Contract Specialist

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the 10/17/2024 of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined above. Time in grade: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade to be considered for the next higher grade (e.g. one year at the GS-12 grade level for consideration for the GS-13 grade level). You must include an SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one) that supports meeting this requirement with your application package Basic Requirement: 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; Exception: Employees occupying a GS-1102 position will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000 (at the GS-1102-13 or higher grade). 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 to qualify for promotion to a higher grade, unless granted a waiver. 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 from the paragraphs 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, 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. In addition to meeting one of the Basic Requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications Requirement to be considered for a Contractor Specialist, GS-1102-13. Specialized Experience: One or more years of full-time specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through federal service that has equipped you with the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. Specialized experience is defined as: applying a wide range of procurement regulations, contracting laws and policies, including techniques of contracting operations and contracting requirements; responsible for pre-award and/or post-award functions and all aspects of the contracting transactions from initiation to recommendation of award, with knowledge of formal advertising and negotiated bid procedures to obtain supplies, equipment, services, or construction. Examples of this experience may include: Receive, review and process procurement and other contractual requirements, both simplified and complex procurements for supplies/services. Provide expert guidance and oversight throughout the pre-award process, determination of contract type and procurement methodology. Develop and issue public notices in Federal Business Opportunities as required by federal regulations. Negotiate with potential contractors to obtain best and final offers, develop final contract provisions/terms, and recommend award of contract. Prepare documentation, analyze settlement proposals, negotiate settlements and participate in resolution of protest and appeals. Must be able to obtain a FAC-C Certification within two years of appointment. For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: General Schedule Qualification Standards (opm.gov) 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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
This position is located in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Business Center (BC), Acquisitions Division, Operations Branch. The position is responsible for providing acquisitions service and support to agencies and others through proactive, collaborative, and hands-on acquisition planning, servicing and processing.