Duties

Summary

Come work for the USPTO, we have been ranked as one of the best places to work in the federal government! The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has been serving the economic interests of America for more than 200 years. We are responsible for granting US intellectual property rights for patents and trademarks. The USPTO is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, and has over 12,000 employees. For more information about the USPTO, please visit the USPTO Jobs Website .

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Responsibilities

During the current period of mandatory telework required by the Agency's COVID-19 response, telework will be mandatory. When it is determined the Agency will be moving to the reopening phase, the expectation will be to physically return to the office at the USPTO - Alexandria, VA campus. Telework days and any waiting period for eligibility will be determined at that time.

This Vacancy is using the Direct-Hire authority to recruit for positions for which there is a critical hiring need. Using the Office of Personnel Management's approved government-wide direct hire authorities, agencies may appoint candidates directly to jobs, without regard to the provision of Title 5 U.S.C 3309 through 3318, for which OPM determines that there is a severe shortage of candidates or a critical hiring need.

As a Contract Specialist in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), Office of Procurement, you will be responsible for providing customer service support by providing business solutions to program offices regarding all aspects of acquisition management in the planning, award and contract administration phases in the procurement of supplies and services to the Federal Government. Typical duties include:

• Performing procurement planning. Developing and executing acquisition plans and strategic plans.
• Serving as advisor to program officials in procurement planning meetings; advising program officials of the procurement objectives to be used, and assisting in the preparation of the statements of work; preparing determinations and findings and solicitation documents; performing detailed analyses of all elements of cost in contractor proposals, and making competitive range determinations.
• Recommending and providing the best fit or alternative solutions when selecting contractual vehicles.
• Providing valid, supportable research analysis from the Federal Acquisition Regulations and agency acquisition regulations.
• Examining/evaluating cost/price proposals utilizing cost/price analysis techniques to determine whether price and costs are allowable, allocable and reasonable.
• Serving as lead negotiator for contractual actions.; planning the negotiation strategy, and awarding the contract.
• Developing and executing sound contract administration solutions including: monitoring contract performance, maintenance of appropriate file documentation, negotiation of contract modifications and ensuring performance is captured in federal automated systems.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• You must meet the definition of specialized experience and IT competencies.
• Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
• You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
• You must be suitable for Federal employment.
• A Financial Disclosure, OGE Form 450 filing is required for this position.

See requirements below in the Qualifications section.

Qualifications

You must meet the following United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements for the advertised position. OPM's prescribed Group Coverage Qualification Standard for the Contracting Series (1102) can be found at: OPM Qualification Standards . You must meet all qualification requirements including time-in-grade (refer to 5 CFR 300.604 for more information on time-in-grade) by the closing date of the job announcement.

Basic requirements for the GS-11 and GS-12:

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.

Basic requirements for the GS-13 and above:

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 perform successfully 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 the 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 possesses 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 placed 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.

NOTE: Applicants at the GS-13 grade level currently holding a FAC-C/DAWIA Level II or higher certification are considered to have met all mandatory training requirements for this announcement. You must submit your certification with your application package. Selectees holding a FAC-C/DAWIA Level II certification will be required to complete all prescribed mandatory training to become certified FAC-C Level III within 24 months of employment.

In addition to meeting the basic requirements, candidates must have all of the specialized experience listed below:

Specialized Experience: is experience that has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the federal service.

GS-11

Candidates for the GS-11 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes:

1) Experience in assisting with acquisition management in the planning, award and contract administration phases in the procurement process related to information technology or general services;

2) Experience in evaluating cost/price proposals utilizing cost/price analysis techniques, e.g. Performing detailed analyses of all elements of cost in contractor proposals;

3) Experience in using Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12 (Acquisition of Commercial Items), Part 13 (Simplified Acquisition Procedures) and Part 15 (Contracting by Negotiation) to award moderately complex contracts and orders during the pre-award, and award phases of the acquisition lifecycle.

OR

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

GS-12

Candidates for the GS-12 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes:

1) Experience in executing all aspects of acquisition management in the planning, award and contract administration phases in the procurement process related to information technology or general services;

2) Experience in evaluating cost/price proposals utilizing cost/price analysis techniques, e.g. Performing detailed analyses of all elements of cost in contractor proposals;

3) Experience in using Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12 (Acquisition of Commercial Items), Part 13 (Simplified Acquisition Procedures) and Part 15 (Contracting by Negotiation) to award moderately complex contracts and orders during the pre-award, and award phases of the acquisition lifecycle.

GS-13

Candidates for the GS-13 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes:

1) Experience in executing all aspects of acquisition management in the planning, award and contract administration phases in the procurement process related to information technology or general services;

2) Experience in evaluating cost/price proposals utilizing cost/price analysis techniques, e.g. Performing detailed analyses of all elements of cost in contractor proposals;

3) Experience in serving as a technical expert, advising lower level Contract Specialists on all phases of the acquisition process;

4) Experience in using Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12 (Acquisition of Commercial Items), Part 13 (Simplified Acquisition Procedures) and Part 15 (Contracting by Negotiation) to award moderately complex contracts and orders during the pre-award, and award phases of the acquisition lifecycle.

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.

Education

Education may be substituted for experience at the GS-11 grade level. Education may not be substituted for specialized experience at the GS-12 and GS-13 grade levels.

If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information.

You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - US Department of Education . Another listing of services that can perform this evaluation is available at the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) website. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration.

NOTE: Only education and experience acquired before the filing deadline will be considered. Report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Additional information

Applicants applying for this position must be a United States Citizen.

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

This is a Bargaining Unit position.

A Financial Disclosure, OGE Form 450 filing is required for this position.

This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of "MODERATE".

Background Investigation - If selected for this position, you may be required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306), which includes a fingerprint and credit check, to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.

The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit the Department of Homeland Security Website .

Probationary Period - If selected, you may be required to complete an initial one-year probationary period.

All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.

Relocation Expenses are not authorized and will not be paid.

Individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) will be eligible if they are assigned to the "well qualified" quality category under the category rating procedures. Information about CTAP/ICTAP may be found here: OPM CTAP/ICTAP . CTAP/ICTAP documentation requirements are listed in the ‘Required Documents' section of this announcement.

More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 90 days from the date the certificate was issued.

All application materials become the property of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors. If you believe that you have been discriminated against and would like to file an EEO complaint, you must do so within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act. Claims of employment discrimination must be submitted to the attention of the USPTO's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity via email ( oeeod@uspto.gov ) or phone (571-272-8292).

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualification requirements for the position. Under the provisions of the Direct-Hire Authority (DHA), rating, ranking and veterans' preference does not apply; therefore, your responses to the questionnaire will not be used to determine a scored rating.

All applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements, as defined in the job opportunity announcement, will be referred for selection consideration. While veterans' preference does not apply in DHA, preference eligibles are encouraged to submit their supporting documentation (DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.).

Applicants applying as CTAP or ICTAP candidates, and are determined CTAP or ICTAP eligible, must exceed the minimum qualification requirements to be referred under this selection priority placement program by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. For those deemed eligible and who meet the minimum qualifications, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/No, Multiple Choice questions).

Your resume and/or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles who are not determined well-qualified by scoring at least 85 will not be referred under the CTAP/ICTAP selection priority placement program; however, will be referred for selection consideration with other minimally qualified applicants. The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies, please do not provide a separate written response:

KSA 1 - Ability to apply contracting laws, regulations, principles, policies and procedures in order to execute all phases of acquisition management.

KSA 2 - Ability to select appropriate contracting methods and contract types to perform pre-award, award, post-award and contract price/cost analysis.

KSA 3 - Ability to develop and execute acquisition plans.

KSA 4 - Skill in communicating with internal and external customers to effectively negotiate present negotiation positions and award recommendations.

If you are invited for an interview, you may be asked to bring a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

PLEASE NOTE: Your application and all required documents must be received by 11:59 pm ET on the closing date of this job announcement.

A complete application consists of:

1. A resume or any other written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications; optional cover letter: Your resume should indicate your citizenship and should list your educational and work experience including titles, salary, employment dates, duties, experience and how it relates to the specialized experience in the job announcement. Please Note: Responses to job questions that are not fully supported by the information in your resume may result in adjustments to your rating. Any experience claimed in a cover letter should be substantiated by information contained in your resume. A HR Representative will validate the qualifications of those candidates eligible to be referred to the hiring official.

2. Transcripts: (for Individual Occupational Requirements and/or Substitution of Education for specialized experience): You must submit copies of your college transcripts for verification of the education requirements. Unofficial copies are acceptable, however, if selected you will be required to furnish official transcripts. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the above educational requirements. Inadequate or illegible information could result in non-qualification and loss of consideration.

Supporting Documentation:

Supporting documents that may be requested of applicants after the closing date of this announcement are:

1. Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) documentation:

Applicants will be asked to submit:

(1) A copy of your specific RIF notice, written notice of your expected separation or other documentation of priority consideration status; and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL etc.;
(2) A copy of your latest SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location;
(3) A copy of your last performance appraisal and rating; and
(4) Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.

You can choose ONE of the following methods to submit Supporting Documents:

1) You can upload your documents when you register or update your information on the Department of Commerce application site which you access through the USAJobs site.

OR

2) You can fax your documents to 571-258-4254 using the system generated fax cover sheet.

NOTE: The preceding documentation requirements are based on job requirements and individual applicant eligibility. Not all documents are applicable to all applicants--if you are unsure which documents apply to you, contact the HR Specialist listed on this announcement.

Review your resume and responses carefully. Responses to job questions that are not fully supported by the information in your application package may result in adjustments to your rating. A Human Resources Representative will validate the qualifications of those candidates eligible to be referred to the hiring official.

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.