Contract Specialist

Summary

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management (OASAM) provide the infrastructure and support that enables the U.S. Department of Labor to perform its mission. OASAM provides leadership and support for information technology, human resources management, procurement, business operations, safety and health, space management, civil rights, emergency management, security, budget, and performance.

Duties

There are 3 vacancies available. These positions may be filled in any of the following locations: Washington DC; Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; New York City, NY; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Philadelphia, PA; San Francisco, CA. The advertised salary reflects the pay range for the above locations. Upon selection, the salary will be set in accordance with the selectee's assigned duty location. The selectee(s) will report to their assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and be eligible for telework as determined by agency policy. This is not a remote position. The positions are located in the Department of Labor's (DOL), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management (OASAM), Office of the Senior Procurement Executive (OSPE). OSPE is responsible for the management and direction of DOL's acquisition system and mission; providing effective, ethical, and prudent business advice; and robust acquisition policies and services. The GS-14 Contract Specialist is responsible for contracting actions within contracting divisions, actively engaged in all phases and activities related to the procurement process. Duties include, but are not limited to the following: Exercises contracting officer authority for all contract actions and serves as principal business advisor to agencies on procurement methods for all supplies and services, ensuring compliance with Federal laws, regulations, and the RFO/FAR. Manages and directs procurement operations to meet programmatic goals, Departmental policy, and legal requirements, exercising sound business acumen and signatory authority with accountability for the quality of all contractual documents. Serves as technical expert on all aspects of procurement and contract actions, including development of work statements, critical analysis of technical/business proposals, and complex pricing arrangements and incentive structures (e.g., cost-plus-incentive-fee, fixed-price-incentive-fee). Reviews and analyzes contract terms, conditions, and legal precedent to determine liability, monetary relief, and consistency with government contracting case law, ensuring decisions are defensible on appeal. Develops and implements procurement policies, procedures, and guidelines, incorporating GSA, OMB, and GAO decisions and directives to ensure proper contract execution Department-wide. Manages procurement workloads and resolves complex problems, exercising practical business judgment, political awareness, and calculated risk-taking/innovation; monitors performance and adjusts operations to meet emergencies or changing requirements. Represents the organization and advises customers on contractual matters with Federal agencies and private industry, including acquisition roles, responsibilities, and strategy development to meet mission needs. Communicates procurement information clearly and effectively to internal and external audiences on acquisition processes and procedures. Ensures contractual documents are accurate, compliant with applicable regulations, grammatically correct, and logically organized. Qualifications

You must meet the Basic Education Requirements (the individual occupation requirement, IOR) AND the Specialized Experience to qualify for the Contract Specialist position, as described below. Please read these requirements carefully. Basic Requirements: 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 under Paragraph D. Waiver: When filling a specific vacant position, the senior procurement executive of the selecting agency, at his or her discretion, may waive any or all of the requirements of Paragraphs A and B above if the senior procurement executive certifies that the applicant possesses significant potential for advancement to levels of greater responsibility and authority, based on demonstrated analytical and decision making capabilities, job performance, and qualifying experience. With respect to each waiver granted under this Paragraph D, the senior procurement executive must document for the record the basis of the waiver. If an individual is placed in a position in an agency on the basis of a waiver, the agency may later reassign that individual to another position at the same grade within that agency without additional waiver action. Specialized Experience requirement: In addition to the basic requirement, to qualify for this position you must have at least 52 week of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 which is the next lower grade level of the normal line of progression of this position in the Federal government. Specialized experience is experience that is related to the work of this position and has provided you with the competencies required for successful job performance. Examples of qualifying specialized experience for this GS-14 Contract Specialist includes the following (applicants must meet all to be considered qualified): Experience managing, assigning, reviewing, and awarding complex contracts to achieve agency goals Experience exercising sound judgment to resolve complex contract-related matters, and Experience collaborating effectively and maintaining cooperative relationships with the program office and contractor community

Education

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service. If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum coursework requirements for this position. Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information. How You Will Be Evaluated

Your evaluation will be based on how well you meet the qualifications outlined in this vacancy announcement, as demonstrated through your resume and supporting documentation. You may preview application questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13112007 USA Hire 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 Assessments 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. The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, and volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.). INFORMATION FOR CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under CTAP, you must be well-qualified for the position to receive consideration. CTAP eligible(s) will be considered well-qualified if they attain at least a rating score of 85 in a numerical rating scheme. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation. 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. Other Information

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers. Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION This position is inside the bargaining unit. If the duty location is within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the Local 12, AFGE bargaining unit. If the duty location is outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the position will be included in the NCFLL bargaining unit. Non-Supervisory Financial Disclosure: This position is subject to the confidential financial disclosure requirements of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521). Therefore, if selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest(s) and your prospective position with DOL. This information will be required annually. For more information, click Telework Position Information. This is not a remote work position. The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy. Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy. The Department of Labor may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government to attract highly qualified candidates. Click here for Additional Information. The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act. Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions. All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.