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CONTRACT SPECIALIST

Department of Agriculture
Agriculture, Rural Development
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Direct Hire Authority: These positions are being filled through the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Direct-Hire Authority for this occupation.

NOTE: The location of the position will be determined based on the selectee. Selectee's duty station will be the closest RD State Office. The salary in the announcement is based on the Rest of US pay table. Actual salary may be different, depending on where the selectee is located.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
10/21/2021 to 01/13/2022
Salary
$77,488 to - $100,739 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
MANY vacancies in the following location:
Location Negotiable After Selection, United States
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
DE-11268676-22-EP
Control number
617899700

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Duties

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  • The position is located in Rural Development (RD), Business Center (BC), Procurement Management Office (PMO) Division. Procurement Management Office (PMO) is responsible for procuring services and supplies.
  • Performs market analysis to determine availability of the product or producers.
  • Modifying contractual clauses which discourage potential bidders from participating, identifying the possibility of converting production to Government needs, and determining the most advantageous time to solicit bids.
  • Performs price analysis, analyzing commercial pricing practices applicable to assigned commodities and economic developments relative to increased material, labor, or transportation costs as reflected in price indices.
  • Responsible for market analysis, new source development, advertising, solicitation development, obtaining bids, evaluation of bids, price analysis, planning and coordination of negotiations, awards or award recommendations, post-award procedures.
  • Selectee must have experience in confidently and clearly communicating both in written and oral fashion to a large audience including senior government personnel.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a US Citizen or US National
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check
  • Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
  • Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/
  • Federal employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of their duty location. If selected, you will be required to submit documentation of COVID-19 vaccination by November 22, 2021 or before appointment, if after November 22.
  • The agency will provide additional information regarding what COVID-19 vaccination information or documentation will be needed and how you can request of the agency a legally required exception from this requirement.
  • Applicants must meet the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting Program (FAC-C ) requirements and be certified at Level II or III within 24 months of hire.

Qualifications

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

Basic Requirements: You must possess the following: 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.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, qualified applicants must meet the following specialized experience or additional competencies or special qualifications:For the GS-12 level: Applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level; or its non-Federal equivalent that demonstrates: Experience in all phases of the acquisition process to include acquisition planning, solicitation, evaluation, award, administration, close-out, and termination; providing leadership and direction working with program offices for planning, developing, evaluating, and carrying out all aspects of the agency's contracting programs; experience advising on program plans and priorities that are fundamentally significant in establishing, meeting, and evaluating the agency's mission objectives and overall program goals; experience conducting detailed reviews of contract activities to improve operations efficiency. There is no education substitution for this grade level.


NOTE: To be considered for this position, you must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements for the GS-1102 series set forth in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards by the closing date of the announcement. A copy is available at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards

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.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

To be eligible for appointment to this position, the new hire must be cleared to come on board once the results of the fingerprint check, review of the OF-306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and the candidate's Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (eQIP) entries have been reviewed and determined to be satisfactory. This position requires a favorable credit check as part of the background investigation.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc) should contact: USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

If selected, you will be required to submit Form OGE-450 within 30 days of your initial appointment date, and annually thereafter. Selectee is subject to financial Disclosure Requirements in accordance with 5 CFR, Part 2635, Sub part E regarding business or personal transactions with applicants, borrowers, or business contacts who have or who are seeking business with this Agency. Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. If selected you will be subject to a National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) and a credit report.

This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

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 for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

This vacancy will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority (DHA). Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applications do not apply. For more information on OPM's authorization on DHA, please visit https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/direct-hire-authority/.

Applicants who "self-certify" that they meet qualifications, selective placement factors (if applicable) and other requirements by the closing date of the announcement will be referred to the Selecting Official for further consideration.

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 may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

A valid Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification is equivalent to a FAC-C at the same certification level, provided the FAC-C education and continuous learning requirements have been met.

Clicking the link below will present a preview of the application form; i.e. the online questionnaire. The application form link below will only provide a preview and does not initiate the application process. To initiate the online application process, click the "Apply" button to the right.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11268676

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