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Contract Specialist

Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
This job announcement has closed

Summary

There are many vacancies across the NIH. Below is a list of Institutes/Centers that are participating in this recruitment to fill their vacancies:

Additional institutes/centers may participate in this announcement. It is highly encouraged to apply even if your desired institute/center is not listed

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
07/08/2024 to 07/12/2024
Salary
$72,553 to - $140,713 per year

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

Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Frederick County, MD
Montgomery County, MD
Durham, NC
NIH - US Locations
Remote job
No
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
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
NIH-GR-DH-24-12423225
Control number
798597500

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. NIH may use this announcement to consider current Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) employees with an approved waiver of education requirements. If you are a current DHHS employee with an approved waiver, please submit a copy of your waiver with your application.

Duties

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  • Perform specialized and complex contract award and contract administration work.
  • Research, interpret, and apply the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures governing NIH acquisitions.
  • Evaluate bid responsiveness, contractor responsibility and performance.
  • Apply knowledge of contract principles, laws, statutes, Executive Orders, regulations and procedures applicable to pre-award and/or post-award actions sufficient to procure and/or administer contracts for a variety of specialized equipment, services, and/or construction.
  • Conduct studies of problem areas and develop standard methods and operating procedures.
  • Coordinate and conduct negotiations on assigned programs, persuade audiences, and deal effectively with resistance to proposed plans and ideas, while giving adequate consideration to alternative plans and ideas.
  • Apply critical thinking and judgment skills to various work assignments to identify and troubleshoot potential problems and to develop remedies and solutions.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Conditions Of Employment:

  • This position is covered under the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) Act. As an HHS Acquisition Workforce position, selectee(s) must obtain a FAC-C (Professional) Certification within 36 months of entrance on duty. Applicants who possess a current FAC-C (Professional) Certification (or equivalent) must provide a copy of the certification with their application. If you are selected for a position covered by a Bargaining Unit this requirement may not apply.
  • 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.
  • Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • Position requires Education, please submit transcripts.
  • Position requires a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE Form 450.
  • 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/topics/fd.html.
  • If selected to work for the NIEHS in Durham, North Carolina, you will be covered by a bargaining unit (union).

Qualifications

Basic Requirements for the GS-11/12:
In order to qualify for a Contract Specialist, GS-1102 position, you must have:
A. completed 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;
OR
C. occupied a GS-1102 position on January 1, 2000.

NOTE: Employees who occupy GS-1102 positions at grades 5 through 12 will be considered to meet the basic requirements for other GS-1102 positions up to and including those classified at GS-12. This includes positions at other agencies and promotions up through grade 12.

Additional Qualifications for the GS-11: In addition to the basic requirements above, you must demonstrate in your resume:

A. At least 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: performing recurring assignments in support of a local installation or in a centralized procurement activity; procuring supplies or services primarily through formal advertising, or through limited use of negotiation techniques; and/or evaluating bids or proposals for compliance with specifications or purchase descriptions and applicable clauses;
OR
B. completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree;
OR
C. 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education in one or a combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management;
OR
D. a combination of post baccalaureate education and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

Additional Qualifications for the GS-12: 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-11 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: serving as Contract Specialist responsible for all aspects of the contracting transactions from initiation to recommendation of award for the: (1) central procurement of commodities or services for several activities in a geographic area, or for an agency or a department; or (2) performing acquisition planning, preparation of price/cost analyses for designated actions, formulation of negotiation strategies, development of negotiation objectives, and negotiation of various types of contracts.

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/12423225

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.

If you qualify based on education in lieu of specialized experience, 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 packages. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education.

Additional information

  • Some positions in this announcement are eligible for non-local remote work. Please select the "Location Negotiable" or "All-NIH Locations" location when applying if you wish to be considered for non-local remote work. All other location(s) are not eligible for non-local remote work. Non-local remote is 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 also be required during the onboarding process. Visit NIH's Remote Work page for more information and requirements.
  • At the discretion of the IC, this position may be eligible for local remote work, a position designation where onsite presence is required only on an irregular or infrequent basis, not to exceed two days or 16 hours every two weeks. Your worksite (e.g., home residence) must be within the same geographically defined pay locality as the location in this announcement or the location(s) you choose to be considered for when applying. Visit OPM's page for pay locality definitions. Visit NIH's Remote Work page for more information and requirements.
  • Guidance on Business Related Coursework for the GS-1102 Contracting Series
  • 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.
  • A one-year probationary period may be required.
  • 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.
  • NIH 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.
  • 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 National Institutes of Health 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 NIH 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 our Applicant FAQs page for helpful information on the application process.
  • Visit our 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.

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 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 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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