This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/454280500. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
The Office of Contracts and Grants Management applies sound and innovative business strategies and techniques to provide timely, effective, and seamless acquisitions and grant support to our clients to enable fulfillment of the Library's mission. The incumbent serves as a lead contract specialist for the Library of Congress.
This position is located in the Office of Contracts and Grants Management, Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Office of the Librarian.
The position description number for this position is 347532.
The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.
This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Must have completed at least 4-years of experience in contracting or related positions AND 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.
10/24/2016 to 04/11/2017
$92,145 - $119,794 per year
GS 13
3 vacancies in the following location:
Permanent
Full-time - Open
13
No
170018
454280500
As a contract specialist at the Library, you will have the opportunity to work with leaders in their fields to understand and help them fulfill of their needs through contractual relationships. You will research and provide guidance on complex issues such as contract structure, negotiation strategies, and performance management in support of your clients’ missions. You will have the opportunity to apply the knowledge you gain to negotiate meaningful and effective contracts for a broad spectrum of your clients’ needs, applying your knowledge of law and business practices to a broad range of actions and establish and maintain client confidence and trust. You will support, coach, and lead your team members in the consistent and effective application of integrity, honesty, and tact in all of the dealings within your portfolio. You will execute all aspects of contracting transactions: from working with clients to develop and refine their needs through evaluation, negotiation, and selection of contractors for a dynamic range of supplies and specialized services. You will apply techniques to research market conditions and sources, develop effective strategies to achieve results, and negotiate to obtain the best value solutions for your clients’ diverse needs. You will apply your skills to effectively manage performance on technically complex contract engagements, including obtaining and monitoring funding levels and expenditures, analyzing contract costs, evaluating firms’ fiscal soundness, production capacity, and methods for quality assurance.
The Contract Specialist conducts advance acquisition planning and prepares novel or innovative acquisition plans, source selection plans, and contract terms, conditions, or financial arrangements which serve as models for future acquisitions. Advise clients and prepare procurement objectives for clear requirements to support optimal competition.
Serves as lead negotiator for Library programs involving multiple interrelated requirements and contracts; work with junior-level specialists to plan, negotiate, execute, and monitor contracts. Explains Library of Congress contract provisions for team members, clients, and industry personnel. Ensures agreements comply with contract terms and provisions.
Performs all aspects of contracting transactions for procurements with numerous different processes or elements resulting in extensive contract administration and subcontracting. Responsible for important and complex agency acquisitions involving diverse supplies and services, e.g., telecommunications and other electronic systems and subsystems, building maintenance, architect/engineering, etc. Coordinates contractual actions involving many sophisticated, multi-million dollar contracts with periods of performance.
Analyzes proposals extending for more than one year and requiring projecting expected changes in labor and material costs and technology that do not permit price comparisons because of restricted competition. Responsible for conducting extensive and complex cost and financial analyses. Uses cost estimating methods, such as learning curve, regression analysis, sophisticated contractual arrangements, extensive fact finding, etc. Prepares final price for negotiation position and participates as a member on the negotiating team.
Performs contract termination actions for significant project contracts after several years of work have been expended. Terminates highly specialized and complex procurements that are significant to the Library. Evaluates settlement proposals/claims involving disposition of large amounts of Government inventory and/or property.
No additional requirements to those listed above.
Although it is the Library's policy to afford the maximum pay benefit to employees when setting rates of pay, a new appointee who has had no previous Federal service will generally be paid the minimum step of the grade.
The incumbent of this position will work a flextime work schedule.
Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.
The Library of Congress is an equal opportunity employer. All who meet the eligibility requirements are encourage to apply.
Applicants must submit a complete application package that is received by the closing date of this announcement.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position. The certificate of disability must verify that the applicant has a severe disability and may be issued by a State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, a Disability Services or Career Services Office of the applicant's college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The date of certification must be within three (3) years of the vacancy closing date and must be submitted with your application. For more information contact the Library's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Programs at 202-707-3960 or email spp@loc.gov. FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR CERTIFICATION WILL CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION TO NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAM.
The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States and is part of the Legislative Branch of the Federal government. As such, all positions are in the excepted service.
Appointment/retention is subject to a favorable evaluation of an appropriate personnel security/suitability investigation.
The Library reserves the right to fill a lesser or greater number of vacancies indicated during the life of this vacancy announcement.
Initial appointments, permanent or indefinite, to the Library of Congress require completion of a one-year probationary period. In addition, per Library of Congress Regulation 2010-12, an appointee is subject to a one-year supervisory probationary period, if this is his/her first supervisory/managerial position at the Library.
Are you a veteran? Please indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming in your application materials and/or applicant profile and provide the appropriate supporting documentation to validate your claim. Those applying for 5-point preference must submit Member Copy 4 of your DD 214. Those applying for 10-point preference must fill out an SF-15 (click here for the form) and provide the required documentation listed on the back of the form. If required supporting documentation is not attached, Veterans' Preference will not be considered in the application process.
For more information regarding eligibility requirements, please see the Library of Congress Merit Selection Plan, Section X.D, at: http://www.loc.gov/hr/employment/msp010909.pdf.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
The Library of Congress evaluates applicants through an applicant questionnaire and a structured interview. Applicants may also be screened for some jobs through licensing, certification, and/or education requirements, a narrative/application review, and/or a preliminary telephone interview. The knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that are marked with a double asterisk (**) in the vacancy announcement and the applicant questionnaire are considered the most critical for a position. To be considered for final selection, applicants must demonstrate fully acceptable experience in these designated KSAs in the narrative/application review, preliminary telephone and/or full structured interview. The various assessment tools listed above are designed to verify or explore applicants' experience, knowledge, and training directly related to the job in order to identify the best qualified applicants for selection.
To preview questions please click here.
Current or former federal employees must submit their most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent). Disabled applicants claiming Selective Placement eligibility must submit proof of disability and a certification of job readiness. If Selective Placement is applicable to you, you will not be considered without submitting this documentation.
YOU MUST PROVIDE LEGIBLE TRANCRIPTS OR A LIST OF COLLEGE COURSES SHOWING COMPLETED COURSEWORK, SEMESTER HOURS EARNED, AND DEGREE(S) AWARDED. FAILURE TO SUBMIT THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION WILL ELIMINATE YOU FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION. OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS WILL BE REQUIRED IF SELECTED.
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.
Please carefully follow all instructions under the How to Apply tab to ensure you are considered for the position.
You are required to apply online for this announcement. We are unable to accept mailed or emailed documents. You must complete the entire application process, including submission of all documents BEFORE this announcement closes. To do so, complete the following steps.
Step 1: If you do not already have one, create a resume on USAJOBS. Although you must enter your Social Security Number for USAJOBS, this information will not be provided to the Library of Congress.
Step 2: Review the Job Announcement. We recommend you go to the end of the Qualification and Evaluation section of the job announcement to preview the online questions that you will answer in Step 4. You may wish to customize your USAJOBS resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions.
Step 3: Click on the "APPLY ONLINE" button to the right of this announcement. Follow USAJOBS' instructions to access your account and submit your resume. You will be redirected to the Hiring Management website to complete the application process. If this is your first time in Hiring Management, you will be asked to answer questions related to your eligibility for Federal employment. You will be able to update this information and save it to our account for future announcements.
Step 4: Once you have completed the eligibility questions, you will be taken directly to the vacancy application questions. Answer all questions honestly and thoroughly.
Step 5: Hiring Management offers three options that will electronically attach your documentation to your online application once you finish answering the questions in the job announcement.
(1) You may select a document that you have already uploaded to USAJOBS for a previous announcement.
(2) You may electronically upload a document directly from your computer to your application. Be certain to review your complete application for confirmation of the document uploaded and click on "Finished" to be returned to USAJOBS.
(3) You may follow the "Faxing Supporting Documentation" instructions within the online application, which will provide the necessary cover sheets for each of your documents so that they will be correctly submitted. The fax number will be available on the cover sheet.
Please note that each cover sheet and corresponding document must be faxed separately. Be certain to review your complete fax transmittal confirmation to ensure that all pages have been received.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have multiple documents of the same kind, e.g. 2 undergraduate transcripts from different schools or 2 SF-50s, etc., be sure that they are all in the same file on your computer or in your USAJOBS profile before uploading them. If you try uploading them individually, only the last one sent will be visible in our system. Likewise, if sending them by fax, be sure and include both of them behind the respective fax cover sheet and send them as one fax. If you send them individually with the same cover sheet, the last one sent will overwrite the first one. Finally, if you upload a document, e.g. your undergraduate transcript, do not also fax that same document (or fax another undergraduate transcript), because whichever one you send last will be the only one that is visible in our system. If you have any questions about this information, please contact the person on this announcement BEFORE the closing date.
Step 6: Click on "Finish" after you have completed your application. Once you have submitted your application, you can check your status online through your Hiring Management or MY USAJOBS account. Your complete online application and any required supplemental documentation (e.g., SF-50, etc.) must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of the announcement. It is your responsibility to ensure that all documents are received on time and that the materials are readable. Failure to do so will result in your application being excluded from consideration for this announcement.
If you are experiencing any technical difficulty with the online process, you MUST CONTACT THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE. For all technical issues please contact jobhelp@loc.gov , no later than 4:30pm EST of the Closing Date. REQUESTS FOR EXTENSIONS WILL NOT BE GRANTED.
Please review our evaluation process under Evaluation. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS "My USAJOBS" tab and clicking on "My Applications." You will receive final notification via e-mail when the vacancy has been filled.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/454280500. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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