Duties

Summary

This vacancy is for a Recent Graduate, Contract Specialist, 1102, GS-07 position in ANY DIVISION located at the U.S. Census Bureau Headquarters in Suitland, Maryland.

The Census Bureau is accessible from the Metro Rail Green Line - Suitland Station.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

MAJOR DUTIES:

• Reviews requisitions and other basic pre-award documentation with close supervision to determine if the information is accurate and complete. With significant supervision from senior contracting professionals corresponds and coordinates with technical personnel and other contracting professionals to ensure that all documentation is accurate and complete for both pre-award and post-award activities.

• Provides support to senior contracting professionals as well as technical personnel to perform evaluations of bids or proposals. Supports senior contracting personnel by assisting with the evaluation of vendor similar experience and past performance as well as the preparation of technical and price evaluation reports and contract award documents. Corresponds with vendors as necessary and as directed by senior contracting professionals.

• Performs other assignments of similar difficulty with close supervision that have been selected with a view to developing advanced skills, e.g., maintaining contract files, updating internal workload tracking systems, administering contracts assigned; monitoring progress of contractors; preparing change orders; participating with higher graded specialists in the procurement of goods and services.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
TBD - Full Promotion Potential (FPL) is determine after the successfully completion of the RG program at the time of conversion. Upon conversion the FPL could be at the Grade-12.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. citizen.
• Suitable for Federal employment.
• Registered for Selective Service if applicable. (www.sss.gov)
• Pathways Agreement is required
• You may be required to complete a financial disclosure (OGE-450).

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

This announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the date May 22, 2021.

The Census Bureau is seeking bright, innovative, results-oriented individuals to join our Recent Graduates Program (RGP). The Recent Graduate Program is a one-year program that targets individuals who have recently graduated from qualifying educational institutions or programs. Successful applicants will be placed in a dynamic, one-year career development program. Throughout the program, you will participate in formal training, job assignments and receive a mentor to develop competencies applicable to the Census Bureau's mission and needs. These positions are at the grade GS 07 entry level, with an opportunity for permanent appointment upon successful completion of the program.

TO BE ELIGIBILTY FOR THE RECENT GRADUTE PROGRAM: Recent Graduates must have completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associate's, bachelor's, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx Exception: For a person who has completed a period of obligated service in a uniformed service of more than four years, the degree may be awarded by an institution of higher education not more than four years before the date of the appointment of the applicant.

Students enrolled in a degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is Spring 2021. Graduation transcript must be received before start date.

To be eligible for conversion to a permanent or term position, Recent Graduates must:

• Successfully completed at least 1-year of continuous service in addition to all requirements of the Program.
• Demonstrate successful job performance.
• Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualifications for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted.

This position is in the excepted service.

This is a bargaining unit position.

This position is eligible for telework; additional criteria will be required (e.g., supervisory approval).

A probationary period may be required. If non-competitively converted, the time spent as a Recent Graduate will count towards the probationary period.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

Bachelor's Degree: 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.

QUALIFICATIONS:

For the GS-07, you must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-05 in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes:

Specialized Experience: Must have a basic knowledge of general contracting terminology, principles, concepts and procedures to understand and interpret Federal contract guidelines and regulations; knowledge of business practices and skill in both written and oral communication and mathematics and the ability to gather, assemble and analyze information to draw logical conclusions about price/cost information.

OR

Education: 1 full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement.

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.

Students enrolled in a degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is Spring 2021. Official Graduation Transcripts must be received before start date.

Education

Additional information

The Department of Commerce provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Human Resources Office. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. TTY users can contact the Human Resources Office via the Federal Relay Service, 1-800-877-8339.

***Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and individual states being in different phases of reopening, once the selectee becomes an employee, the report date to the official duty station/facility may be delayed until such time that management notifies the employee of their requirement to report. Until it is safe to relocate, the employee may be approved to telework to the maximum extent possible, up to and including full-time.

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 qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the job opportunity announcement, 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) and place you in one of three pre-defined categories. These categories are "gold," "silver," and "bronze." Your resume and/or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Candidates placed in the "gold" category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

How you will be evaluated for preference eligibility: Within each category, those entitled to veterans' preference will be listed at the top of the pre-defined category for which they are placed.

Preference eligibles with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest quality category (gold).

The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response:

• Knowledge of solving practical problems relating to transportation, commodity usage, interchangeabilities, and pricing matters as they relate to the development of specifications or to contract administration involving product quality.
  
• Knowledge of negotiated procurement procedures, and the laws, regulations, and precedents governing procurements by this method, to perform developmental assignments or segments of large procurement actions.
• Knowledge of analyzing a variety of factors and conditions to make recommendations concerning such matters as proper preparation of invitation for bid, inclusion of special provision clauses in proposed contracts, evaluation of bids and proposals, and apparent responsibility of vendors based on previous performance.
  
• Knowledge of basic procurement procedures and techniques to carry out recurring assignments involving use of the formal advertised method.
  

For more information on category rating, please go to: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/competitive-hiring/#url=Category-Rating .

We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process.

Do NOT include the following types of information in your application:

• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Date of Birth (DOB)
• Photos of yourself (if included on your resume you will not be considered for this position)
• Personal information: such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

A complete application consists of the following:

• Resume showing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume must list your educational and work experience including the dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week. Your resume may be used to validate your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire. Your resume should also indicate your citizenship and if you are registered with the Selective Service System if you are a male born after 12/31/59.
• Veterans' Preference Documentation: Please indicate on your resume the type of veterans' preference you are claiming and provide the appropriate supporting documentation (DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.) to validate your claim. For more information regarding eligibility requirements, please go to: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx .
• Eligibility Requirements: Recent Graduates must have completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associate's, bachelor's, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home
  
• Education Documentation: 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. This also applies to Census Bureau employees. 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.

Students enrolled in a degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is Spring 2021. Official Graduation Transcripts must be received before start date.

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 - http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html . 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: You will not be considered if you fail to provide all required documents.

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.