Clarification from the agency

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL), Federal employees - Competitive service, Individuals with disabilities, Military spouses, Veterans; Applications will be accepted from current Federal employees serving on career or career-conditional appointment in the Competitive Service, former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility, persons eligible under special hiring authorities including Schedule A and VEOA, and CTAP/ICTAP eligible candidates in the local commuting area.

The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, Virginia. Presence at the Alexandria, VA campus is required for this role, as it includes on site functions that must be performed in person. Position may be eligible for situational telework in accordance with agency policy/business unit discretion. The agency currently allows for 52 hours of telework per calendar year.

*If selected for an interview, applicants are encouraged to discuss telework options and eligibility specific to the position in which they applied with the hiring manager.

This position serves as a Supervisory Contract Specialist within the Office of Procurement and reports to the Deputy Director of Procurement for the USPTO and assists the Office of Procurement Director in carrying out the functions and duties of the office.

This role is your next ideal career goal for you if:

• You're committed to being responsible for continuous review of procurement operation procedures to determine which areas need improvement to ensure adherence to prescribed regulations and/or to expedite the processing of procurements; and provides overall technical advice and counseling to USPTO procurement personnel.
• You have strong writing skills to assist with the overall Office of Procurement policies and objectives, developing procedures necessary for successful accomplishment of the procurement mission, and managing all functions of the office, including planning and assigning work and managing staff and financial resources.
• You're an expert in serving as a principal advisor on acquisition strategic planning, procurement management, performance-based contracting, and implementation of e-Government for procurement activities.
• You have expert knowledge and experience in being responsible for meeting the Small Business Administration's socio-economic goals for procurement activities, maintaining a low ratio of efficiency, and adhering to procurement action lead-time standards.
• You're excited to lead and provide management guidance to subordinate staff; resolves major problem areas; keeping subordinates informed of procurement operation goals; areas of emphasis, procurement trends and work priorities; and establishes office policy to assist the supervisors in the exercise of proper personnel management.
• You have strong oral communication skills to be responsible for maintaining liaison with the Department of Commerce acquisition offices for the purpose of keeping abreast of statutes, policies and regulations that may affect significant procurement decisions.

Conditions of employment

• Applications will only be accepted from United States Citizens and Nationals.
• Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related competencies.
• You must meet the definition of specialized experience.
• Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
• Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
• Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
• Suitable for Federal Employment
• This position requires the completion of OGE-450 Financial Disclosure.
• DAWIA Level 3 and FAC-C Professional or FAC-C Level 3 REQUIRED
• You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. OPM Qualifications Standards are available at OPM Website - Contracting Series, 1102.

CANDIDATES FOR GS-15 GRADE LEVEL MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

A. 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

B. A four (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.

C. Exceptions: Employee in GS-1102 position 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.

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.

Applicants currently holding a FAC-C/DAWIA Level III certification are considered to have met all mandatory training requirements for this announcement. You must submit your certification with application package. IN ADDITION to meeting the basic requirements in paragraphs A and B, candidates must meet Specialized Experience requirements.

Specialized Experienceis experience that has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the federal service.

For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-14. Specialized experience for this position includes:

• Experience with IT and non-IT acquisition and contracting, supporting program management;
• Experience providing guidance, advice, and information, pertaining to contracting procedures, policy and processes, including negotiations and source selection;
• Experience with various contracting methods and contract types sufficient to procure and administer contractor support services; and
• Experience overseeing or leading, and developing, a procurement operations staff with various grade levels, skills, and abilities.

The incumbent must possess the following supervisory competencies to be successful in this position:

Accountability: Holds self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost effective results. Determines objectives, sets priorities, and delegates work. Accepts responsibility for mistakes. Complies with established control systems and rules.

Customer Service: Anticipates and meets the needs of both internal and external customers. Delivers high-quality products and services; is committed to continuous improvement.

Decisiveness: Makes well-informed, effective, and timely decisions, even when data are limited or solutions produce unpleasant consequences; perceives the impact and implications of decisions.

Flexibility: Is open to change and new information; rapidly adapts to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles.

Integrity/Honesty: Behaves in an honest, fair, and ethical manner. Shows consistency in words and actions. Models high standards of ethics.

Interpersonal Skills: Treats others with courtesy, sensitivity, and respect. Considers and responds appropriately to the needs and feelings of different people in different situations.

Oral Communication: Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed.

Problem Solving: Identifies and analyzes problems; weighs relevance and accuracy of information; generates and evaluates alternative solutions; makes recommendations.

Resilience: Deals effectively with pressure; remains optimistic and persistent, even under adversity. Recovers quickly from setbacks.

Written Communication: Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

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

• Acquisition and Procurement
• Procurement Strategies
• Oral and Written Communication
• Supervision

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

The best qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview. If referred all relevant documents submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the selecting official, due weight shall be given to performance appraisals and awards in accordance with 5 CFR § 335.103(b)(3), during the interview/selection process conducted by the hiring manager. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or for changing your scored responses to questions you've answered, which may affect your overall final score.

Your resume will be evaluated, using a Structure Resume Review, for evidence of your ability to demonstrate possession of any specialized experience and how well your background and experience relate to the job announcement, required by this position. Any experience claimed in a cover letter should be substantiated by information contained in your resume. A HR Representative will validate the qualifications of those candidates eligible to be referred to the hiring official.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12886183

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation), national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, retaliation for engaging in protected activity, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors. If you believe that you have been discriminated against and would like to file an EEO complaint, you must do so within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act. Claims of employment discrimination must be submitted to the attention of the USPTO's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity via email (oeeo@uspto.gov) or phone (571-272-8292).

A complete application consists of:

Supporting Documents:

1. Veterans' Preference Documentation: If you are a veteran with preference eligibility, you will be asked to submit a copy of your DD-214 containing your discharge disposition, dates of service, and rank. If you are a preference eligible claiming a service-connected disability of 10 percent or more, you will be asked to submit documentation (i.e., a letter dated 1991 or later from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces) certifying to the veteran's present receipt of compensation. Veterans must include dates of military service within the automated application process and submit a copy of each Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214. For more information, please visit Feds Hire Vets.

2. Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) documents:

1. CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: 1. A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice); 2. A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade/band level, and duty location; 3. A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and 4. Any documentation from your bureau/operating unit that shows your current promotion potential.
2. ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: 1. A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination, certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a work-related compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement. 2. A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", documenting your RIF separation, noting your position, grade/band level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.; 3. A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and 4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

3. Special Appointing Authorities: If you are applying under a special appointing authority (i.e., Schedule A, disabled veterans, or certain military spouses), you will be asked to submit documents showing eligibility to non-competitively apply under Merit Assignment announcements. For more info on non-competitive appointments and supporting documents, please visit Federal Employment of People with Disabilities or Feds Hire Vets - Special Hiring Authorities.

You can upload your documents when you register or update your information on the Dept. of Commerce site which you access through the USAJobs site.

Your application and all required documents must be received by 11:59 pm ET on the closing date of this job announcement. NOTE: The preceding documents requirement are based on job requirements and individual applicant eligibility. Not all documents are applicable to all applicants; if you are unsure which documents apply to you, contact the HR Specialist listed on this announcement

Next steps