Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens through Direct Hire procedures

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Under Secretary for Management, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, Office of Selective Acquisitions (OSA), Arlington, Virginia.

The primary purpose of this position is to direct and oversee the planning, negotiating and execution of the acquisition and administration process for acquiring extremely sensitive commodities, which ensure the successful operation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The incumbent also serves as the senior contract specialist responsible for administering the most complex and major acquisitions which are Department-wide in scope.

Duties performed:

• Provides direct supervision and coordination of the activities of subordinate staff consisting of contract specialists.
• Directs periodic and comprehensive nationwide assessments and evaluation of DHS's Procurement program goals and objectives that will provide a basis for long-range planning to enhance DHS's management capability.
• Provides authoritative recommendations to improve procurement operations and customer service; and develops or presents training on procurement-related topics.
• Serves as a Contracting Officer authorized to solicit contract proposals, negotiate, enter into, execute, and administer/terminate the most complex and sensitive public contracts for DHS.
• Manages complex, sensitive, critical, and precedent-setting DHS Procurement programs and initiatives that serve as a guide for other DHS procurement activities;

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).
• One-year probationary period may be required.
• A pre-employment drug test may be required.
• If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
• DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States.
• All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• License required: No
• Pre-employment physical required: No
• Bargaining Unit Position: No
• Permanent Change of Duty Station (PCS) Expenses will not be paid.
• Financial Disclosure: Incumbent is required to file financial disclosure forms when required.
• Promotion Potential: This position is at the full performance level.
• Supervisory Probationary Period: This is a supervisory position. Under provisions of the Civil Service Reform Act, first time supervisors and/or managers will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period. You may also be required to complete an appropriate supervisory training course within one year of assignment to this position.
• Drug Testing Position: This is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) and is covered by the Department of Homeland Security
  Headquarters Drug-Free Workplace Program. The incumbent is required to sign a Condition of Employment form (for certain positions identified for drug testing) and must pass urinalysis testing, as required, prior to appointment, reassignment, or transfer; and employee will be subject to random testing while employed with the Department in a TDP.

Qualifications

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirements AND Specialized Experience requirements as noted below.

Basic Requirement for the GS-1102 Contracting Series for the GS-15 grade level. You must meet one of the items listed below:

A. Completion of all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to GS-13 or higher level contracting positions, including at least 4-years experience in contracting or related positions. At least 1 year of that experience must have been specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level of the position, and must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position; AND A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, that included or was supplemented by 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. (Must include a copy of transcripts with application).

-OR-

B. Exception: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy as of 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 C.

-OR-

C. 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 Paragraph A 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 C, 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.

-AND-

To qualify at the GS-15 grade level you must also meet the Specialized Experience:

Specialized Experience:
GS-15: Applicant must demonstrate one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-14 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing the following duties:

• Managing acquisition teams that procure performance-based services and supplies;
• Performing post-award negotiations involving contract changes or modifications and operational interrelationships;
• Delivering presentations on program status, accomplishments, problems, and/or objectives to internal and external customers; and
• Supervising the activities of subordinate staff to ensure productivity and efficient use of resources.

NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Only the first five pages of your resume will be used to make this determination.

Selective Placement Factor(s): Selective placement factors are applied in the same manner as minimum qualification requirements. Relevant selective placement factor experience must be well documented in your resume. Failure to meet a selective placement factor will result in you not receiving further consideration. In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must meet the following selective placement factor(s):
Possession of a Level III Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C Level III).

Note: You must attach a copy of your certification to your application or else you will be found ineligible.

For Department of Defense applicants seeking to meet the certification requirements for FAC-C Level III through an equivalency determination, the incumbent must possess the following and provide the required verification documents:
1. Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Contracting Level III Certification, or
2. Acquisition Career Record Brief (ACRB) showing proof of a DAWIA Level III certificate, or
3. Department of Defense Contracting Professional/Foundational Certification along with your DAU transcript.

Note: You must attach a copy of the appropriate documentation to your application or else you will be found ineligible.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

NOTE: 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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Direct Hire Authority: These positions will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority. The "Rule of Three", Category Rating and Veterans Preference will not apply to this vacancy. For more information on Direct Hire Authority, please see: OPM Direct Hire Fact Sheet.

Veterans: Under the provisions of the Direct-Hire Authority, veterans' preference does not apply. However, applicants who are eligible for Veterans Preference are still encouraged to include that information in their application and submit supporting documentation (i.e. DD-214, or other substantiating documents). View information on veterans' preference.

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. If you are qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

To preview the assessment questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11616403