Supervisory Contract Specialist

Summary

The position serves as a Supervisory Contract Specialist, an operations function in the Office of Procurement, Acquisition and Logistics (OPAL). OPAL negotiates, awards, and administers multi-year, multibillion-dollar contracts to support a national health care system, including VA and other government agencies. As such, the position assists the Associate Executive Director (SES), and Directors of Contracting (DOC) in planning, managing and overseeing acquisition in support of VA activities.

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to the following: Analyzing, interpreting and applying Federal procurement regulations Reviewing economic, technical and legal requirements for procurement to selecting the contract type with the appropriate pricing structure, terms and conditions Applying proper regulatory references to evaluate, interpret and select contract provisions Reviewing technical evaluations and proposals to analyze cost/price and negotiate contract actions Formulating and recommending policies or plans relating to acquisition planning, procurement, and contract administration Recommending and implementing departmental contracting guides or procedures based on evaluating audit reports, studies, regulations or other relevant material Assisting program managers in developing required documentation for complex and/or high value procurements Conducting research in the field of procurement and contracting to develop and recommend improved practices Analyzing markets, preparing forecasts and using research to develop acquisition strategy Directing the activities of other acquisition specialists by establishing work schedules and priorities Planning work to be accomplished by subordinates based on consideration of the difficulty and requirements involved and the capabilities of the staff Evaluating performance of employees and approving or recommending improvements of work projects Identifying training needs of the staff and taking a proactive role in their professional development Meeting with interested parties to defend procurement actions, needs or quality of services Making presentations of source selection decisions or other procurement decisions to upper management Providing technical advice or information to industry, government agencies, internal customers or other contract specialists Organizing and presenting technical contracting information in written format Representing a department or organization at negotiations, conferences or other meetings Providing day-to-day leadership, guidance, mentorship, program management, and oversight to staff Holding staff accountable Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Telework limited to ad-hoc with supervisor approval. Regular and recurring telework is not available. Position Description Title/PD#: Supervisory Contract Specialist/ PD20749A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Required Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which 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; 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. Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. This position has Individual Occupational Requirements (IORs). In addition to the meeting the specialized experience, applicants must meet the IORs as described below. Basic Requirements for GS-13 and Above 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 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. 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. GS-15 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Analyzing, interpreting and applying Federal procurement regulations; Reviewing technical evaluations and proposals to analyze cost/price and negotiate contract actions; Formulating and recommending policies or plans relating to acquisition planning, procurement, and contract administration; Identifying training needs of the staff and taking a proactive role in their professional development. There is no educational substitution for the GS-15 level, however you must meet the Individual Occupational Requirements as listed above. 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; religions; 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. Note: Resume must include job title and employer name, number of hours worked per week, start and end dates (including month and year), list of duties and responsibilities for each position held. In addition, if the experience was a federal position, you must list series and grade for each position held. Failure to include this information may result in an ineligible rating. A full year of work is considered to be 40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Certification Requirements: This position requires Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting and Unlimited Contract Warrants. Documentation of meeting this requirement must be uploaded with your application package. Failure to include this in your application package may result in your application being withdrawn from consideration. In accordance with Office of Federal Procurement Policy, all 1102s within the organization are required to complete the Digital IT Acquisition Professional Training Program (DITAP) and obtain a "CFCN 001 Digital Services credential (DITAP)." If selected for this position, you will be required to obtain a "CFCN 001 Digital Services credential (DITAP)." You will be scheduled for this training and given adequate time to complete the training accordingly. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily of an administrative nature in an office setting, however where travel to work sites is required there may be light physical work required, such as walking over uneven surfaces, or assisting technical personnel in taking measurements or elevations. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be found well qualified, applicants must meet the following qualifications: Analyzing alternatives, considering technological advances, evaluating program and technical needs, evaluating time constraints, and determining cost to make decisions at each phase of the acquisition process Developing procurement regulations, extending techniques, and interpreting policy for use by other contracting specialists Meeting with program managers and technical specialists to plan the acquisition strategy Conducting pre-award and post-award meetings with bidders and contractors and recipients, leading negotiations, and resolving post-award problems Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Local Commuting Area: The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from the locations listed. This includes all locations that fall within a 50-mile driving distance from the Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction (OALC) offices at the locations listed in this job opportunity announcement.

Education

There is no educational substitution for the specialized experience for the GS-15 level, however you must meet the Individual Occupational Requirements as listed above. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. How You Will Be Evaluated

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received. 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.Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be contacted for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment. During the application process, you will have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. Other Information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online and request information about the Alternate Application process, please contact the Agency Contact listed for this Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA).