Clarification from the agency

ALL STATUS (current/former federal employees, eligible veterans, special hiring authorities)

Contract Specialist / PD#12010-A/12040-A

• The Contract Specialist ensures that specifications and statements of work are prepared in a manner which adequately describes the Government's requirements without restricting competition.
• Advises technical personnel as to inadequate, ambiguous or vague specifications to avoid Government liability.
• Performs a complete review of recommended sole-source requirements and conducts necessary market analysis to test the noncompetitive assumptions of requisitions.
• Prepares required findings and sufficiently documents determinations in this regard.
• Recommends the appropriate method of procurement, i.e. simplified acquisition procedures, sealed-bidding, negotiations.
• Advertises all applicable requirements and prepares the solicitation document using agency contract writing systems for issuance, insuring regulatory and legal sufficiency, and promoting maximum competition.
• Conducts public bid openings, reviews bids, and determines responsiveness and responsibility of low bidder in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements.
• Resolves protests, mistakes in bids, late bid situations and coordinates with the Small Business Administration for Certificate of Competencies (COC's).
• Identifies appropriate negotiation team members; formulates pre-negotiation objectives, and facilitates the negotiation as the chief negotiator.
• Prepares price negotiation memoranda, outlining in writing the details of negotiations with contractors in competitive and noncompetitive negotiations.
• Provides signatory authority and executes contract awards within warrant authority for their own contract awards and for staff that lack requisite warrant authority, as requested by supervisor.
• Serves as contract administrator on awarded contracts.
• Conducts post-award conferences with Contractor and Government personnel to provide information and to clarify standard and special contractual provisions of the contract.
• Negotiates required changes to contract conditions to protect the agency.
• Resolves problems of delivery, production, quality, inspection, and other pertinent matters.
• Performs cost/price analysis jon change order proposals and analysis of delivery requirements.
• Contract Specialist will fully utilize contract writing system, contract reporting system, financial management system, and prosthetics application suite, in accordance with Agency policies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Conditions of employment

You must be a US citizen to apply for this job.

Subject to a background/suitability investigation.

Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.

Position requires filing a Financial Disclosure report: Yes

Physical Requirements: The Contract Specialist position is primarily of an administrative nature in an office setting

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations where patients receive care or who come into contact with VA patients as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, paid and unpaid, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, students, researchers, volunteers, and trainees who work at these facilities. HCP that are unable to receive or otherwise decline a flu shot will be expected to wear a face mask throughout the influenza season.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

Time-in-grade: Applicants who are current Federal employees or who have held a GS grade anytime in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements. Example for a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07 level.

Basic Requirements for GS-5 through GS-12

A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's 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. Applicants who meet the criteria for Superior Academic Achievement qualify for positions at the GS-7 level.

NOTE: The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) does not grant Academic degrees; therefore courses completed at the DAU are not creditable towards meeting the 24 semester hour requirement, in the fields identified above, unless the coursework has been evaluated by an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and appears on a college or university transcript.

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.

Specialized Experience (GS-09):

Applicants must have One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-07) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Knowledge of acquisition regulations, contract law, and procedures applicable to acquisition and contract administration including change orders, supplemental agreements, terminations, claims, and close out of contracts.
  
• Knowledge of various types of contracts, including firm-fixed price, firm-fixed price with economic price adjustments, and cost reimbursement; and contract methods to include simplified acquisitions, sealed bidding, negotiations, cost sharing, multiple awards, commercial items and special provisions.
• Knowledge of contract administration principles and practices sufficient to monitor contractor performance and compliance with all terms and conditions of the contract.
• Knowledge of negotiation techniques sufficient to negotiate prices, terms and conditions, contract modifications and settlements.
• Knowledge and proficiency of an electronic Contract Writing and Management System (i.e. e-CMS) and ability to fully solicit, award, and administer contracts.

• 2 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or masters or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B. or J.D.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be rated on the following competencies based on your application for this position:

Competency 1 - Knowledge of contracting laws and policies, including, techniques of contracting operations, procedures of departments contracting requirements, and familiarity with the practices of business and industry sufficient to assist requiring activities in performing market research, reviewing specifications and statements of work, and approving acquisition milestone plans.

Competency 2 - Ability to interpret and apply Federal procurement regulations, policies, and procedures to complex and often obscure contracting situations.

Competency 3 - Ability to meet deadlines and deal with rapidly changing situations.

Competency 4 - Ability to communicate, both orally and in writing, to develop, solicit, award, and administer contracts, to present ideas, data, and recommendations effectively.

Competency 5 - Ability to lead conferences and discussions to reconcile differing objectives and viewpoints.
If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to: responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview.

If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to: responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

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, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.