Contract Specialist

Summary

This announcement is issued under the Direct Hire Authority (DHA) to recruit for positions for which there is a critical hiring need. Selectee(s) will receive a career or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service and may be required to serve a one year probationary period.

Duties

Typical work assignments at the full performance level include, but are not limited to: Independently plans, leads, and administers highly complex, high-dollar-value, sensitive, or critical acquisitions for supplies and services. Serves as the business acquisition advisor to program officials, developing acquisition strategies, determining contract types, and drafting complex or nonstandard solicitation terms and conditions. Develops and executes complex solicitations and negotiated acquisitions in accordance with the FAR, agency policies, and applicable statutes and regulations. Leads proposal evaluations; performs comprehensive cost or price analyses; and prepares documentation supporting source selection and award decisions. Administers contracts throughout the lifecycle by monitoring performance, negotiating significant modifications, resolving claims and disputes, issuing termination actions when warranted, and completing contract closeouts. Requirements

You must be a U.S. citizen. Complete the initial online assessment and USA Hire Assessment, if required. Selective Service - Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service, see http://www.sss.gov/ All Federal employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer for salary payments. DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities. You must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance suitable for Federal employment as determined by a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs. This position may be designated as essential personnel. Essential personnel must be able to serve during continuity of operation events without regard to declarations of liberal leave or government closures due to weather, protests, and acts of terrorism or lack of funding. Failure to report for or remain in this position may result in disciplinary or adverse action in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations (5 U.S.C. 7501-7533 and 5 CFR Part 752, as applicable). This position requires a pre-employment drug test. All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to a drug test to screen for illicit/illegal drug use prior to receiving a final offer of employment. A final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative drug test result. You are required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-450) upon entering the position, as well as annually. Applicants must obtain a FAC-C (Professional) certification within 36 months of entrance on duty. Qualifications

Do NOT copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. Your resume must describe your work and experience, in your own words. To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required education and/or experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying. Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirements AND Minimum Qualification requirements as listed below. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: A. Degree: I have a bachelor's degree (or completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree) from an accredited institution with a major in any field; OR I have completed at least 24 semester hours (or 36 quarter hours) in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. (NOTE: You must submit a legible copy of your unofficial transcript(s) to support your educational claims). OR B. I meet the exception criteria to the basic requirement specified in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standard for the Contracting Series, GS-1102, because I am a Federal civilian employee who occupied a GS-1102 position on January 1, 2000, at any grade level from GS-5 through GS-12. (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing the 1102 occupational series and grade level to support your exception claim.) IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS ABOVE, YOU MUST ALSO MEET THE FOLLOWING MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: You qualify at the GS-11 grade level, if you have:EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-09 grade level (or equivalent) performing all the following duties: Developing negotiation positions, executing negotiations, and ensuring compliance with regulations; Executing of contracts of variety contract types, acquisition strategies, and source selection methods; and Serving as a business advisor to requiring offices and providing guidance on acquisition planning. (NOTE: To be qualified for this position, the contents of your resume must fully support this statement.) OR A. EDUCATION: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or three (3) full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, from an accredited institution in one or a combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. (NOTE: You must submit a legible copy of your unofficial transcript(s) to support your educational claims). OR B. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Combination of education and experience I have less than one (1) year of specialized experience as described in statement A above and I have at least two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree as described in statement B above. Only graduate education beyond the second year (determined by the institution) or 36 semester hours (or 54 quarter hours) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. (NOTE: To be qualified for this position, the contents of your resume must fully support this statement, and you must submit a legible copy of your unofficial transcript(s) to support your educational claims.) You qualify at the GS-12 grade level, if you have:EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level (or equivalent) performing all the following duties: Developing negotiation positions, executing negotiations, and ensuring compliance with regulations; Executing of contracts of variety contract types, acquisition strategies, and source selection methods; Serving as a business advisor to requiring offices and providing guidance on acquisition planning; and Performing contract administration activities; independently conducting cost or price analysis; and serving as lead negotiator for contract modifications. (NOTE: To be qualified for this position, the contents of your resume must fully support this statement.) 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. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

If you are using your education to meet all or part of the qualification requirements specified in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent with your application. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted that include your name, the name of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and date of completion. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. Failure to submit the required transcript may result in an ineligible determination. NOTE: When academic credit is expressed in contract months, units, or other terms that differ from conventional semester or quarter hours, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide an interpretation of such credits from the appropriate institution in order to equate them to the specified semester or quarter hours. Education must be from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Graduate Education: One academic year of graduate education is the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the qualification requirements. You must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private U.S. organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information. How You Will Be Evaluated

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. This position is being filled using Direct Hire Authority (DHA). Under DHA, applicants are not subject to the traditional competitive rating and ranking process, and veterans' preference does not apply. Applicants who meet the qualification requirements may be considered for selection without being rated or ranked against other applicants. 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 Assessment 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. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (I/CTAP): If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not I/CTAP eligible. View information about I/CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered under I/CTAP, you must be rated eligible based on minimum qualifications for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement. To preview the application questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13107557 Other Information

Other incentives may be authorized. If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. Additional vacancies may be filled with this announcement. A one-year probationary period may be required during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued 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 probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. If selected below the full performance level, you may be noncompetitively promoted to the next higher grade level after meeting all regulatory requirements, and upon the recommendation of management. Promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.