Contract Specialist

Summary

This vacancy is for a Contract Specialist in the Office of the Secretary within the Department of Commerce.

Duties

As a Contract Specialist, you will: Develop or carry-out policies and procedures to procure supplies, services, construction, or research and development using formal advertising or negotiation procedures. Manage or perform the acquisition processes involved in the procurement or supplies, services, construction, ADP, and research and development. Administers, terminates, and closes out contracts. Develop acquisition strategy and plans procurements. Apply strategic sourcing and category management principles. Manage multiple concurrent acquisition actions being performed by a team. Evaluate contract price proposals. Analyze and advise on changes in policies and resources that affect program objectives. Identify problems, propose solutions, and defend recommendations. Write and communicate clear guidelines. Communicate effectively orally and in writing to a wide range of audiences. Consult with the supervisor on priorities and unusual situations. This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Contract Specialist ZA-1102-3, FPL: 4 positions within the Department of Commerce in the same geographical location or local commuting area with the same qualifications and specialized experience. This JOA is also being advertised at the ZA-4 under OS-OAM-DE-26-13031506 under Direct Hiring Authority. The ZA-4 position is the full performance level of the ZA-3 position. If you wish to be considered for both the ZA-3 and ZA-4 positions, you must apply to both. Requirements

You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position. You must successfully pass 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. A probationary period may be required. Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/). 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. All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing. Bargaining Unit Position: No Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE form 450): Yes Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expense: Will not be paid License required: No Drug Test Required: No 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/#url=Occupational-Series 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. This position is being filled under the Department Of Commerce (DOC) Alternative Personnel System (CAPS). Under CAPS, positions are classified by career path and pay band. The ZA-3 is equivalent to the GS-11/12 grade levels. To qualify at the ZA-3, you MUST meet the Basic Requirements AND Specialized Experience as stated below: Basic Requirements: (You must submit a copy of certificates. Also, you must submit a copy of your transcripts, official or unofficial, to document your education.) A. 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field; -OR- B. 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- C. Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. Employees who occupy 1102 positions at grades 5 through 12 will be considered to meet the basic requirements for other 1102 positions up to and including those classified at GS-12. This includes positions at other agencies and promotions up through grade 12. However, employees must meet specialized experience requirements when seeking another position. Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Specialized Experience requirements as noted. AND SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZA-03/GS-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience: Managing multiple federal contracting actions concurrently, acquisition planning, and procurement strategies for supplies, services, or research and development requirements. Applying acquisition regulations and contracting procedures to evaluate proposals, analyze costs, and administer contracts. Providing acquisitions guidance, coordinating procurement activities, and communicating contracting recommendations to stakeholders. Working independently serving as a Contract Specialist or warranted Contracting Officer with minimal supervisory oversight within applicable warrant authority. -OR- SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: Three (3) full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. To qualify for 1102 positions on the basis of graduate education it must be 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. -OR- A combination of education and experience as described above. Only graduate-level education in excess of two full years is qualifying for combination of education and experience. 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.

Education

There is a positive education requirement for this position, please refer to the above qualification section. NOTE - Failure to provide transcripts and certifications will result in you being rated ineligible for this position. NOTE: Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries 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 when requested will result in lost consideration. How You Will Be Evaluated

Under the provisions of the Direct-Hire Authority (DHA), rating, ranking and veterans' preference does not apply. While veterans' preference does not apply in DHA, preference eligibles are encouraged to submit their supporting documentation (DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.). You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., two-page resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire and the result of the USA Hire assessment required for this position. Applicants who meet the qualification requirements, as defined in the job opportunity announcement, will be referred for selection consideration. 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 technical assessment will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response: Contracting and Acquisition Management Acquisition Planning and Strategy Contract Analysis and Problem Solving Communication and collaboration Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Decision Making Reading Comprehension Reasoning The 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. Do NOT include the following types of information in your resume/application. If any are included, you will be deemed INELIGIBLE for consideration. Classified or government sensitive information Social Security Number (SSN) Photos of yourself Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc. To preview the questionnaire, click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13031505 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. 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. Other Information

The following links provide information on various hiring authorities that do not fall under competitive examining procedures; however, they may enable you to apply through merit assignment procedures, or be eligible for a non-competitive appointment. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) ICTAP and CTAP Eligibles: CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: Employee Guide to Career Transition 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. Reasonable Accommodations (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. 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.