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Duties

Summary

This position is located in the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Administrative and Financial Management (AFM), Acquisition Program with 1 vacancy in each of the following locations: Beltsville, MD; Albany, CA; and Stoneville, MS.

The primary function is to provide acquisition support to the customers of the Agricultural Research Service as well as to provide support to other Research, Education, and Economics agency customers when needed.

The incumbent is responsible for providing contracting support as a Contracting Officer for various types of procurement actions including but not limited to service and supplies contracts, commercial acquisitions, negotiated procurements, Federal Supply Schedule buys, simplified acquisitions, construction contracts, and architect and engineering (A-E) contracts.

Stoneville, MS (Rest of the United States pay table):
$73,375 - $113,428

Beltsville, MD (Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay table):
$81,548 - $126,062

Albany, CA (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay table):
$88,582 - $136,936
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Responsibilities
Major Duties may include, but are not limited to:
- Serves as advisor to program officials in contract planning meetings and works with program offices and technical contacts to produce specifications, performance work statements or statements of work.
- Develops contract objectives for the program in terms of competition and price range, and constructs the contractual vehicle including use of pricing arrangements, subcontracting policy, bet-aside policies, and similar considerations.
- Coordinates with ARS program offices nationwide to initiate projects, develops requirement objectives, conducts risk assessment and benefit analysis, and conducts acquisition planning.
- Analyzes the current industrial climate, geographic area, and economic conditions to maximize competition and understand best practices, and industry product/services specific terms and conditions.
- Performs contract administration to determine contract compliance by the contractor, receipt of quality supplies/services.
- Prepares Requests for Proposals, Requests for Quotes, and invitation for Bids.
Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional travel required to attend trainings or conferences

Supervisory status

No

Promotion Potential

13

Who May Apply

This job is open to…
Current permanent Federal employees with competitive status, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP and VEOA eligibles; Farm Service Agency permanent county employees; reinstatement eligibles; Individuals with Disabilities; certain military spouses; 30% or more disabled veterans; and those eligible for other Special Hiring Authorities within the local commuting area.
Questions? This job is open to 6 groups.
Job family (Series)

1102 Contracting
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Requirements

Conditions of Employment
- Satisfactory background investigation and/or fingerprint check
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
- You must be a US Citizen or US National.
- Financial disclosure will be required.
Subject to satisfactory completion of a one year probationary period.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including the following specialized experience and/or education, as identified below.

Time in grade:
Applicants must meet one year at the next lower grade to be considered for the next higher grade (e.g. one year at the GS-11 grade level for consideration for the GS-12 grade level.).

AT THE GS-12 LEVEL

Basic Requirements
A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelors degree with a major in any field;

OR

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. Employees who occupy GS-1102 positions at grades 5 through 12 will be considered to meet the basic requirements for other GS-1102 positions up to and including those classified at GS-12. This includes positions at other agencies and promotions up through grade 12. However, employees must meet specialized experience requirements when seeking another position.

AND

Specialized Experience:
Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for each grade level advertised. The specialized experience requirements for this position are:

Qualifying experience for GS-12 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-11 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the competencies to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience assisting in performing pre-award and post-award contracting activities including acquisition strategy, negotiations and contract administration; performing cost analyses to determine fair prices and best values; and monitoring contractors and subcontractors for compliance with contract specifications and regulations.

AND

Selective Placement Factor(s):
In addition to the specialized experience requirement listed above, this position has a selective placement factor(s):

Must possess a Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Level II (or equivalent).

If SPF experience is not documented in your resume, you will not receive further consideration under this announcement.

AT THE GS-13 LEVEL

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

A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelors 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.

AND

Specialized Experience:
Specialized experience is experience directly related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience must be described for each grade level advertised. The specialized experience requirements for this position are:

Qualifying experience for GS-13 includes one year of specialized experience comparable to GS-12 which is directly related to the work of this position and which has equipped the applicant with the competencies to perform successfully the duties of the position. For this position, specialized experience is experience participating in long-range planning for acquisition and contract management programs; performing pre-award and post-award contracting activities including acquisition strategy, negotiations and contract administration; performing cost analyses to determine fair prices and best values; monitoring contractors and subcontractors for compliance with contract specifications and regulations; and conducting market research to support acquisition and contract activities.

AND

Selective Placement Factor(s):
In addition to the specialized experience requirement listed above, this position has a selective placement factor(s):

Must possess a Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Level III (or equivalent).

If SPF experience is not documented in your resume, you will not receive further consideration under this announcement.

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.

For more information on the qualifications for this position, click here: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/Standards/group-stds/gs-admin.asp

Education

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan(CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, provide proof of eligibility to include your most recent performance appraisal, SF-50, and proof of eligibility such as a RIF separation notice or letter from OPM/your agency. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles will be considered well-qualified if achieving a rating of 85 or above. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is on OPMs Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/ctap/index.asp

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION AND FINGERPRINT CHECK: Selection and retention in this position is contingent on a successfully adjudicated FBI National Criminal History Check (fingerprint check) and a background investigation.

E-Verify: Federal law requires agencies to use the E-Verify system to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. If you are selected as a newly hired employee, the documentation you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 on your entry-on-duty date will be verified through the DHS E-VERIFY system. Under the system, the new hire is required to resolve any identified discrepancies as a condition of continued employment.
Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better.
See https://www.congress.gov/114/plaws/publ47/PLAW-114publ47.pdf.

If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.

More information on applying under special hiring authorities such as the Veteran’s Recruitment Act (VRA), 30 percent disabled veterans, and Schedule A Disabled may be found on the USAJOBS website.

This position is eligible for telework and other flexible work arrangements.

Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA).

This announcement may be used to fill multiple vacancies.

Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career- conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.

Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choosing.

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How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
- You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the education, experience, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies listed below:
- We will review your application, including the online Occupational Questionnaire, to ensure you meet the job requirements and assess your ability to perform this job. Before any certificate can be issued to the selecting official, the resume and supporting documents are reviewed by an HR Specialist to ensure that (a) minimum qualification requirements are met and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your answers will be verified against information provided in your online resume and application. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position.
- Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Non-Competitive candidates need to meet minimum qualification requirements to be referred.
Note: If, after reviewing your resume and / or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score can / will be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you.

The questionnaire will assess your qualifications for the job, and will be used to identify the best qualified applicants to be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interviews. Your ratings in this Assessment Questionnaire are subject to evaluation and verification based on the documents and references you submit. Later steps in the selection process are specifically designed to verify your ratings. Attempts to falsify information; inflate your qualifications or providing inaccurate information on federal documents may be grounds to adjust your rating or to not select you. Errors, omissions or providing inaccurate information on federal documents may affect your eligibility. If selected providing inaccurate information on federal documents could also be grounds for dismissing you from the position/agency. Please follow all instructions carefully.

To view the application form, visit: https://ars.usda.ntis.gov/cp/?event=jobs.previewApplication&jobid=AB002D66-96FE-479D-A2C1-A90A00B120C8
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Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance

Public Trust - Background Investigation
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Required Documents

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

•     Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) supervisor’s phone number and whether or not the supervisor may be contacted for a reference check; 5) other qualifications.
•     If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit http://www.naces.org/members.htm. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
•    Current and former Federal employees:
      o    Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing that you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND
      o    Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. Do not submit a performance plan.
•     Current permanent FSA County employees must submit your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action, (SF-50 or equivalent) showing your highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) per above.
•     Veteran Hiring Authorities: VEOA, VRA and 30% Disabled Veterans: DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. Without this documentation, you will not receive veteran’s preference and your application will be evaluated based on the material(s) submitted.
•     If claiming 10-point veteran’s preference you must provide the DD214 or certification requirements (see above bullet), plus the proof of entitlement of this preference as listed on the SF-15 Application for 10-point Veterans’ Preference. The SF-15 should be included but is not required. Failure to submit these documents could result in the determination that there is insufficient documentation to support your claim for 10-point preference. For more information on veterans’ preference see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/
•     Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act:
o   Copies of Notification of Personnel Action(s) (SF-50) showing the employee served in eligible appointment(s) for a period(s) of more than 24 mo. w/o a break between appointments of two+ years. Include initial hire actions, extensions, conversions and separation SF-50s for each period. Submit performance rating(s) showing acceptable performance for each period counted towards eligibility signed by supervisor(s). If documentation does not exist for one or more periods, submit a statement from supervisor(s) indicating acceptable performance. Applicants who do not have performance documentation for any period shall provide a reason why the documentation is not available and statement that performance for all periods was at an acceptable level.
•     Schedule A, Persons with Disabilities Appointment: Letter from a physician, local, state or federal rehabilitation office citing eligibility under 5 CFR 213.3102 (u). http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text- idx?
•     Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
•     Other Special Hiring Authority: If claiming eligibility under a special hiring authority not listed above, see the requirements for that authority and submit the required supporting documentation. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/hiring-authorities

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

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.
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Benefits

A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits.

The Federal Service offers a comprehensive benefits package. Explore the benefits offered to most Federal employees at: https://www.usa.gov/benefits-for-federal-employees

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time, or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m., Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement in order to be entered into the system prior to its closing.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; contact the Agency Contact to request this.

To begin, click "Apply Online" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.

NOTE: You must verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the Agency's staffing system. Applicants may combine all like required documents (e.g., all SF-50s) into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping like documents into files will simplify the application process. Documents must be in one of the following formats: GIF, JPEG, JPG, PDF, PNG, RTF, or Word (DOC or DOCX). Uploaded documents may not require a password, digital signature, or other encryption to open.

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Agency contact information

Jessica Smith

Phone

7039959697

TDD

202-855-1234

Fax

XXX-XXX-XXXX

Email

jconaway@yrci.com

Address

USDA/ARS
5601 Sunnyside Ave
Beltsville, MD, 20705
United States

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Next steps

Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account at https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login to check your application status. We expect to make a final job offer approximately 40 days after the deadline for applications.

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Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is setup to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) for federal employees & job applicants
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Reasonable Accommodation Policy
Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process should follow the instructions in the job opportunity announcement. For any part of the remaining hiring process, applicants should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits.

Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when:
- An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job.
- An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace.
- An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events.
You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application or hiring process or while on the job. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Learn more about disability employment and reasonable accommodations or how to contact an agency.
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Legal and regulatory guidance

This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/503874100. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.

Contract Specialist

Department of Agriculture

Overview

Open & closing dates

Salary

Pay scale & grade

Work schedule

Appointment type

Locations

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Duties

Summary

Responsibilities

Travel Required

Supervisory status

Promotion Potential

Who May Apply

This job is open to…

Job family (Series)