Clarification from the agency

Open to the Public and Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL).

As a Supervisory Contract Specialist, you will perform the following duties:

• Establish overall operational policies and objectives and manage the development of procedures necessary to successfully accomplish the procurement mission. Interpret and implement department wide procurement policies, regulations, directives and guidelines. Maintain liaison with the Department's Office of Acquisition Management, Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Labor, and the Small Business Administration for the purpose of keeping abreast of statutes, policies, and regulations which may affect significant procurement decisions.
• As a Branch Chief and Contracting Officer for the branch, the incumbent exercises procurement authority to enter into contracts or purchase orders necessary to accomplish the mission of the client agency components. Ensure that all goods and services required to meet customers' needs are acquired in a timely manner, at a reasonable cost, and of the necessary quality to meet mission needs while ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
• The incumbent is responsible for the proper performance of contract administration functions including monitoring progress of contractors and determining compliance with stated terms and conditions. Obtain and resolve close-out audits, process change orders and equitable adjustment claims, and initiate termination actions and resolve related claims.
• Manage all functions of the branch, including planning and assigning work and managing workforce and financial resources. Provide management guidance to subordinate supervisors and keep subordinates informed of procurement operation goals, trends, and priorities.

Conditions of employment

Key Requirements:

• Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.
• Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
• More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Additional Information.
• Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
• Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Additional Considerations:

• One year probationary period may be required.
• A one year supervisory probationary period may be required (probationary period can be served concurrently).
• Payment of relocation expenses (PCS) is not authorized.
• This position requires a Moderate Risk Security Clearance.
• Background investigation will be required. Continued employment is subject to applicant's successful completion of security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.

NOTE: A one year probationary period will be required under the Direct Hire Authority unless you are a current Department of Commerce (including NOAA) employee and are in the same line of work and with no more than a 30 day break in service.

Any selections made under this notice will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Therefore, Current Federal employees would be given new appointments to the civil service and may have to serve a new probationary period under CFR 315.802 (b).

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, for those required to serve a 1-year probationary period, 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;
• 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 probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements:

To qualify for the 1102 series:

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 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 perform successfully the work of the position.

AND

OR

C. 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.

OR

D. Waiver: Candidates that are missing the mandatory training certification, but are determined to be otherwise eligible, may be placed on a waiver certification by the NOAA HR Staffing Specialist. NOTE: All employees in the GS-1102 Series must be FAC-C certified at the appropriate level for their career path. Individuals in the 1102 series who are promoted into a new career path shall have 24 months to meet the FAC-C training requirements for the new career path. Employees must meet the OPM 1102 Qualification Standards for education and experience in order to be hired.

AND

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.

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.

To qualify at the GS-15 level:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:

• Implementing, evaluating, and administering the full range of pre-award and post-award activities utilizing various types of contracts associated with the acquisition of a range of complex and specialized goods or services; and
• Providing authoritative guidance to senior level officials and contractors on the delivery of goods and services.

How you will be evaluated

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

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position.

Additionally, you will be evaluated using a Job Knowledge Test. The Job Knowledge Test is designed to assess technical and professional expertise directly relevant to the requirements of this announcement. This assessment measures the specialized knowledge and skills accumulated over time, which are critical for successful performance in this position. The best-qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

Veteran's Preference does not apply to direct hire recruitment procedures.

To preview the announcement questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12906840

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (may be: (1) uploaded directly from your desktop; or (2) uploaded directly from your USAJOBS stored attachments):

1. Resume:

• Only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. Reference the USAJobs Help Center for additional recommendations and instructions.
• You are encouraged to make your resume and profile searchable https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/account/profile/searchable.
• You are highly encouraged to use USAJOBS Resume Builder to ensure all required information is included in your Resume.
• If you use your own resume or curriculum vitae, for each work experience at a minimum, your resume should include; job title(s) (including job series and grade, if Federal); description of duties or work performed; starting and ending dates (month and year).
• Part-Time work must be clearly identified and include the number of hours per week; if not identified, then work will be assumed to be Full-Time. (NOTE: A full-time work schedule requires most employees to work 33-40 hours during the work week. A part-time schedule requires an employee to work less than full-time, typically 16-32 hours per week.)

• Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. You MUST provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation by the closing date of the announcement will result in lost consideration.

Next steps