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Supervisory Contract Specialist (Section Chief)

Employer
USAJobs
Location
Washington, D.C
Closing date
Oct 29, 2021
Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Management, Property, Acquisitions & Safety Division, Acquisition Branch located in Washington, DC. The Acquisitions Branch produces and administers Federal contract and support agreement instruments to economically acquire goods and services for the direct benefit of ATF.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

  • Serves as the first-line supervisor for Contracting Officers and or Contract Specialists assigned to the Section.
  • Assists in planning, establishing, guiding, and evaluating the contracting and procurement programs for the Bureaus major acquisition programs and or systems nationwide.
  • Represents the Bureau as the contractual authority in inter-agency, high level, Federal Government conferences and meetings.
  • Personally negotiates, or supervises negotiations of, more complex contracts and those requiring unusual degrees of experience, knowledge, skill or tact.
  • Plans and directs the overall operations of the section and determines distribution within the office of assigned work force allocations.
  • Plans for work to be performed during the fiscal year, considering acquisition plans, historical data and specific known requirements; sets priorities, and assigns particular workload; and ensures implementation of work plans.
  • Working with the Branch Chief, formulates and justifies budget for office operations; analyzes internal operations; identifies those areas where additional emphasis is needed; develops plans and goals, and conducts periodic evaluation of the section's overall performance against these goals.
  • As necessary, initiates appropriate corrective action (e.g. Procurement Administrative Lead-time, set asides for small business).
  • Makes final decisions on procurement technical matters referred by subordinate staff, reviews work products of subordinate staff, and provides technical guidance as needed.
  • Assists in initiating, developing and directing development of the Bureau procurement and contracting policy and monitors implementation of such policy in the Section.
  • Oversees and guides the negotiation of contracts that have been assigned to subordinate Contracting Officers and or Contract Specialists.


Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional travel is required for this position.

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
14

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Suitable for Federal employment determined by background investigation.
  • Must be registered or exempt from the Selective Service. See www.sss.gov
  • May be required to serve a one year probationary period.


The time-in-grade requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement. The qualification requirements listed below must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Additional Conditions of Employment:

As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. If selected, you will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination by November 22, 2021, or before appointment or onboarding with the agency, if after November 22. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request of the agency a legally required exception from this requirement.

Due to COVID-19, the agency is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement within 14 days. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days a pay period depending upon the terms of the agency's telework policy.

MOBILITY PLAN : New employees hired pursuant to this vacancy announcement must sign a mobility agreement. The purpose of ATF's mobility policy is to enhance career development and progression, and achieve mission and business effectiveness. To accomplish these objectives, the mobility plan will facilitate the movement of employees through special short-term assignments or permanent reassignments throughout the Bureau. Applicants who decline to sign a mobility agreement, as required, will be removed from the hiring process.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:
  • 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
    2. 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

  • To qualify for the GS-14 candidates must also have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-13.

    Specialized experience is demonstrated experience, which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. Experience must be in the normal line of progression or must be related to the work of the position advertised and must be reflected in resume. Examples of specialized experience include: Leading a team of employees in analyzing and resolving problems arising from acquisition operations and administrative functions; applying and interpreting acquisition regulations and legislation, performing post-award contracting activities, including monitoring Contractors performance; providing advice on interpretation of contract terms; preparing, negotiating and issuing unilateral/bilateral modifications; negotiating price adjustments; and preparing contract close-outs.

    OR 2 academic years of progressively higher level graduate education.

    Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for all grade levels for which both education and experience are acceptable.

    Please do not cut and paste the position description, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

    The GS-14 salary range starts at $108.885. If you are a new federal (civil service) employee, your starting salary will be set at the Step 1 for this position and the grade level for which you are selected.

    Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP). The ICTAP provides 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 consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP 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 satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria. 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 eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/

    The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your 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 satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/ .

    Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): (for Merit Promotion announcements) VEOA allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce. To be eligible for a Veteran Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) appointment, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service. If you are applying for a Merit Promotion announcement and wish to be considered under the VEOA, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214, in addition to any other required documents listed on this announcement.

    Education

    Graduate Education. 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.

    Mandatory Training Requirements Completion of mandatory training is required for Federal Acquisition Certification (FAC-C), Level III.

    The selectee will be expected to achieve full FAC-C Level III certification within 12 months. Details are available at: http://www.fai.gov

    All academic degrees and course work must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria see www.ed.gov .

    Additional information

    Notice to Prospective Employees of Ethical Obligations from ATF's Human Resources Operations Division. Please click on the following link to read important information. DOJ Notice to Prospective Employees of Ethical Obligations Notice to Prospective Employees of Ethical Obligations

    Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov .

    EEO Statement: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, religion, color , sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability (physical and mental), family medical history or genetic information, political affiliation, military service, retaliation, or other non-merit based factors.

    Please click on the following link to read important information. Department of Justice EEO Policy Statement https://www.justice.gov/jmd/page/file/1393306/download

    Reasonable Accommodation Statement: ATF provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the job application and hiring process, and you meet the eligibility requirements listed above, please notify the human resources specialist listed on the vacancy announcement, or contact the ATF's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at (202) 648-8760. The decision on granting a reasonable accommodation is handled on a case-by-case basis.

    "Federal Regulations state no ATF employee, his/her spouse, or his/her minor child shall have, directly or indirectly, any financial interest, including compensated employment, stock, or proprietary interest in the alcohol, tobacco, firearms or explosives industries. You should be aware that you may be asked to relinquish any ownership of or interests in the alcohol, tobacco, firearms or explosives industries before a determination can be made whether access to ATF information, information technology systems, and/or facilities can be authorized."

    Additional vacancies may be filled from this vacancy announcement.

    A one year probationary period is required for new supervisors and managers.

    How You Will Be Evaluated

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

    Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the online assessment questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

    The assessment questionnaire is designed to measure your ability in the following competencies:

  • Knowledge of Federal, Department and Bureau contract law, regulations and procedures applicable to acquisition and contract administration and in planning appropriate strategies to procure simpler requirements and conducting negotiations in the pre/post award phases of contracting.
  • Skill in successfully leading a staff to ensure the daily operations, mission, and strategic goals are effectively managed and communicated in order to meet the objectives and needs of the organization.
  • Mastery of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), the Justice Acquisition Regulation (JAR) and the Federal Property Management Regulations (FPMR) so that policies and procedures of the Bureau will be in accordance with laws that these regulations represent.
  • Skill in communicating orally and in writing, including the ability to promulgate acquisition guidance and policy, preparing reports and presentations, and addressing audit findings.

  • To preview questions please click here .

    Background checks and security clearance

    Security clearance
    Top Secret

    Drug test required
    No

    Position sensitivity and risk
    Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk

    Trust determination process
    Suitability/Fitness

    Required Documents

    • Resume showing relevant experience (cover letter optional) .
    • Most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your grade, step, career or career-conditional tenure dated within the last year, if applicable. No award SF-50 as it does not show grade and step.
    • Veterans' preference documentation (Member Copy 4 of DD-214, Revised October 2013 SF-15 https://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf and VA letter, if applicable. NOTE: The revised October 2013 SF-15 is the latest copy and all others are not usable.
    • CTAP/ICTAP documentation, if applicable.
    • An official college transcript (Note: If you're selected for this position, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day.)
    • Schedule A documentation, if applicable. Note: DOJ welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities. Qualified applicants with disabilities may be eligible for special hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A eligibility. Please visit http://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/individuals-with-disabilities or contact the Selective Placement Program Coordinator at 202-648-7454.

    It is your responsibility to ensure all documents are received on time and the materials are legible. If applying on-line poses a hardship to any applicant, please contact us at the telephone number listed on this announcement. Applicants MUST CONTACT US PRIOR TO THE CLOSING DATE to speak to someone who can provide assistance for on-line submission. Requests for extensions will not be granted. Paper applications submitted without prior approval from the agency point of contact may be handled as incomplete. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: If your contact information changes after the closing date of this vacancy announcement, update your profile information in MYUSAJOBS as well as contact the Human Resources Specialist listed on this vacancy announcement to ensure you can be contacted throughout the selection process.

    Prior to selection, the candidate may be required to provide an original copy of any supporting/ validating documentation as well as other documentation to verify eligibility. All required materials must be uploaded using the supporting documentation instructions described in the announcement.

    Failure to provide the required documentation by the closing date of this announcement will result in elimination of further consideration for this position.

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