Duties

Summary

This is an open continuous vacancy announcement. Applicants may submit or update their application before the closing date. Applicants will be referred after the first cutoff date, and subsequent referrals will be made at the manager's request. The announcement may close earlier or at the request of the selecting official or after the job is filled.

The first cutoff for receipt of applications under this announcement will be 11:59 p.m. EST on August 19, 2019.

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Responsibilities

This position serves as a Contract Specialist within the Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Library of Congress, Washington, DC. This position will be utilized throughout the service unit. The incumbent plans, solicits, awards and administers contracts for service units across the Library.

This position is located in Contracts Division, Contracts and Grants Directorate, Chief Operating Officer.

Performs all aspects of contracting transactions, from Initiation to recommendation of award, to procure supplies or services with specialized requirements such as procurement of complex equipment, services, and/or architectural and engineering services.

Also procures items or services with specialized requirements, such as the procurement of preservation services, building services, supply and production items, architectural engineering, serial subscription services, books and library publications, information retrieval services, and Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) bibliographic utility, and OCLC network training services, etc.

Analyzes requirements, recommends revisions to statements of work or specifications, including identification of performance based requirements and determines the type of contract, milestones, and procurement plan. Coordinates various contracts requiring the development of new or modified evaluation criteria, reporting requirements, and contractual arrangements. Decisions include locating or developing sources, developing approaches for procurements tacking precedent, and resolving major differences in the interpretation of the statement of work during discussions and negotiations.

Surveys the market to locate new procurement sources and determines the availability of items or services with specialized requirements. Prepares solicitation documents, and incorporates the appropriate contract terms and conditions, such as testing procedures, cost escalation factors, and technical evaluation factors. Analyzes proposals for conformance with the solicitation.

Evaluates the acceptability of the responses to the solicitation, including the cost or price proposal, ensuring the procurement will be obtained from responsible sources at a fair and reasonable price. Coordinates with the Program Office staff to facilitate the technical evaluation review and submittal of the technical evaluation report.

Analyzes and negotiates complex modifications to contracts. Modifications include equitable adjustment due to changes subject to the Service Contract Act and the exercise of contract options. Decisions are based on in-depth analysis of alternatives and knowledge of the unique capabilities and characteristics of the assigned contractors. Decisions may require resolution of incomplete or conflicting technical and contractor data. In determining a negotiation position, must comply with FAR and LCR regulations.

Plans and coordinates contract administration activities for long-term, extensive technical service contracts. Administers various contract types with varying degrees of complexity and determines the best interests of the government. The various types of contracts include firm- fixed-price, and fixed price with economic price adjustment.

Uses in-depth price/cost analysis techniques involving many different and unrelated factors and processes where there is little historical cost data or precedent. Responsible for supporting the development of cost-related sections of complex solicitation documents and analyzing cost and price data.

Performs all aspects of contracting transactions, from initiation to recommendation of award, to procure items or services with specialized requirements, such as the procurement of supply and production items, and other supplies or services that do not require technical evaluation.

The position description number for this position is 058634.

This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

No additional requirements to those listed above.

Qualifications

Applicants must have had progressively responsible experience and training sufficient in scope and quality to furnish them with an acceptable level of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position without more than normal supervision.

Knowledge of the Federal Contracting Laws, Regulations, Policies, and Procedures.**

Ability to Solicit, Evaluate, Negotiate, Award, and Administer Contracts.**

Ability to Analyze and Solve Problems Related to Contractual Issues and Make Recommendations.**

Ability to Focus on the Customer.

Ability to Communicate in Writing.

Ability to Communicate effectively other than in Writing.

Education

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

A.) A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field; 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.

You must provide a legible copy of your college transcripts at the time you submit your application. Please attach your transcripts to your online application. Failure to submit the required documentation at the time of application will eliminate you from further consideration. Official documents will be required if selected.

Foreign Education - Education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed equivalent to conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment. If your college/university is outside the U.S., your transcripts must be accompanied by a report from a credential evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or the Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE). Failure to submit a foreign education evaluation report will result in disqualification of your application.

Additional information

The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.

The incumbent of this position may work a Flextime or Compflex work schedule.

Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.

Although it is the Library's policy to afford the maximum pay benefit to employees when setting rates of pay, a new appointee who has had no previous Federal service will generally be paid the minimum step of the grade.

The Library of Congress is an equal opportunity employer. Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities who meet eligibility requirements are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applicants must submit a complete application package that is received by the closing date of this announcement.

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 email ADA@loc.gov. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position. The proof or disability/certification may be issued by the State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, Disability Services or Career Services office of the applicant's college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The letter must verify that the applicant has a severe disability and must be dated within three years of the date of the application. Certification from health care providers are not accepted. For more information contact the Library's Office of EEO/Diversity Programs at 202-707-6024 or email spp@loc.gov. FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR CERTIFICATION WILL CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION TO NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAM.

The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States and is part of the Legislative Branch of the Federal government. As such, all positions are in the excepted service.

Appointment/retention is subject to a favorable evaluation of an appropriate personnel security/suitability investigation.

The Library reserves the right to fill a lesser or greater number of vacancies indicated during the life of this vacancy announcement.

Initial appointments, permanent or indefinite, to the Library of Congress require completion of a one-year probationary period.

The Library of Congress may offer repayment for all or part of federally insured student loans. However, not all service units within the Library of Congress participates in the repayment of federally insured student loans. Therefore, determination to repay a federally insured student loan is subject to approval by the appropriate service unit.

Are you a veteran? Please indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming in your application materials and/or applicant profile and provide the appropriate supporting documentation to validate your claim. Those applying for 5-point preference must submit Member Copy 4 of your DD 214. Those applying for 10-point preference must fill out an SF-15 (click here for the form) and provide the required documentation listed on the back of the form. If required supporting documentation is not attached, Veterans' Preference will not be considered in the application process.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

The Library of Congress evaluates applicants through an applicant questionnaire and a structured interview. Applicants may also be screened for some jobs through licensing, certification, and/or education requirements, a narrative/application review, and/or a preliminary telephone interview. The knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that are marked with a double asterisk (**) in the vacancy announcement and the applicant questionnaire are considered the most critical for a position. To be considered for final selection, applicants must demonstrate fully acceptable experience in these designated KSAs in the narrative/application review, preliminary telephone and/or full structured interview. The various assessment tools listed above are designed to verify or explore applicants' experience, knowledge, and training directly related to the job in order to identify the best qualified applicants for selection.

For more information regarding eligibility requirements, please see the Library of Congress Merit Selection Plan, Section X.D, at: http://www.loc.gov/hr/employment/msp010909.pdf .

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

Current or former federal employees must submit their most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent).

Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position. The proof or disability/certification may be issued by the State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, Disability Services or Career Services office of the applicant's college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The letter must verify that the applicant has a severe disability and must be dated within three years of the date of the application. The program does not accept certification from health care providers. For more information contact the Library's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Programs at 202-707-6024 or email spp@loc.gov. FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR CERTIFICATION WILL CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION TO NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAM.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.