Clarification from the agency

Current or Former Federal employees, regardless of tenure Internal agency employees; including agency temporary employees, and eligible agency Experts.

Videos

This position is located in the Office of Administrative Services (M/AS) in the Post Logistics and Support Division of the Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, DC. The incumbent is responsible to the Chief, Post Logistics and Support Division for the process management and execution of all actions necessary to purchase, and ensure delivery of pharmaceuticals, and medical and administrative supplies and equipment required by Peace Corps Posts worldwide. On a daily basis, the incumbent generally supports an assigned geographic region but must be equally capable of supporting the Division's entire range of responsibilities. Additionally, the incumbent is responsible for completion of all the financial management system requirements necessary to support the recording, obligation and liquidation of Post funds committed for each purchase processed by the Post Logistics and Support Division. The incumbent serves as a liaison with interagency branches, GSA, other Federal agencies, vendors, and the public sector as required and assists the Division Chief in the accomplishment of ad hoc project work and logistical research requirements.

The Overseas Support Services Specialist performs the following major duties:

• Researches, locates, and recommends purchasing supplies for off-the-shelf items or services that are available from numerous sources, e.g., pharmaceuticals, and medical and administrative supplies and equipment required by Peace Corps Posts worldwide.
• Develops procurement plans by reviewing previous history, market conditions, and specifications or technical data packages.
• Audits the monthly blanket purchase agreement process as assigned by the Division Chief to ensure compliance with the standard of operations.
• Audit includes assessment of each blanket purchase agreement in accordance with Federal regulations the administration of the contract until final delivery and payments.
• Serve as a primary Agency liaison with overseas Posts, U.S. Public Health Service and other supply agencies for overseas requisitions, worldwide shipping matters and general assistance to overseas Posts and visiting staff.
• Develop and revise forms, standard operating procedures, training materials and handbooks regarding delivery and procurement of medical supplies and equipment for approval from the Division Chief.
• Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for Procurement and shipping Blank Purchase Agreements (BPA)
• Work with higher-grade specialists to assure established policy and strategies are applied to the procurement of medical and pharmaceutical supplies.
• Ensure purchases are in compliance with federal regulatory guidelines.
• Perform pre- and/or post award activities for items or services with standardized specifications, such as office machines, automotive equipment and supplies, or minor alteration or repair of buildings/roads.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Conditions of employment

Please read this announcement in its entirety prior to submitting your application for consideration.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen and meet the requirements of the program.
• You must be at least 18 years of age.
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. For additional information, see www.sss.gov.
• All Federal employees are required to have federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• Telework eligible positions do not guarantee telework. As a reminder - If you are selected for a position, you are responsible for reporting to your designated POD (location) on the negotiated start date or as directed by management.
• You must complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
• Applicants must go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. These documents must be unexpired original or certified copies.
• Applicants must successfully complete a background security investigation with favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet this requirement will be grounds for employment termination.
• This is a bargaining unit position.
• A one-year trial period is required.
• Additional hiring needs may be filled through this vacancy.

• This is a Federal civilian job in the Excepted Service. Peace Corps employees are paid on the Foreign Personnel (FP) pay scale.
• Initial appointment of employment cannot exceed five years.
• All new employees are required to certify and submit a state of understanding acknowledging adherence to the Peace Corps condition of employment prior to day 1 of employment with the Peace Corps.
• Qualified internal applicants will be given full consideration.
• Additional hiring needs may be filled through this vacancy.

Qualifications

All qualification requirements must be met by 02/05/2024 (the closing date of this announcement). Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

FP-04 (Equivalent to the GS-11/12)
To be minimally qualified for this position at the FP-04 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level in the normal line of progression, FP-05 or GS-09 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience in applying a wide range of technical methods, principles, and practices for purchases involving specialized medical and pharmaceutical supplies, administrative supplies and equipment; Experience in applying a wide range of technical methods, principles, and practices to negotiate and award purchase orders for rare and non-standard items or services, such as medical supplies and pharmaceuticals; Experience in administering purchase orders that require extensive monitoring and oversight to resolve complex problems, and coordinating/discussing these or similar problems with small purchase contractors and various agency or activity personnel.

~OR~

FP-05 (Equivalent to the GS-9)
To be minimally qualified for this position at the FP-05 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level in the normal line of progression, FP-6 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience is defined as: Skill in applying analytical and evaluative techniques to the identification, consideration, and resolution of issues or problems of a procedural or factual nature. Knowledge of procurement administration regulations, procedures, and practices to analyze and process procurement requests.

Additional information on qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/

~AND~

Time-in-Grade Requirements:

If you are applying as a status candidate, you must meet applicable TIG requirements to be considered eligible. To meet TIG for positions above the GS-05 grade level, you must have served at least one year (52 weeks) at the next lower grade (or equivalent) in the normal line of progression for the position you are applying to. The experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume. For more information on qualifications please refer to OPM's Qualifications Standards.

Note: All current or former Federal employees (including internal employees) must provide a copy of their SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one), "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).

Please note: Peace Corps employees are employed using the Foreign Personnel (FP) pay scale. The FP pay plan does not follow the same structure as the GS pay plan. In the FP pay plan, as the grade-level numbers decrease the level/pay for the position increases (e.g., the FP-09 is the lowest entry-level pay and the FP-01 is the highest senior-level pay).

How you will be evaluated

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

We use a multi-step process to review and evaluate applicants:

1. Eligibility and Minimum Qualifications

Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will review your submitted resume and documents to determine if you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, including any required education, experience, and/or selective placement factors. You will be rated as ineligible if you are outside of the area of consideration (i.e., who may apply) or your application is missing any required documents. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience that is cause for disqualification, and you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. You will be rated as not qualified if you do not possess the minimum qualification requirements.

2. Rating and Ranking

If you are found to meet both the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, we will assess the quality of your experience and the extent to which you possess the required KSAs by comparing your submitted resume and documents against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. (The occupational questionnaire is the list of questions in the automated system that you will have an opportunity to answer once you apply for the position). Based on the outcome of this evaluation, you will be assigned a numerical score (out of 100 possible). If your responses to the occupational questionnaire are not substantiated by your submitted resume, you may be eliminated from receiving further consideration.

3. Referral and Selection

If you are found to be amongst the most highly qualified applicants, you will be referred to the selecting official. As part of the assessment and selection process, the selecting official may invite you to participate in a structured interview, check your references, and/or request that you submit a writing sample or complete a written assessment or exercise to further evaluate your qualifications for this position.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

• Acquisition Strategy
• Customer Service
• Technical Competence