Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Budget, Finance, and Award Management, Division of Acquisition & Cooperative Support. This organization is responsible for providing comprehensive acquisition and cooperative agreement award leadership; solicitation, negotiation, award and administration of NSF contracts and of complex cooperative agreements for NSF's research facilities, and major centers' programs such as Science Technology Centers (STC's) and Engineering Research Centers (ERC's).

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

Contract specialists at the National Science Foundation are responsible for preaward and postaward functions involving highly specialized procurements of significance to the agency. Requirements typically involve systems or programs such as:

• Solicits, evaluates, negotiates and awards contracts for products and services.
• Develops acquisition and business strategies in support of program objectives.
• Performs detailed analyses of all elements of cost in contractor proposals and make competitive range determinations.
• Conducts pre and post award conferences to arrive at a clear understanding of what is required.
• Coordinates the negotiation strategy, lead the negotiations, and award the contract.
• Performs contract administration to include incremental funding, preparation of rate and cost adjustments, redirection of effort, coordination of time extensions, change orders, and stop work orders.
• Terminates contracts for the convenience of the Government or default by the contractor.

Competencies

• Attention to Detail
• Contracting/Procurement
• Control of Funds
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Interpersonal Skills
• Negotiation

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Background investigation.
• US citizenship.
• Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt.

It is NSF policy that NSF personnel employed at or IPAs detailed to NSF are not permitted to participate in foreign government talent recruitment programs. Failure to comply with this NSF policy could result in disciplinary action up to and including removal from Federal Service or termination of an IPA assignment and referral to the Office of Inspector General. Foreign Talent Definitions

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; spiritual; community, student, social). 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.

You must answer all job-related questions in the NSF eRecruit questionnaire.

All online applicants must provide a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full or blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

This position is in the bargaining unit.

Qualifications

All candidates must meet the following basic requirement:

You must have completed all the requirements for a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited college or university. OR

You must 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. OR

You must have been continuously employed in the GS-1102 series since January 1, 2000, or earlier.

In addition to the basic requirement described above, for the GS-11 level you must have: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include: reviewing requisitions and determining appropriate methods of procurement; developing procurement plans; compiling bidders' list from qualified bidders' applications; preparing and issuing solicitation documents; performing detailed analysis of bids or proposals received; drafting final contracts.

OR, completed three full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

OR, possess a combination of graduate level education and appropriate specialized experience that together meet the qualification requirements for this position.

In addition to the basic requirement described above, for the GS-12 level you must have: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include: reviewing requisitions and recommending appropriate methods of procurement; developing procurement plans; selecting commercial clauses; preparing and issuing solicitation and request for quote documents; assisting with price analysis based on received quotes; assisting in negotiations; assisting in administration of contracts; and preparing contract documents for contracting officer review.

In addition to the basic requirement described above, for the GS-13 level you must have: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience include: ensuring appropriate methods of procurement; developing procurement plans; selecting provisions and clauses; preparing and issuing solicitation and request for quote documents; performing price or cost analysis based on received quotes; assisting in negotiations; assisting in administration of contracts; and preparing contract documents for contracting officer review.

Education

You must meet the minimum education requirements as described in "Qualifications."

Additional information

Relocation Expenses Reimbursed will not be paid.

Veteran Preference does not apply.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP):
ICTAP and CTAP provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP or CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP or CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified you must meet the following: OPM qualification requirements for the position, all selective factors, where applicable; special OPM approved qualifying conditions for the position; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate, to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and receives a rating of at least "Very Good" on the questionnaire. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP or CTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information regarding ICTAP or CTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources

NSF has determined that all of its positions are eligible for telework. Work suitable for telework depends on job duties; therefore, employees must receive approval from their supervisor for telework and have a telework agreement in place. Entering into a telework agreement is voluntary.

For additional information on the NSF eRecruit system, please visit our NSF eRecruit Applicant Guide.

This announcement may be used to fill like positions in other organizations within the National Science Foundation.

The Selected Candidate(s) may be subject to a background investigation

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

This position is being advertised under a Direct Hire Authority. The information contained in your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you meet the competencies required of this position. Please ensure you answer all questions accurately. Your responses are subject to verification. In support of your responses provided in the Occupational Questionnaire, your resume should include verbiage that describes your experience relative to the position for which you are applying and provide examples that show the depth of knowledge, level of skill, or degree of ability you possess. If your application does not support your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire or your application is not complete, it may affect your evaluation or result in your name being removed from further consideration. In some cases, additional assessment processes may be used. Applicants eligible for selection preference under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) or CTAP must meet the agency definition of "well qualified." In NSF categories, this means at least "Very Good."

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Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

All applicants should submit a resume/CV of their choice, and may also submit a cover letter.

Additional Documents, if applicable, may include:

CTAP/ICTAP Documentation: If you are applying under CTAP or ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible.

We also ask that you complete and submit the Applicant Survey. This will help NSF to ensure that our recruiting efforts are attracting a diverse candidate pool; it will be used for statistical purposes only.

You must submit proof of meeting the basic education requirement described in the QUALIFICATIONS paragraph. Therefore, you should submit TRANSCRIPTS (unofficial copies are acceptable) or a DIPLOMA that verifies that the requirement is met.

All faxing/uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern time on the vacancy closing date. If you are faxing your information, please use extreme care in dialing the fax number to assure we receive your information. You will receive an email confirmation of receipt of your faxed/uploaded document(s).

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.