Duties

Summary

Work Schedule: 8:00a.m. - 4:30pm.
Position Description Title/PD#: Contract Specialist(Direct Hire Authority)/11008-A
Compressed/Flexible Schedules: Eligible
Telework: Eligible
Virtual Position: No

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

This recruitment is for twopositions with the VHA Regional Procurement Office East, Network Contracting Office (NCO) 5 located in Washington, DC, Perry Point, MD, Martinsburg, WV, Clarksburg, WV, Huntington, WV, Beckley, WV. Vacancies can be filled at any of the duty locations listed. Indicate which duty location (s) you are interested in on your application. These positions are on the Construction and Specialized/Leasing teams.

The first 100 applicants will be reviewed. Additional candidates may be referred based on hiring needs.

Contract Specialist/ PD# 11008-A

The Contract Specialist will serves as contract administrator on awarded contracts. Conducts post-award conferences with Contractor and Government personnel to provide information and to clarify standard and special contractual provisions of the contract. Negotiates required changes to contract conditions to protect the agency. Resolves problems of delivery, production, quality, differing site conditions, inspection, and other pertinent matters. Performs cost/price analysis on change order proposals and analysis of delivery requirements. Negotiates prices and/or additional time required for performance and consideration on behalf of the Government. Assesses liquidated damages for days of delay and resolves matters relating to excusable delays. Administers payment provisions of the contract for partial payments, progress payments and final payments using the Department of Veterans Affairs On-line Certification system. Establishes position of the Government in disputes and issues final decisions of the Contracting Officer. Prepares required documentation and coordinates with the Office of the General/Regional Counsel during any legal proceeding. Represents the contracting activity for discovery during the claim process and when necessary, provides testimony to the Board of Contract Appeals. Issues show cause letters and cure notices as a prelude to terminations. Ensures that the Office of General/Regional Counsel is involved in required contract reviews, terminations, show cause orders, modifications. Determines the Government's position and issues terminations and negotiates any settlements related thereto. Closes out contract upon completion of the contract, resolution of all conflicts, and final disposition of payment and obtains adequate release of claims documents to protect the agency. Input contractor performance data in appropriate databases.

Must meet all eligibility requirements to receive and maintain a Level ll FAC-C certification.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Travel Required

25% or less - You may be expected to travel up to 1-5 nights per month for this position.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
12

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

REQUIREMENTS
You must be a US citizen to apply for this job
Subject to a background/suitability investigation
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
Position requires filing a Financial Disclosure report
Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
May serve a probationary period
A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Physical Requirements: The subject position is primarily of an administrative nature in an office setting, however where travel to work sites is required there may be light physical work required, such as walking over uneven surfaces, or assisting technical personnel in taking measurements or elevations. Government travel for training, meetings, or customer interactions will be required in the position.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Basic Requirements for GS-11:
Must meet the basic requirement of a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field OR 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.

NOTE: The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) does not grant Academic degrees; therefore courses completed at the DAU are not creditable towards meeting the 24 semester hour requirement, in the fields identified above, unless the coursework has been evaluated by an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and appears on a college or university transcript.

Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. Employees who occupy GS-1102 positions at grades 5 through 12 will be considered to meet the basic requirements for other GS-1102 positions up to and including those classified at GS-12. This includes positions at other agencies and promotions up through grade 12. However, employees must meet specialized experience requirements when seeking another position.

AND

Specialized Experience GS-11: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-09) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: Recommending the appropriate contract type or contract method for the product or service being procured. Preparing to procure products or services to meet customer needs. Interpreting and apply laws, regulations, policies, standards, or procedures to address acquisition issues. Negotiating with vendors to acquire products or services or to address technical requirements, cost/pricing, or other terms and conditions. Establishing and monitoring acquisition milestones to ensure progress toward award. Serving as contract administrator on awarded contracts.

OR

3 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-11 level.

Graduate Experience: To qualify for GS-1102 positions on the basis of graduate education, graduate education in one or a combination of the following fields is required: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.

Additional information on the qualification requirements are outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on OPM's website at www.opm.gov/qualifications .

Preferred Requirements: Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting. FAC link www.fai.gov/drupal/certification/contracting-fac-c .

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ .

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

Additional information

VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/ .

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

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

You will be rated on the following competencies based on your application for this position:

Competency 1 - Knowledge acquired through formal training or extensive on the job experience to perform contracting pre-award functions, includes knowledge of various types of contracts and methods, market research, and applicable laws and regulations, determines resource requirements, develops long and short term strategies to procure equipment or services, and coordinates with customers and stakeholders, is able to identify sources.

Competency 2 - Knowledge acquired through extensive on the job experience to develop solicitation documents, create appropriate evaluation factors, review and analyze vendor submissions; is able to appropriately determine award recommendation.

Competency 3 - Knowledge and application of contract administration principles and practices sufficient to monitor contractor performance and compliance with all terms and conditions of the contract and deliverables; resolves discrepancies, performs contract closeout functions.

Competency 4 - Works with customers to assess their needs, offer solutions that will meet or exceed their expectations; is committed to providing quality products and services in a timely manner.

Competency 5 - Recognizes and uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, such as solicitation documents, statements of work, contract provisions, etc., that is appropriate for the intended audience; in person clearly conveys technical material, such as acquisition information, statements of work, contract provisions, etc., that's appropriate for the intended audience.

If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to: responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

Documents Accepted:

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Interchange Agreement Documentation
• Other (3)
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Documents Required:

• Resume
• Transcript

Resume: Must include series, grade, step, starting and ending dates of employment, month and year, and hours worked per week, and salary information..

Copy of unofficial transcripts: Must show name of college to determine accreditation. If qualifying based on degree, or for positions requiring a degree, the transcript must show date the degree was conferred. If selected, you must provide official transcripts. NOTE: Transcripts should state degree conferred, and have a date.

Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.

Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

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.