Supervisory Contract Specialist

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:

• Serve as a Warranted Contracting Officer, to lead, negotiate and administer the procurement of equipment with specialized, state-of-the-art, critical or scarce requirements. Oversee the procurement of administrative services, characterized by a lack of any previous cost data, use of a variety of cost and fixed-price funding arrangements, multi-year contracts, frequent changes in terms or conditions, and similar difficulties.
• Review contracts and acquisition activities, develop guidance material on contracting issues, and provide technical advice to staff and management officials. Review requisition activities at field sites with delegated procurement authority for compliance with procurement regulations and department guidelines and policy.
• Provide supervisory control over a staff of contract specialists, purchasing agents and support staff engaged in contracting and acquisition activities. Plan and schedule work to be accomplished by subordinates and develop performance standards to identify training needs. Resolve complaints from employees and implement minor disciplinary measures.

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.*
• Payment of relocation expenses (PCS) is not authorized.
• A one year supervisory probationary period may be required (probationary period can be served concurrently).
• 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.

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).

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; have previously completed a probationary period; and with no more than a 30 day break in service.

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 then 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: To be qualified, all applicants must meet education, training, and experience requirements described below as of the close date of this announcement. Documentation supporting these requirements, including transcript(s), training certificate(s), and certification certificate(s) MUST be submitted with your application package. Failure to submit documentation will result in an ineligible status.

To qualify for the 1102 series:

A. Education Requirements: Applicants must have completed at least 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. Documentation of education requirements must include a copy of your transcript(s) that shows the degree(s) earned and lists each course by the number and department, course title, number of credit hours, and grade earned. You must submit evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution is equivalent to U.S. education standards. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university course catalog that reflects the content at the time the course was taken. An official college transcript will be required before you can report to duty.

B. Training Requirements: Applicants must have completed of all mandatory training prescribed by the Department of Commerce for progression to the GS-13 or higher level contracting positions or equivalent. For more information, please see the "Other Information" section of the announcement.

Candidates currently holding a FAC-C/DAWIA Level II or III certification are considered to have met all mandatory training requirements for this announcement. You must submit your certification with your application package. If you are not currently certified, but have completed the mandatory training, you must provide a training certificate for each course. Failure to submit documentation will result in an ineligible status.

Selectees holding a FAC-C/DAWIA Level II certification will be required to complete all prescribed mandatory training to become certified FAC-C Level III within 24 months of employment.

C. Experience Requirements: Applicants must have at least four years of experience in contracting or related positions, which must be documented on the applicant's resume. At least one year (52 weeks) of that experience must have been specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level of the position, as described below. This specialized experience need not have been in the federal government.

To qualify for the 1102 series at the GS-14 grade level:
Completion of all mandatory education/training prescribed by Department of Commerce for progression to GS-14 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. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following basic requirements:

Selectees must meet the Basic Requirements as described in options 1, 2, or 3 below:

Option 1. Meets all of a, b, and c below:
Completion of Training/Certification: FAC-C (Professional) or DoD Contracting Professional or FAC-C (Legacy)/III or DAWIA (Contracting) Level II/III certification. (b) At least 4 years of experience in contracting or related positions including 1 year of specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the level described below; and (c) Completion of 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.

OR

Option 2. Exception: If you were in a GS-1102 position on January 1, 2000, you will be exempt from meeting the educational requirements for the grade level of that position. However, to be promoted you will have to meet Option 1 or 3.

OR

Option 3. Waiver: DOC's senior procurement executive has the discretion to waive any or all of the requirements in 1 above. Note: Candidates that are missing either the 24 hours of business credit and/or the mandatory training certification, but are determined to be otherwise eligible, can be placed on a waiver certification by the NOAA HR Staffing Specialist. *FAC-C Certification Exceptions: 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. (NOTE: Employees must meet the OPM 1102 Qualification Standards for 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.

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-13 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:

• Evaluating, administering, or making recommendations on 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;
• Developing or reviewing contractual pricing arrangements and incentives; and
• Leading or managing a team or subordinate personnel, such as overseeing personnel actions, assigning work, setting priorities, and making decisions on employee development.

Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 at grades 14 and above are 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. This exception does not apply if there was a break in service after January 1, 2000.

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/13081198

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.)

2.) Unofficial Transcripts: This position has a positive education requirement and therefore, requires proof of higher education.

• 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.

3. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation if applicable (see "Additional Information" section).

Next steps

Additional locations