed list of duties & accomplishments; and
- Any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
TIP: A good way to ensure you include all essential information is to use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS to create your resume. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete and disqualified from further consideration.
If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, you will not be considered for this vacancy.
2. Proof of Eligibility to Apply: Your application must include the documents which prove you are eligible to apply for the vacancy. You must meet the requirements of at least one of the authorities listed in the "Who May Apply" section of this announcement to receive further consideration.
- Veterans Documents: If you are claiming a Veteran's Preference, you must attach all required documentation at the time of application. For more information regarding veterans' preference, please refer to FedsHireVets:
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- A DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) form, specifically the Member #4 Copy, indicating dates and character of service and discharge type.
- If you are a Veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more, you must submit a copy of your SF-15 (Application for 10-point Veterans Preference) AND a copy of your VA Letter stating your disability rating.
COR Level III Certification - Desirable
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/10/2024 to receive consideration.
- To begin, click "Apply Online" to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account.
- Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, the assessment questionnaire, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Please ensure you click the "Submit My Answers" button to submit your application.
- 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. HR will not modify answers/documents submitted by an applicant. If more than one resume is received, only the last resume received and processed will be reviewed.
- Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process so please plan appropriately. You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
- 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/.
Your experience must be fully documented in your resume. See the "Required Documents" section of this announcement for more information on what you must include in your resume. Be clear and specific when describing your experience in your resume. We will not make assumptions regarding your experience.
The Peace Corps is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors.
We are committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive culture. Our goal is to attract and develop the best and brightest from all lifestyles and backgrounds. The Peace Corps strives to create a culture of inclusion where individuals feel respected and are treated fairly in all aspects of differences. Our commitment is to make a difference in the lives of people around the world.
The Peace Corps provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the hiring process, please notify the Office of Human Resources by calling 202-692-1200 or the Office of Civil Rights and Diversity on 202-692-2139. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation are made on a case-by-case basis.
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.
- You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account and by going to the "My Account" tab and clicking on "Application Status". For a more detailed update of your application status, you may go to "more information" under the individual vacancy.
- Applications will be reviewed once the vacancy announcement closes.
- If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will be disqualified from receiving further consideration.
- If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to the Selecting Official for further consideration.
- USAJOBS has added an alert setting to their system to provide status updates for applicants. You can elect to activate the status updates from your USAJOBS profile at any point during the application process.
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