Contract Specialist - Federal Acquisition Service

Duties

• Serves as a subject matter expert and agency authority on acquisition methodology including requirements definition, solicitation, evaluation, award, and delivery of, commercial and/or non-commercial acquisitions, domestic common goods and/or state of the art systems, or equipment and services.
• Awards and administers various contract types (Firm-Fixed Price, Labor Hour, Time and Materials, etc.). Supports business operations by crafting and overseeing contractual activities in accordance with business processes.
• Prepares acquisition documentation, including market analyses, acquisition plans, and Determination & Findings. Determines the acquisition strategy that best aligns with customer requirements.
• Develops acquisition objectives in terms of competition and price range and constructs contractual vehicles, including use of pricing arrangements, subcontracting policy, set-aside policies and similar considerations.
• Plans comprehensive negotiation strategies, coordinates strategies with other technical experts involved, leads negotiations with contractors to develop contract prices and terms, and awards contracts.
• Reviews, validates, and provides guidance on price analysis, market research, the Independent Government Cost Estimates (IGCE), and other pre award documentation.
• Performs detailed analyses of all elements of cost and price in contractor proposals and makes competitive range determinations. Prepares determinations, findings, and solicitation documents.
• Develops and recommends acquisition decisions which follow all applicable laws, Comptroller General's decisions, the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and GSA Regulations (GSAR) and other governing regulations as it pertains to assigned acquisitions.
• Establishes and maintains relationships with Government agency clients and stakeholders for whom conducting the procurement and with both management and technical personnel of private industry. Coordinates program customer communications including conducting regular advisory group and organizational meetings as assigned. Acts as an official spokesperson for the Government.
• Provides technical direction and guidance to management, customers, and contractors in assignment area relative to the market, the industry, specifications, socio-economic concerns, and similar matters or unusual problems.
• Ensures performance of all necessary actions for effective contracting, ensuring compliance with the terms of the contract, and safeguarding the interests of the United States in its contractual relationships. Performs contract administration, including incremental funding, preparation of rate and cost adjustments, redirection of effort, coordination of time extensions, incorporation of change orders, issuance of stop work orders, issuance of cure notices or show cause letters, monitoring of government property reporting, approval of progress payments, settlement of disputes and claims, and final payment and contract close out.
• Closes out contracts; issues termination notices; reviews settlement proposals; and develops the government positions with respect to contractor claims.

Requirements

• US Citizenship or National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
• Meet all eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date.
• Register with Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959.
• If selected, you must meet the following conditions:
• Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees.
• If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or NonCareer SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.
• 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.
• 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.
• The GS-13 salary range starts at $106,437 per year. 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 a, b, and c below: Completion of Training/Certification: FAC-C (Professional) or DoD Contracting Professional Certification. 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 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.
• Note: Candidates that are missing either the 24 hours of business credit and/or the mandatory training certification, but are determined to be otherwise eligible, can be placed on a waiver certification by the HR staffing specialist.
• Transcript Requirement: To receive consideration for this position, applicants must submit transcripts documenting completion of the required bachelor's degree and at least 24 semester hours in the qualifying fields listed above. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.

Qualifications

• To qualify, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level or higher in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience performing pre-award and post-award contracting functions for complex acquisitions. This experience must include: Developing and applying acquisition strategies; Providing acquisition guidance and recommendations to customers and stakeholders; Applying acquisition methodologies across various contract types; and Assisting in acquisition planning, drafting solicitations, and awarding, administering, modifying, or closing out contracts.
• This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcript(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcements to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.