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Contract Specialist

Trade and Development Agency
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is part of the U. S. Trade and Development Agency. The incumbent participates in all aspects of contracting required to support the mission of the Agency. Responsibilities extend from the initiation of the procurement process to the final closing and settlement of contracts.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
06/30/2021 to 07/09/2021
Salary
$60,129 to - $113,362 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 12
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Arlington, VA
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
TDA-21-MP-11146175JS
Control number
606174600

Duties

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  • Plans and carries out a variety of pre-award and post-award procurement actions.
  • Analyzes procurement requests, identifies alternative courses of action, and determines appropriate procurement action.
  • Prepares written requests for proposals, which include a technical description of the acquisition, administrative and program support services and supplies, equipment or material required, terms and conditions of delivery.
  • Oversees technical review in compliance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Agency-specific requirements.
  • Evaluates proposals for conformance with the solicitation. Determines responsiveness to the solicitation and evaluates bidder?s capacity to perform and comply with contract clauses and specifications.
  • Participates in negotiations in the pre-award and post-award phases of contracting amendments/modifications, time extensions or other changes to contracts.
  • Works with the Contracting Officer?s Representative (COR) and relevant supervisors to determine the acceptability of the contract performance, and/or to recommend that remedial action be taken, up to and including contract termination.
  • Reviews and makes appropriate entries into the automated contract log and conducts market research to keep informed of businesses and organizations offering services in areas of interest to USTDA.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, determined by background investigation.
  • Direct Deposit of pay is required.
  • Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt.
  • Status candidates must meet time-in-grade (see Qualifications).
  • Background and security investigation for Secret and Top Secret Clearance.

Qualifications

This position contains a selective placement factor (SPF) that is part of the minimum requirement of the position at the GS-11 and 12 level. If you do not meet the SPF, you are ineligible for further consideration. The SPF for this position is: Possession of Federal Acquisition Certification - Contracting (FAC-C) Level II Certification on entry on duty. This document must be submitted with your application to be considered for the GS-11 and 12 level.

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Mandatory Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of your transcripts or other applicable documentation for verification, AND (3) meet the specialized experience and or education requirements for each grade level. Please review the following information before proceeding with the application process:

Basic Requirements at all levels:

  • (A) A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field; or
  • (B) 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.
Specialized Experience GS-09:
At the GS-9 level 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. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is in or directly related to the line of work of this position and has equipped you with the knowledge and competencies to successfully perform the duties of this position. Examples of specialized experience include experience performing pre-award and post-award contracting actions such as preparing solicitations, reviewing bids, preparing contract awards. and making determinations.
Education Substitution for Experience: At the GS-9, you must have at least 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education OR master's degree OR LL.B. or J.D. (*see note below).
*Graduate Education. To qualify for GS-1102 positions on the basis of graduate education, graduate education in one or a combination of the following fields is required: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.

Specialized Experience GS-11:
At the GS-11 level applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-09) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is in or directly related to the line of work of this position and has equipped you with the knowledge and competencies to successfully perform the duties of this position. Examples of specialized experience include experience with: Federal Acquisition Regulations (or similar), contract law, and procedures applicable to acquisition and contract administration including change orders, supplemental agreements, terminations, claims, and close out of contracts. Experience with various types of contracts, including firm fixed price, and contract methods to include simplified acquisitions and negotiations. Negotiation techniques sufficient to negotiate prices, terms and conditions, contract modifications and settlements.

Education Substitution for Experience: 3 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in the disciplines listed above.

Specialized Experience GS-12:
At the GS-12 level applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-11) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is in or directly related to the line of work of this position and has equipped you with the knowledge and competencies to successfully perform the duties of this position. Examples of specialized experience include experience interpreting and applying contracting policies, compiling acquisition information, reviewing requisitions for adequacy of the statement of work; soliciting pricing proposal or quotations, awarding purchase orders and/or contracts; and preparing necessary documentation to support award decisions and resolving any contractor performance issues.

There is no educational substitution for experience at the GS-12 level.

TIME-IN-GRADE: Current career or career-conditional employees of the Federal government, or former career or career-conditional employees, who have a break in service of less than one year, are required to meet the time-in-grade restriction of one year of Federal experience at the next lower grade, with few exceptions outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b).

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered. A written test is not required.

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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

If qualifying based on EDUCATION you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

Only education from institutions which are accredited or preaccredited/candidate for accreditation may be used to meet education requirements.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Programs: CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For information on CTAP and ICTAP visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/

Appointment Authorities: For more information on appointment authority eligibility requirements:


Telework Suitability:
The duties of this position are suitable for occasional telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval and if they meet the eligibility criterion in the 2010 Telework Act.

Stipulations of Employment:
Selection may require completion of a 1-year probationary period.

If selected, you will be required to file, prior to entrance on duty, a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450).

Applicants must be eligible to obtain and keep a security clearance. Appointment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.

Work Schedule:
This position allows for a flexible work schedule.

Miscellaneous:
TDA uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill similar positions within 90 days.

If selection is made below the full performance level, promotion up to the full performance level may be made without further competition. However, promotion(s) will depend on the performance of the incumbent and are not guaranteed.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

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

  • Analytical Thinking
  • Influencing / Negotiating
  • Oral Communication
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Technical Competency ? Contracting / Procurement

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