TRAVEL REQUIRED:

Occasional travel - Occasional overnight travel may be required to attend conferences, meetings, procurement workshops and to perform training.

RELOCATION AUTHORIZED:
Relocation expenses reimbursed No

KEY REQUIREMENTS:
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You must be a United States Citizen.

This employer participates in the e-Verify program.

See "Other Information" section regarding Selective Service requirements.

You may be required to serve a one-year probationary period.

Must submit a resume and responses to the questionnaire via online.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

Certification must currently be held at Level II and FAC-C Level III is required to be obtained within: (1) 24 months from the date of hire; or (2) the date the applicant will meet the FAC-C experience standard.  Applicants must submit a copy of their certification and/or transcripts to show that these certification requirements are met.  You are required to submit a copy of your current certification with your application. If you do not do so, your application will be considered incomplete and you will be removed from consideration.

You must meet both the positive education requirement known as "Basic Requirements" and Specialized Experience as described in the "Qualification" section of the vacancy announcement. 

May be required to serve a one-year probationary period, if not previously completed in a competitive or excepted service position.

You must submit an unofficial or official transcript by the closing date of the vacancy announcement.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

A. 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 successfully perform the work of the position.

AND

B. 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.

C.  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 te basic requirements and specialized experience requirements in order to qualify for promotion to a higher grade, unless granted a waiver under Paragraph D.

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 possess 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 place 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.

In addition to meeting the "Basic Requirements" described above, applicants must also have at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service.  

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:Specialized Experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

To qualify for the GS-14, a qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as:  Experience in contract administration and/or procurement/acquisition planning and or negotiations; applying procurement and financial assistance regulations and contracting principles and/or developing innovative contractual language, terms and conditions for contractual program office; monitoring systems, contracts, and other prime contracts which extend over several years and/or which extend from research and development stage through production; managing and coordinating activities sufficient to control a variety of contractual actions occurring concurrently, in overlapping fashion, or sequentially, and to simultaneously control several interrelated contracts with different contractors; developing pre-negotiation strategy in conducting negotiations for the acquisition of a system or program, and directing or performing post-award negotiations involving contract changes or modifications.

Your application and resume should demonstrate that you possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). Do not provide a separate narrative written statement. Rather, you must describe in your application how your past work experience demonstrates that you possess the KSAs identified below. Cite specific examples of employment or experience contained in your resume and describe how this experience has prepared you to successfully perform the duties of this position. DO NOT write "see resume" in your application!

1. Mastery of procurement or financial assistance regulations and contracting principles and the latest procedures and techniques, e.g., sophisticated pricing arrangements, cost accounting, and ability to plan, develop, implement, maintain, and administer all contractual aspects of an acquisition program; to develop innovative contractual language, terms and conditions; and to serve program contractual authority and advisor on the acceptability and applicability of contractual matters related to assigned acquisition program.
2. Knowledge and skill sufficient to provide expert technical leadership, staff coordination and consultation for post-award and pre-award of contracts to members of procurement teams and program offices serviced.
3. Knowledge of contract administration sufficient to monitor systems, contracts and other prime contracts which extend over several years and/or which extend from research and development stage through production.
4. Skill in managerial and coordinative activities sufficient to control a variety of contractual actions occurring concurrently, in overlapping fashion, or sequentially, and to simultaneously control several interrelated contracts with different contractors.
5. Mastery of negotiation techniques to serve as lead negotiator for developing pre-negotiation strategy in conducting negotiations for the acquisition of a system or program, and directing or performing post-award negotiations involving contract changes or modifications.
6. Knowledge of related disciplines and functions involved in acquisition processes, such as energy designs or systems engineering, property and financial management, and their interrelationships with contracting.
7. Ability to communicate orally and in writing in order to convey, convince, negotiate and/or establish rapport with all levels of management to accomplish the organization goals.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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. 
 
CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must meet all of the requirements as described in this section.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

EDUCATION:

This position has a positive education requirements. 

Additional information regarding the positive education requirements for Contract Specialist, GS-1102 series can be found on OPM website at:https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1100/contracting-series-1102/.

Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.

The U.S. Department of Energy fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

• New employees to the Department of Energy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify
• Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website.
• If you believe that you are eligible for the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), please visit the OPM ICTAP/CTAP website for more information. In order to be considered under the ICTAP program, your application must score within the pre-established "well qualified" category as stated in the Qualifications section.
• More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
• This is a Non-Bargaining Unit position.
• Some positions may require completion of a probationary period of up to 1 (one) year.
• Many positions require successful completion of a background investigation.
• All males born after December 31st 1959 must abide by laws regarding Selective Service registration. To learn more about this law, visit the Selective Service web page, Who Must Register. If you are not registered and don't have an approved exemption, you will not be eligible for employment with the Federal government.

EEO Policy: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/EEO_Policy_Statement
Reasonable Accommodation Policy:  https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Reasonable_Accommodation_Policy_Statement
Veterans Information: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Veterans_Information  
Telework:  www.telework.gov
Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/

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You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

The Department of Energy uses an application tracking system to evaluate the responses you provide in the applicant assessment questionnaire to place you into an initial quality category via OPM's Category Rating procedures. Then, the HR Office and/or Subject Matter Expert (SME) will conduct a quality review of your application and supporting documentation to ensure you have been placed into the appropriate quality category.

Your application is rated based on the extent and quality of your experience, education (when applicable), and training as described in your resume and applicant assessment. Your credentials are measured against the established duties of the position at the grade level(s) being advertised.

The quality categories are usually defined as "Best Qualified", "Well Qualified", and "Qualified", although they may differ slightly based on individual agency policy.

If you are eligible for career transition assistance plans such as ICTAP or CTAP, you must meet the definition of "well qualified" which is defined as having a score of 85 or better.

If you are a Veteran Preference eligible candidate, you will be listed at the top of whichever quality category your rating places you in. CP/CPS veterans are placed at the top of the highest category for all positions except professional and scientific positions at GS-9 and higher.

If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses you provided in your online questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly.
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Read more Security clearance Not Required

Drug test required No