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Supervisory Contract Specialist

Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located within the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), Acquisition and Contracting Office (ACO).

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
05/03/2024 to 05/07/2024
Salary
$143,736 to - $191,900 per year

Salary displayed is the absolute maximum and minimum allowed. Pay will be set using the appropriate locality upon selection.

Pay scale & grade
GS 15
Location
4 vacancies in the following location:
Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)
Remote job
Yes
Telework eligible
Not applicable, this is a remote position.
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
15
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
NIH-ARPA-H-DH-24-12397238
Control number
789549300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National. Foreign nationals or legal permanent residents are not eligible for consideration.

Duties

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  • Serves as an expert in acquisition regulations and contract principles and holds an unlimited Contracting Officer warrant authorized to commit federal funds through the execution of contract actions.
  • Selects, trains, and provides oversight to subordinate leads to ensure that solicitation, evaluation, source selection, award, administration, and close-out decisions made by acquisition staff are sound.
  • Serves as the acquisition leader for the Mission Office.
  • Serves as a subject matter expert for research and development for team of multiple Agreements Officers.
  • Applies business acumen and risk management strategies to navigate complex acquisition challenges.
  • Mentor and guide colleagues to apply lessons learned from creative problem solving.
  • Continuously seek out and experiment new ideas to decrease barriers to entry for the Public Health Industrial Base and expedite effective dealmaking
  • Applies rapid support in a dynamic environment to serve as acquisition lead for a portfolio of high risk, high reward programs
  • Guides program managers to create business arrangements which will accomplish breakthrough, revolutionary health outcomes

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.
  • Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation, verification of qualifications, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, and any other job-related requirement before or after appointment.
  • Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
  • Those born a male who were born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • You must obtain (within a timeframe established by the supervisor) and maintain a Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting, Professional Certification (FAC-C-PC) throughout the duration of employment.
  • A one-year supervisory trial/probationary period may be required upon selection/placement.
  • A one-year probationary period may be required upon selection/placement.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements for the GS-15:

In order to qualify for a Contract Specialist, GS-1102 position at this grade, you must have:

A. Completed all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to GS-15 or higher level contracting positions, including at least 4-years experience in contracting or related positions. At least 1 year of that experience was specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the GS-14 level, and provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position AND you have completed 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. Visit our web page Guidance on Business Related Coursework for the GS-1102 Contracting Series for information on what coursework is qualifying along with other helpful information; OR

B. Occupied a GS-1102-13 position on or before January 1, 2000; OR

C. A current Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) employee with an approved waiver of educational requirements. To receive consideration, you must submit your waiver with your application.

Additional Qualifications for the GS-15:

In addition to the Basic Requirements above, you must demonstrate in your resume:

At least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-14 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: Advising personnel on acquisition regulations and contract principles; interpreting acquisition policies and regulations to advise personnel on contractual matters; developing solutions to acquisition and contract issues; and recommending improvements to acquisition operating policies and procedures.

You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay.

Do not copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Preview assessment questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12397238

Education

This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts (or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades). Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education.

Additional information

  • This position is designated as a "non-emergency/teleworker" position and the selected candidate will be considered a "non-emergency/teleworker" employee. In the event of a closure, you must be available to telework or request leave.
  • ARPA-H may repay certain outstanding Federally insured student loans to facilitate the recruitment and retention of highly qualified people. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.
  • A newly appointed or reappointed employee may receive service credit for prior work experience or active duty uniformed service that otherwise would not be creditable for the purpose of determining his or her annual leave accrual rate. All creditable service must be directly related to the duties of the position being filled and decisions to allow for such credit must be finalized prior to the selectee's entrance on duty. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.
  • A newly appointed or reappointed individual may receive a recruitment incentive. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.
  • A current federal government employee may receive a relocation incentive if moving from a different geographic location. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.
  • This position is eligible for remote work, a position designation where little to no onsite presence is required (e.g., once or twice annually). You may work anywhere in the U.S., including any of the territories. Worksites outside of the U.S. are prohibited. Your pay is determined by the geographically defined pay locality applicable to your approved worksite (e.g., home residence). Reporting to an NIH location may be required during the onboarding process. Visit NIH's Remote Work page for more information and requirements.
  • At the supervisor's discretion, this position may offer work schedule flexibilities: [compressed schedules, flexible schedules].
  • PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps should also apply online to this announcement in order to receive consideration.
  • The ARPA-H participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers.
  • The ARPA-H maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus.
  • Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
  • Visit NIH's Applicant FAQs page for helpful information on the application process.
  • Visit NIH's Total Compensation page and this sample for a detailed look into the benefits, awards, leave, retirement, and other incentives employees may receive as part of a rewarding work environment.
  • If selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE Form 450 to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest and your prospective position with the agency. This information is required annually. For information, visit the NIH Ethics website: https://ethics.od.nih.gov/fd.

How you will be evaluated

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

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

The position(s) advertised in this announcement are covered by GW-007 dated 10/11/18 a direct hire authority. Traditional rating and ranking of applicants, including category rating, does not apply to this vacancy. You will be initially evaluated against the basic qualifications only. Qualified applicants will be referred for consideration in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management direct hire guidelines. Veterans' Preference does not apply to positions covered by a direct hire authority.

To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. Ensure you support your self-ratings by the information you provide in your application. We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as having knowledge of your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin prior to receiving an offer.


To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

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