This Notice is issued under direct-hire authority to recruit new talent to occupations for which there is a critical need of candidates. We have a severe shortage of qualified applicants for our Realty Specialist (Lease Contracting Officer). To help us fill these jobs, we have been granted “Direct Hire Authority” or DHA. This means that when we have a vacant job, we can hire any qualified candidate, either from this notice or from any source. The benefit of applying to this notice is that your application may be shared with a hiring manager if they request resumes from this notice.

A few key facts about this DHA notice:

• Many vacancies may be filled at the GS-12 or GS-13 levels
• Jobs have varying opportunities for advancement (promotion potential)
• Jobs may be located in any of the metropolitan areas listed.
• Availability of positions and grade levels vary by location. 
• Current civil service employees will receive new appointments if selected under this Direct Hire Authority.

Each metropolitan area will independently review applications and decide who to interview. For questions about
the selection process, contact the following:

• Greater Southeast Region - GA: 404-331-3186
• Great Lakes Region - IL: 312-353-5547
• Mid-Atlantic Region - PA: 215-446-4973
• New England Region - MA: HRBoston@gsa.gov
• Pacific Rim Region - AZ, CA, NV, HI: vacancy.inquiries@gsa.gov
• Northwest Arctic Region - WA: vacancy.inquiries@gsa.gov

If you have general questions about this job posting, or are having difficulty applying, contact us at 816-823-2006,
or nrc@gsa.gov.

For information on DHA, please visit https://www.opm.gov/directhire/index.asp.

Duties:

Acquisition Management:

• Prepares and maintains current acquisition plans and strategies, as well as appropriate milestone charts and schedules. Identifies customer space requirements. Performs comprehensive market surveys and building inspections to see if the offered space is potentially suited to meet customer requirements.
• Acquires leasehold interests in space for assigned customers with complex space requirements; solicits offers; develops, defines and negotiates lease terms and conditions; performs cost and price analyses of offers; incorporates complex modifications of terms and conditions into lease; and prepares and/or signs approval documents necessary to award the lease. Makes final award determinations and verifies the existence of necessary approvals for funding availability, and awards and executes lease.
• Oversees and enforces leases, modifying complex space provisions to reflect changes in ownership, the amount and configuration of space, and types of service received.
• Performs real estate administration functions for space provisions, including changes in the type of services received, enforcement of lease provisions, etc.
• Responsible for data input into several systems to track and administer procurement and billing information (such as GREX, REXUS, OA Tool and others).
• Ensures contractual documents/leasing information and final decisions are properly documented and input into the appropriate system.

Project Management:

• May serve as project manager for designated complex realty projects.  May lead an interdisciplinary team from GSA (architects, engineers, property managers, and attorneys) and from outside the Agency (lessors, developers, contractors, tenant agency personnel, or other technical personnel), to take the space need from planning and project execution through space delivery.  Performs the full range of project management duties, using project management principles and practices and established tools and technology to perform the full range of activities such as project identification, initiation, planning, execution and closeout.

Space Management:

• Analyzes the existing space inventory for available Government-controlled space in satisfying the space requirements customers. Consults and advises the customer in regard to the release and reduction of space.
• Reviews space requests; develops housing strategies, and consults with agencies on their requirements (amount, type, layout and location of space). Works with customers in developing their complex space specifications.
• Coordinates efficient space design and layout through oversight of construction activities related to a customer’s initial space alterations or post-occupancy space alterations.

Communication:

• Serves as the primary contact and technical representative for complex realty projects and realty matters often coordinating input from other personnel within and outside of GSA.
• Conducts/manages necessary interactions with internal and external stakeholders to develop, oversee, and/or execute solutions for varied customer business and diverse workspace needs.
• Prepares, reviews and approves required legal and contractual documentation as appropriate and authorized.

Conditions of employment

• US Citizens and National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
• Meet all eligibility criteria 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:

• Receive authorization from OPM on any job offer you receive, if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch.
• Serve a one year probationary period, if required.
• 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
• You may be required to participate in the Region's Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP), representing the Service and/or GSA as a whole. This may involve participating in COOP meetings and planning activities; performing mission-critical work at a designated location other than the traditional GSA office site (which may be outside of the commuting area); and ensuring that GSA's needs are still being met in the event of an emergency, disaster or otherwise unforeseen circumstance disrupting traditional office operations.

Qualifications

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.

For a brief video on creating a Federal resume, click here. 

Starting Pay for all locations will be dependent upon the associated GS-Locality Pay Table for that area. 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. The GS-12 salary range starts as low as $75,247.00 and as high as $117,669.00 per year depending on the locality pay of the duty location. The GS-13 salary range starts as low as $89,478.00 and as high as $139,916.00 per year depending on the locality pay of the duty location.  

To qualify for the GS-12, you must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-11.

Specialized experience is managing real estate transactions for commercial office space by researching, interpreting and applying real estate laws, regulations, and practices. This experience must include performing the following:

• Lease acquisition including negotiating, preparing and executing real estate contracts;
• Conducting market surveys and real estate site inspections;
• Performing real estate project management using project management tools to manage projects from inception to closeout
• Conducting cost analyses for real estate transactions to provide recommendations and;
• Managing lease transactions and documents to ensure procurement and financial accuracy

To qualify for the GS-13, you must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-12.

Specialized experience is managing a wide range of large scale, complex, and/or high visibility real estate transactions for commercial office space by researching, interpreting, and applying knowledge of real estate laws, regulations, and practices. This experience must include performing the following:

• Lease acquisition including negotiating, preparing and executing real estate contracts;
• Conducting market surveys and real estate site inspections;
• Performing real estate project management using project management tools to manage projects from inception to closeout;
• Conducting cost analyses for real estate transactions;Monitoring lease transactions and documents for procurement and financial accuracy; and,
• Analyzing and providing technical advice and direction in the development and implementation of real estate policy.

Preferred Qualifications and Skills for BOTH GRADES

It is preferred that you have: 

• completed bachelor's degree
• or completion of at least 24 semester hours (or equivalent) of business coursework.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Applications will be evaluated against the basic qualifications. Qualified candidates will be considered in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management Direct Hire Guidelines. Veterans' Preference does not apply to the direct hire recruitment procedures. Certain selections made under this notice will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees might be given new appointments to the civil service. You may not be considered for the position, if any part of the application is incomplete or missing the required supporting documentation. Falsifying your background, education and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or dismissing you if hired.

If you are an Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan eligible or a GSA Career Transition Assistance eligible, you must be considered well qualified to receive priority(ICTAP/CTAP). Well qualified is defined as possession of the majority of competencies or knowledge, skills and abilities required for the position and will be determined, based upon a review of your resume against the following:

• Ability to acquire and maintain a leasing warrant as well as complete all requirements for the appropriate GSA Leasing Certification Program which includes formal training, experience and completion of either a bachelor's degree or completion of at least 24 semester hours (or equivalent) of business coursework.
• Knowledge of real estate guidelines concerning lease scoring and issues surrounding capital lease vs. operating leases; knowledge of broker services contracts, technical services contracts, and how the services are ordered, administered and paid; knowledge of contract administration techniques to evaluate contractor proposals and prepare pre-negotiation strategies.
• Advanced negotiating skills to plan and contract for complex acquisitions involving numerous issues and concerns.
• Knowledge of a wide range of real estate principles, concepts and practices and market conditions and industry standards to acquire and manage space and provide guidance to customers on realty matters to acquire space and/or oversee broker-handled realty actions.
• Knowledge of acquisition manuals, regulation guides, and documents involved in planning and managing complex realty projects and/or highly specialized leases.
• Knowledge of cost and price analysis to forecast costs and evaluate prices; determine best business strategies; and to perform negotiations involving complex financial arrangements or conditions.
• Ability to plan, schedule, and balance all technical aspects of multiple complex projects with a wide range of variables and independently determine and execute the appropriate sequence of required tasks to fulfill customer agency needs.
• Skill in performing extensive coordination for matters involving sensitive issues, special and diverse customer needs, frequently changing requirements or unanticipated changes in requirements.
• Knowledge of space management principles, techniques, and regulations to monitor agencies’ use of space and/or manage federal space, analyze space needs, and plan major space reorganization and alterations to accommodate changing tenant requirements.
• Skill in applying quantitative and qualitative analysis in order to create solutions to solve complex real estate management problems. 
• Skill in communicating effectively orally and in writing concerning a wide range of complex realty matters.