Duties

Summary

NEW LOCATION ADDED: KANSAS CITY,MO

As a Contract Specialist, you'll be responsible for satisfying customer needs through placement of Government contracts.

Position Location: GSA, Federal Acquisition Service, Info Technology Category, Office of Acquisition Operations, Interagency Contracts, in Washington, DC.

This is not a virtual position. The selectee is expected to report to the duty station listed.

We are currently filling one vacancy, but additional vacancies may be filled as needed.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

• Handles the organization's most complex, sophisticated and sensitive acquisitions, requiring an in-depth knowledge of contracting rules, regulations and procedures.
  
• Meets with program officials, activities, and Federal agencies to plan future procurements and to resolve problems relating to ongoing contracts.
  
• Performs the full range of pre- and post-award acquisition activities. Develops procurement objectives, schedules procurement activities to ensure timely contract award, determines types of contracts, and determines any special regulatory or statutory requirements that are applicable to the acquisition.
  
• Independently performs acquisition planning, develops the contractual strategy for the specific acquisition, issues large-scale, complex solicitations, provides expert leadership to evaluation teams, leads the contract negotiation team, and ensures the award of contracts of the highest quality and legal sufficiency.
  
• Develops contract modifications, negotiates changes, exercises contract options, investigates and resolves contract delays, performs contractor performance assessments, resolves claims and terminates contracts for the convenience of the government or for default by the contractor.
  
• Analyzes and evaluates contracting matters, and conducts the organizational review of, and formulation of recommendations on, newly proposed and unique contracting policies, procedures, and guidance.
  
• Evaluates the effectiveness of existing procurement strategies and initiates actions to provide the maximum support to ITC business
  Initiatives.
  
• Maintains contractual data and history, along with other indicators of program execution and effectiveness and complies data for statistical management reports.
  

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
14

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• US Citizenship or National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
• Meet all eligibility criteria within 30 days of the closing date
• Meet time-in-grade within 30 days of the closing date, if applicable
• Register with Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959

If selected, you must meet the following conditions:

• Receive authorization from OPM on any job offer you receive, if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch.
• Serve a one year probationary period, if required.
• Undergo and pass a background investigation (Tier 4 investigation level).
• Have your identity and work status eligibility verified if you are not a GSA employee. We will use the Department of Homeland Security's e-Verify system for this. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of continued employment.
• Complete a financial disclosure report to verify that no conflict, or an appearance of conflict, exists between your financial interest and this position.

Qualifications

For each job on your resume, provide:

• the exact dates you held each job (from month/year to month/year)
• number of hours per week you worked (if part time).

If you have volunteered your service through a National Service program (e.g., Peace Corps, Americorps), we encourage you to apply and include this experience on your resume.

For a brief video on creating a Federal resume, click here .

The GS-14 salary range starts at $122,530.00 per year in Washington, DC and $109,993 in Kansas City, MO

If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.

1102 Qualifications GS-13 & above:

You must meet the requirements in 1, 2, or 3 below:

All of the following:
(a) Completion of Training listed in Level I & II of FAC-C Course Requirements ; or FAC-C Level II or III, or a DAWIA level II or III certification. If your certification is over 2 years old, 80 hours of Continuous Learning Points are required to maintain certification.
(b) At least 4 years of experience in contracting or related positions including 1 year of specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the level described below; and
(c) Completion of 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.

Exception: If you were in a GS-1102 position on January 1, 2000, you will be exempt from meeting the educational requirements for the grade level of that position. However, to be promoted you will have to meet Option 1 or 3.

Waiver: GSA's senior procurement executive has the discretion to waive any or all of the requirements in 1 above.

To qualify, you must ALSO have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level or higher in the Federal service.

• Specialized experience is defined as experience performing complex (high-risk, difficult to define specifications, restricted/limited market competition and spend in a number of categories) contracting assignments procuring supplies and/or services using the full range of contracting methods, contract vehicles and types. Procurement of these supplies and/or services at this level include:
  • Determining the method of procurement and the contract type (such as fixed price, fixed price economic price adjustment, various cost type contracts, requirements contracts, performance based acquisitions, and multiple award schedules;) and developing an acquisition plan;
  • Preparing determinations and findings and solicitation documents;
  • Performing detailed analyses of all elements of cost in contractor proposals, and making competitive range determinations;
  • Planning the negotiating strategy, coordinating strategy with negotiating team, and leading negotiations;
  • Developing pre-negotiation positions, determining negotiation strategies, and preparing justifications;
    Preparing initial agency position on protests from unsuccessful bidders and recommending a decision on claims arising under a contract;
  • Responding to and resolving acquisition questions/issues that require research to provide recommendations/responses;
  • Analyzing complex contracting issues and identifying alternative courses of action.

Education

Note: 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. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

Bargaining Unit status: NONE

Relocation Not Paid

Relocation-related expenses are not approved and will be your responsibility.

Recruitment/Relocation Incentive

On a case-by-case basis, the following incentives may be approved:

· Recruitment incentive if you are new to the federal government

· Relocation incentive if you are a current federal employee

· Credit toward vacation leave if you are new to the federal government

Management Rights

Additional vacancies may be filled from this announcement as needed; through other means; or not at all.

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 on the questions you answer during the application process, which will measure your overall possession of the following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities. Your responses to these questions must be supported by your resume or your score may be lowered.

• Mastery of procurement regulations and contracting principles including the latest procedures and techniques, e.g., sophisticated pricing arrangements, cost accounting, and life cycle costing sufficient to plan, develop, implement, maintain, and administer all contractual aspects of a systems acquisition program.
• Skill in managerial and coordinative activities sufficient to control a variety of contractual actions occurring concurrently, in an overlapping fashion, or sequentially and to control several simultaneous interrelated contracts with different contractors.
• Knowledge of related disciplines and functions involved in the acquisition process, such as design or systems engineering, logistical support, financial management, and their interrelationships with contracting.
• Mastery of negotiation techniques to serve as the lead negotiator in developing pre-negotiation strategy, in conducting negotiations for the acquisition of complex services and supplies.
• Mastery in directing or performing post-award negotiations involving complex contract changes or modifications.

Additional assessments may be used, and, if so, you will be provided with further instructions.

If you are eligible under Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan or GSA's Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP/CTAP) , you must receive a score of 85 or higher to receive priority.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Not Required

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)

Trust determination process
Credentialing

Required Documents

ALL required documents must be submitted before the closing date. Review the following list to determine what you need to submit.

Note: If required to submit an SF-50 (Notice of Personnel Action), an equivalent agency Notice of Personnel Action form is acceptable. Such document(s) must show all of the following: effective date, position, title, series, grade, and rate of basic pay, tenure group 1 (career) or 2 (career-conditional), position occupied group, and name of agency. If you are a GSA employee (except in the OIG), you are not required to submit an SF-50.

If you are a 30% or more disabled veteran, VEOA or VRA applicant or qualified spouse, widow/widower, or parent:

(a) Copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD-214 that shows the dates of your active duty service. If selected, a DD-214 showing your type of discharge (member 4 copy) will be required prior to appointment.

(b) If you are a disabled veteran, or are applying under VRA or VEOA as a spouse, widow/widower, or parent of a veteran, submit both of the following in addition to the DD-214: (1) completed SF-15 form; and (2) proof of your entitlement (refer to SF-15 for complete list).

If you are active duty military: Certification on a letterhead from your military branch that includes your rank, character of service (must be under honorable conditions) & military service dates including discharge/release date (must be no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted).

If you are a current Federal employee or Reinstatement Eligible: Submit your latest SF-50.

If you are eligible under an Interchange Agreement : Submit your latest SF-50.

If you are a former Peace Corps or VISTA volunteer: Submit your Description of Service.

If you are a current or former Land Management Agency Employee - Submit a and b:

(a) one or more SF-50s, including your most recent one that shows you were on a competitive time-limited appointment(s) with a Land Management Agency and served on the appointment for a period(s) totaling more than 24 months without a break of 2 or more years.

(b) Copy of your agency's annual performance appraisal(s) or written reference(s) from a supervisor at the agency verifying satisfactory performance during your appointment(s).

If you have a disability: Submit proof of eligibility. For information on eligibility and required documentation, refer to USAJOBS's People With Disabilities page.

If you are applying under another special appointment authority: Submit proof of your eligibility under the appropriate appointment authority. See USAJOBS's Resource Center for more information.

If you are ICTAP / CTAP eligible - submit a, b, and c: (a) proof of eligibility including agency notice; (b) SF-50, and (c) most recent performance appraisal.

If you are a current or former political appointee: Submit your SF-50.

College transcripts: If you are using some or all of your college education to meet qualification requirements for this position, you must submit a photocopy of your college transcript(s). If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment. For education completed outside the United States, also submit a valid foreign credential evaluation that substantiates possession of the required education.

Contracting Documentation: Submit A or B:

(A) List of completed courses as described in the Qualifications section of this announcement. The list must include: official course title, course number, training provider, training hours completed, and the date completed

(B) Proof of contracting certification: FAC-C or DAWIA Level II or higher certification (copy of certificate) If certification is over 2 years old, also submit your Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) history identifying the completion of 80 CLPs every two years. The 80 CLPs every two years must be from the issuance date of certification to the current period.

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.