Duties

As a Lead Contract Specialist GS-1102-14 your duties will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Leads the work of contract specialists and purchasing agents and personally performs the work of a contract specialist.
• Identify, distribute and balance workload among employees, making adjustments to accomplish the workload to ensure timely accomplishment of assigned team tasks; and ensuring that each employee has an integral role in developing the final team product
• Perform specialized and complex contract award and contract administration work.
• Research, interpret, and apply the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures governing ARPA-H acquisitions.
• Evaluate bid responsiveness, contractor responsibility and performance.
• Apply mastery knowledge of contract principles, laws, statutes, Executive Orders, regulations and procedures to pre-award and/or post-award actions sufficient to procure/administer complex contracts for a variety of specialized equipment or services
• Provide technical leadership, staff coordination and consultation during a contractual phase.
• Apply knowledge of contract administration and termination techniques sufficient to administer and closeout contracts.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.
• Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation, verification of qualifications, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, and any other job-related requirement before or after appointment.
• Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
• Position requires Education, please submit transcripts.
• Position requires a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE Form 450.
• As a condition of employment, you must obtain (within a timeframe established by the supervisor) and maintain a Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting, Professional Certification (FAC-C-PC) throughout the duration of employment.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements for the GS-14: To meet basic requirements, you must meet one of the following:

Completed 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. Visit our web page Guidance on Business Related Coursework for the GS-1102 Contracting Series for information on what coursework is qualifying along with other helpful information; OR,

Occupied a GS-1102-13 position on or before January 1, 2000; OR,

A current Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) employee with an approved waiver of educational requirements. To receive consideration, you must submit your waiver with your application.

Additional Qualifications at the GS-14: In addition to the Basic Requirements for the GS-14 above, you must also meet ALL the following requirements:

Completed all mandatory training and certification requirements prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to the GS-13 or higher-level contracting positions. Completion of this training for non-NIH employees is not required upon application to meet qualifications. If selected, you must complete all required training and satisfy all certification requirements within the specified time-frames determined by your supervisor. AND

Have at least 4-years of experience in contracting or related positions. AND

Have at least 1-year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: serving in a position responsible for pre-award and post-award functions, including price/cost analysis, negotiation, and administration for services, materials, and equipment associated with research, development, test, evaluation, and production activities of one or more organizations, professional or technical services, reviewing and analyzing requests for the procurement of complex equipment, services, sole source and other required clearances, and preparing documentation.

You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay.

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.

Preview assessment questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11902921

Education

This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts (or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades). Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education .

Additional information

This Open Continuous announcement establishes a list of qualified applicants to be considered for Lead Contract Specialist vacancies as they occur. The first list of eligible applicants will be sent to Hiring Managers on May 1, 2023 which includes all applicants who self-certify their eligibility by April 30, 2023 11:59 PM (EST). Subsequent cut-off dates will be established based on the date a request for a List of Eligible Applicants is received from the Hiring Manager to fill a vacancy.

• This position is designated as a " non-emergency/teleworker " position and the selected candidate will be considered a " non-emergency/teleworker " employee. In the event of a closure, you must be available to telework or request leave.
Some positions in this announcement are eligible for non-local remote work. Please select the "Location Negotiable" or "All-NIH Locations" location when applying if you wish to be considered for non-local remote work. Non-local remote is a position designation where little to no onsite presence is required (e.g., once or twice annually). You may work anywhere in the U.S., including any of the territories. Worksites outside of the U.S. are prohibited. Your pay is determined by the geographically defined pay locality applicable to your approved worksite (e.g., home residence). Reporting to an NIH location may also be required during the onboarding process. Visit NIH's Remote Work page for more information and requirements.
• At the supervisor's discretion, this position may offer work schedule flexibilities : [telework (work from home on a regular basis or ad hoc basis but reports to the office at least once a week/two days a pay period), compressed schedules, flexible schedules].
• A one-year probationary period may be required upon selection/placement.
• 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 and your prospective position with the agency. This information is required annually. For information, visit the NIH Ethics website: https://ethics.od.nih.gov/topics/fd.html .
• PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps should also apply online to this announcement in order to receive consideration.
• The National Institutes of Health participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program ( E-Verify ). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers.
• The NIH maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus.
• Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Visit our Applicant FAQs page for helpful information on the application process.
• Visit our Total Compensation page and this sample for a detailed look into the benefits, awards, leave, retirement, and other incentives employees may receive as part of a rewarding work environment.