Contract Specialist (Regional Contract Specialist)

Summary Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities. Responsibilities This position is assigned to the Financial Management Department, in a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) regional office. Serves as facilitator and interpreter of BOP policies and procedures applicable to the contracting and property operations of field installations located within the Region. Responsible for the property management, procurement, and contracting program for the regional office and institutions located within the region. Provides legal interpretation, counseling, training, and guidance in all areas of contract and procurement, including cost and price analysis. Analyzes requirements for supplies, equipment, and services for adequacy and obtains additional data from requisitioning activity, as appropriate. Requirements Conditions of Employment Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; Be rated well-qualified for the position, scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility: A copy of the agency notice (i.e., separation notice or agency RIF letter), Most recent performance appraisal, and Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location. See USAJOBS' Career Transition Programs for more information. EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: U.S Department of Justice - Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Key Requirements: U.S. Citizenship is Required. See Special Conditions of Employment Section. Selective Service Requirement Qualifications To be considered for the position, you must meet the following: BASIC REQUIREMENTS: GS-11 and GS-12: A. A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field. A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is defined as possession of a bachelor's degree conferred or approved by an accredited U.S. college or university based on a 4 year course of study. Simply being enrolled and working toward a degree does not meet the qualification standard. 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. Exclusion: Employees currently occupying a GS-1102 position at grades 5 through 12 since January 1, 2000, is considered to have met the basic requirements for other GS-1102 positions up to and including those classified at the GS-12 level. NOTE: Current federal employees not employed by the Bureau of Prisons and former Bureau of Prisons' Employees MUST submit documentation (i.e., SF-50(s) covering the period from January 1, 2000) for verification of the above referenced exception criteria to receive consideration. Failure to provide these documents will result in non-consideration for this vacancy. AND Education: In addition to the basic requirements, you must have one of the following: GS-11: Three (3) full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. Graduate Education: To qualify for this position on the basis of graduate education, graduate education in one or a combination of the following fields is required: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. GS-12: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this grade level. OR Experience: GS-11 and GS-12: In addition to the basic requirements, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular qualifications to perform successfully the duties of the position and must typically be in or related to the position to be filled. Some examples of this qualifying experience are: GS-11: Experience in providing guidance in procurement interpretation as it relates to type, authority, and limitations. Experience in reviewing requisitions for adequacy of the statement of work, soliciting pricing proposal or quotations, awarding purchase orders and/or contracts. Experience in conducting price analysis, using previous price history, commercial price lists, market prices, or technical catalogs to assure reasonableness of prices. Experience in negotiating settlements for changes and approving contract payments. GS-12: Experience in analyzing performance of procurement activities against various procurement indicators and goals. Experience in tracking and monitoring contract actions to ensure compliance with bureau policy and other regulations and statutes. Experience in identifying and analyzing acquisition process problems, trends, and emerging needs. Experience in identifying procurement objectives and methodologies; developing statement of work; performing analyses of elements of cost; conducting pre-award conferences; planning comprehensive negotiation strategy; coordinating with technical experts; leading negotiations and awarding contracts. OR Combination of Education and Experience: GS-11 only: A combination of education and experience. This experience must have equipped you with the qualifications to perform the major duties of this position as described above. If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities. Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application. Education ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here. Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. Additional Information Special Conditions of Employment Section: For non-law enforcement positions, the Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint, or any other information, to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged non-compliance by contacting the EEO Office in the Central Office at [email protected]. Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks. Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate. This is a secondary/non-law enforcement coverage position. Individuals that DO NOT have three years of law enforcement coverage gained in a primary law enforcement position by the closing date of the vacancy announcement are ineligible for secondary law enforcement position(s) and coverage but may still be considered for a non-law enforcement position. Individuals selected who are under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) or Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and who have not had three years "primary" law enforcement retirement coverage, will not be covered by law enforcement retirement while in this position. To regain coverage, individuals must return to a position with "primary" coverage. Current Federal Law Enforcement Employees: Completion of the mandatory courses "Introduction to Correctional Techniques (ICT) Phase I and Phase II" is a condition of employment for this secondary law enforcement position. Employees who have not yet completed ICT Phase I and II will be required to do so after entering the position. This requirement does not apply to non-law-enforcement positions. Eligibility for secondary law enforcement coverage is determined in accordance with applicable regulations. Coverage may be attained through any qualifying federal law enforcement officer service that meets the definitions in 5 U.S.C. 8401(17) and satisfies the conditions in 5 CFR 842.803. 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. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)