CONTRACT SPECIALIST

Experience requirements are described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, DoD Instruction (DoDI) 5000.66, Defense Acquisition Workforce Education, Training, Experience, and Career Development. Due to the use of 120-day rosters, this period of experience may be completed within 120 days of the closing date of this announcement. This position may be filled at the GS-12 or GS-13 level. Attainment of knowledge, skills, and abilities is required before promotion to the next higher grade and is dependent on demonstrated ability to perform the duties of the next higher grade level, meeting all regulatory requirements, and recommendation for promotion by the supervisor. Promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. *** NOTE *** Applicants must meet the basic requirements and specialized experience as stated in this announcement. GS-12 and GS-13 BASIC EDUCATION QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited educational institution authorized to grant baccalaureate. NOTE: YOU MUST SUBMIT COPIES OF OFFICIAL COLLEGE TRANSCRIPTS. OR A current member of the Armed Forces (not retired or separated) OR a current DOD employee that meets the following requirements: 1) served as a contracting officer with authority to award or administer in excess of the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT) on or before 30 September 2000; 2) served in an 1102 position or as a Service member in a similar occupational specialty on or before September 30, 2000; OR, (3) is an enlisted member of the Contingency Contracting Force (CCF). This exemption only applies to CCF members in their current or future CCF positions. The baccalaureate degree exemption does not apply to current CCF members seeking new hire employment within DoD as an 1102. or (4) is described in subsection (e)(1)(B) of 10 USC 1724. NOTE: MUST SUBMIT TRANSCRIPTS WITH APPLICATION. AND SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE for GS-12: Applicants must have, or within a 120 days will have, at least one (1) year of specialized experience at the next lower grade GS-11, or equivalent in other pay systems. Examples of specialized experience includes experience in one or more of the following: (1) soliciting, evaluating, negotiating, and awarding contracts; (2) administering contracts by assuring compliance with the terms and conditions; (3) terminating contracts by analyzing, negotiating, and settling claims and proposals; (4) analyzing and evaluating cost/price proposals and accounting systems; (5) planning, establishing, or reviewing contracts, programs, policies, or procedures; (6) formulating and administering policies and procedures to insure achievement of socioeconomic goals; (7) developing acquisition strategies and directing or managing procurements; and/or (8) providing functional staff advisory services within the contracting occupation. OR SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE for GS-13: In addition to meeting the basic DAWIA requirements described above, applicants must possess, or within 120 days will possess, one year of experience in contracting. One year must have been specialized experience at the next lower pay grade (GS-12) or equivalent in other pay systems (for a Contracting Officer position, must possess two years of specialized experience per Public Law 10 USC 1724), AND must have completed any mandatory contracting courses for positions at the level and grade at which the person is serving. Specialized Experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is described as experience in one or more of the following: (1) soliciting, evaluating, negotiating, and awarding contracts; (2) administering contracts by assuring compliance with the terms and conditions; (3) terminating contracts by analyzing, negotiating, and settling claims and proposals; (4) analyzing and evaluating cost/price proposals and accounting systems; (5) planning, establishing, or reviewing contracts, programs, policies, or procedures; (6) formulating and administering policies and procedures to insure achievement of socioeconomic goals; (7) developing acquisition strategies and directing or managing procurements; and/or (8) providing functional staff advisory services within the contracting occupation. Duties may have included awarding of contracts within delegated contracting officer authority, or recommending award to contracting officer on contracts outside delegated authority. FEDERAL TIME-IN-GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT FOR GENERAL SCHEDULE (GS) POSITIONS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-11 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-12 level. One year at the GS-12 level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-13 level. TIG applies if you are in a current GS position or held a GS position within the previous 52 weeks. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas: 1. Professional knowledge of a full range of Federal contracting laws, executive orders, regulations, principles, policies, procedures, methods, techniques, and contract types applicable to pre-award and post-award actions for a variety of complex and/or diversified services and commodities. 2. Knowledge of the business environment (e.g. economic trends, awareness of commercial/industry business practices, standards, mergers, and acquisitions) applicable to program and technical requirements in order to recognize potential programmatic/contractual impacts, and knowledge of the methods and techniques of fact-finding/market research. 3. Knowledge of the principles, methods, and tools used to assist in risk identification, assessment, and mitigation including assessing the probability and consequences of potential problems and their solutions. 4. Knowledge of formal source selection methods, policies, and procedures; contracting negotiation, administration, and termination principles, policies, procedures, and technical requirements; and knowledge of price and cost analysis sufficient to review proposals against previous history, actual and estimated expenditures, and established and approved rated to determine price reasonableness or to determine a negotiation position. 5. Ability to identify problems, determine accuracy and relevance of information; use sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and make recommendations; makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions applying precedents found in government contracting case law to specific contracting situations to insure that legally binding contracting officer decisions are consistent, justifiable and will be upheld at appellate courts or boards; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals. PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. VOLUNTEER WORK EXPERIENCE: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Click on “Learn more about this agency” button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information. The primary purpose of this position, CONTRACT SPECIALIST, GS-1102-12 Potential 13, is to serve as a contracting officer and procure services, commodities, and/or construction or complex and/or diversified programs.