Contract Specialist

Duties

SUMMARY: The incumbent will plan, develop, and establish the contractual strategy for project acquisition, and administer contract activities including providing interpretation and guidance to staff and program offices.

The duties and responsibilities of this position include:

• Developing, within existing legal and framework, procurement policies and operating instructions tailored to meet the specific needs of acquiring medical countermeasures.
• Coordinating contract management activities consistent with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) guidance and contractual agreements.
• Maintaining a continuing interchange of information and coordination of activities in the form of reports, statistics, and commentaries with Division leadership.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship required
• Selective Service: Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service - http://www.sss.gov
• If not previously completed, a background security investigation will be required for all appointees. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
• One year probationary period may be required.
• If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
• Financial disclosure statement may be required.
• Bargaining Unit Position: No
• Drug Screening Required: No
• Research Position: No
• Selected applicants must hold the minimum required Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) based on the GS level offered or complete the required certification within 12 months from date of hire.

Qualifications

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic AND Minimum Qualification requirements as noted below.

GS-11 Basic Requirement: You must meet one of the items listed below (A or B):

I possess a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field or have completed 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 ( you must submit transcripts ).

I currently occupy a GS-1102-9 (or higher level) position and have continuously occupied that position since January 1, 2000 ( you must submit your SF-50 ).

GS-11 Minimum Qualification: You must meet one of the items listed below (A, B, or C):

I possess at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing (3) of the (4) duties listed below:

Interpreting procurement policies and/or contracts.

Collaborating in the pre/post award contracting function of procurements supporting the development and acquisition of medical countermeasures.

Preparing written materials including correspondences and contract documents, reports, statistics, and/or commentaries.

Participating in the planning, development, and/or establishment of a contractual strategy for project acquisitions (i.e., determination of negotiation authority, pre-negotiation position, participation in negotiations, and coordination of legal counsel, audit, and subordinate activities).

I possess a Ph.D. degree OR at least 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a doctoral degree or equivalent graduate degree.

I possess a combination of specialized experience as described in A and graduate level education as described in B that, when combined, equal 100% of the total requirement. NOTE: Only graduate education in excess of the first 18 semester hours may be used in this calculation.

Basic Requirement GS-12: You must meet one of the items listed below (A or B):

I possess a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field or have completed 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 (you must submit transcripts).

I currently occupy a GS-1102-9 (or higher level) position and have continuously occupied that position since January 1, 2000 ( you must submit your SF-50 ).

Minimum Qualification GS-12: Must possess at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing (3) of the (4) duties listed below:

Determining the acquisition method most appropriate to meet program objectives and policy/regulatory requirements.

Performing cost/price analysis including the review of cost breakdowns to determine reasonableness and conformance to applicable regulations, directives, or policies.

Assisting in the development of Program Announcements for financial assistance instruments.

Participating in negotiations with offers within the competitive range for contract/grant awards.

Basic Requirement GS-13: You must meet one of the items listed below (A or B):

A. I completed all mandatory training for progression to GS-13 or higher contracting positions, including at least 4 years of contracting experience (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 ( you must submit transcripts).
B. I currently occupy a GS-1102-12 (or higher level) position and have continuously occupied that position since January 1, 2000 ( you must submit your SF-50 ).

Minimum Qualification GS-13: Must possess at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing (3) of the (4) duties listed below:

Administering fixed-price, cost reimbursement, and/or Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts.

Participating in planning and coordinating a negotiation strategy including negotiation evaluation and developing contract terms and conditions.

Conducting negotiations with offerors within the competitive range for contract solicitations.

Preparing documentation and correspondence related to acquisition plans and their related schedules and milestones.

Documenting Experience:
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume.

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.

In accordance with Office of Personnel Management policy, federal employees are assumed to have gained experience by performing duties and responsibilities appropriate for their official series and grade level as described in their position description. Experience that would not normally be part of the employee's position is creditable, however, when documented by satisfactory evidence, such as a signed memorandum from the employee's supervisor or an SF-50 or SF-52 documenting an official detail or other official assignment. The documentation must indicate whether the duties were performed full time or, if part time, the "percentage of times" the other duties were performed. It is expected that this documentation is included in the employee's official personnel record. In order to receive credit for experience in your resume that is not within the official series and grade level of your official position, you must provide a copy of the appropriate documentation of such experience as indicated 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; religious; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ .

Additional information

In accordance with Executive Order 12564 of September 14, 1986, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is A Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The use of illegal drugs, on or off duty, by Federal employees is inconsistent not only with the law-abiding behavior expected of all citizens, but also with the special trust placed in such employees as servants of the public.

INCENTIVES
Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon multiple factors, including funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives may require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives may include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc.

OPM Qualification General Policies Website:
www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=app

Reasonable Accommodation: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please see Agency Contact Information for whom to contact for more info. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. You must contact the HR contact on the vacancy announcement at least three business days before the closing date of this announcement to receive assistance. For more information on disability employment, please visit https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP eligible see http://opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap . To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

Political appointment: Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office.