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Contract Specialist

General Services Administration
Federal Acquisition Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

As a Contract Specialist you will be responsible for the full range of pre-award and post-award functions within the Federal Acquisition Service.

Location: The position will be within the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS). Location will be determined once selection is made based on residence. 

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
07/10/2024 to 07/12/2024
Salary
$72,553 to - $140,713 per year

Final salary will be based on the GS grade level and duty location.

Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Location
Many vacancies in the following location:
Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)
Many vacancies
Remote job
Yes
Telework eligible
Not applicable, this is a remote position.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional travel is required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12 - Selections at the GS-11 grade level will have promotion potential to the GS-12 grade level.
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
Q-2024-0025
Control number
798853000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This public notice is issued under the Direct Hire Authority (DHA) for Scientific, Technical, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) positions for which there is a critical hiring need. This means that we can hire any qualified candidate from this notice or any other source. -Current civil service employees will receive new appointments if selected under this DHA. -For information on DHA, please visit https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/direct-hire-authority/

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Duties

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You will be responsible for performing the following Major Duties:

  • Prepares solicitation documents, incorporating specialized provisions, such as cost accounting standards, requirements for technical proposals with appropriate weighting factors, cost or price escalation factors, socioeconomic programs, etc.
  • Pre-award: Incumbent reviews and analyzes requests for procurements, revising the statement of work, drawings or specifications in coordination with the requiring or program office.
  • Post-award: Conducts post-award conferences with the contractor to provide information, to clarify standard and special provisions of the contract and to maintain liaison with the contractor to interpret contractual obligations and resolve problems.
  • Negotiates changes and other modifications to contracts directly with contractor personnel on material and labor costs, overhead, profit or fees, resolving disagreements between auditor and contractor involving audit determined cost or pricing.
  • Prepares memoranda to explain rationale and methods used in arriving at final negotiated price and other agreements.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • US Citizenship or National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
  • Meet all eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date.
  • Register with Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959

If selected, you must meet the following conditions:

  • Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-­Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.
  • Serve a one-year probationary period.
  • Undergo and pass a background investigation based on the Security Level designation on the assigned Position Description. Position security requirements are dependent on the position for which selected, and may be designated at Top Secret, Secret, No clearance required, High Risk, Moderate Risk or Low Risk. Dependent on which position you are selected for you will be required to undergo and pass the appropriate Tier background investigation level. You must be granted the required security clearance before you can start the job, as applicable."   
  • Dependent on the security requirements of the position for which selected, the incumbent of this position MAY be subject to drug testing." 
  • Have your identity and work status eligibility verified if you are not a GSA employee. We will use the Department of Homeland Security’s e-Verify system for this. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of continued employment.
  • The incumbent of this position may be required to obtain and maintain a Contracting Officer warrant; as required the incumbent ensures that all required training and FAC-C certifications are current.
  • At the target grade level (GS-12), you will be required to complete a financial disclosure report to verify that no conflict, or an appearance of conflict, exists between your financial interest and this position. 

Qualifications

For each job on your resume, provide:

  • the exact dates you held  each job (from month/year to month/year)
  • number of hours per week you worked (if part time).    

If you have volunteered your service through a National Service program (e.g., Peace Corps, Americorps), we encourage you to apply and include this experience on your resume.

For a brief video on creating a Federal resume, click here

The GS-11 salary range starts at $72,553 and GS-12 salary range starts at $86,962 per year. For more information on GS locality pay scales, please visit the OPM Salaries & Wages webpage. If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.  

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcript(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcements to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.  

GS-1102 BASIC REQUIREMENT: You must meet the criteria in option A or B, or meet the exception noted below.

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.
EXCEPTION: If you were in a GS-1102 position on January 1, 2000, you will be exempt from meeting the educational requirements for the grade level of that position.

GS-11 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to the Basic Requirement listed above, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience utilizing a variety of contract types, methods, and techniques needed to negotiate, award, and/or administering contracts; and interpreting and/or applying relevant laws, regulations, policies, and procedures governing procurement and contract administration.

EDUCATION SUBSTITUTION (GS-11 Level ONLY): If you do not have the specialized experience described above at the GS-11 level, you may qualify if you have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR three full years of progressively higher level related graduate level education leading to such a degree; OR a LL.M. 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.

GS-12 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to the Basic Requirement listed above, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience performing a wide range of pre- and/or post-award contract activities such as soliciting, negotiating, awarding, monitoring, and/or closing out contracts; and interpreting and applying federal acquisition regulations, agency policies, and contract law principles to ensure compliance.

Education

Note: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:  https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ 

Additional information

If you are selected at a grade lower than the full performance level, you may be promoted up to that grade level without having to re-apply or compete against other applicants.

Bargaining Unit Status: This position may be eligible for the bargaining unit

Relocation-related expenses are not approved and will be your responsibility.  

Additional vacancies may be filled through this announcement in this or other GSA organizations within the same commuting area as needed; through other means; or not at all.

GSA is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility that goes beyond our compliance with EEO regulations including: 

  • Valuing and embracing diversity, promoting equity, inclusion and accessibility, and expecting cultural competence; and
  • Fostering a work environment where all employees, customers and stakeholders feel respected and valued.
Our commitment is: 
  • Reflected in our policies, procedures and work environment;
  • Recognized by our employees, customers and stakeholders; and
  • Drives our efforts to recruit, attract, retain and engage the diverse workforce needed to achieve our mission.

Current Civil Service employees will receive a new appointment if selected under the Direct Hire Authority (DHA).

If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency at FairChanceActComplaint@gsa.gov or visit GSA's webpage.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applications will be evaluated against the basic and minimum qualifications. Qualified candidates will be considered in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management Direct Hire Guidelines. Applications will not be rated or ranked. Veterans’ Preference does not apply to the direct hire recruitment procedures.

You may not be considered for the position, if any part of the application is incomplete or missing the required supporting documentation. Falsifying your background, education and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or dismissing you if hired. 

ICTAP/CTAP Candidates: The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found “well-qualified" for this vacancy. In addition to meeting the basic and minimum qualifications stated in the qualification section of this announcement, well qualified is defined as: experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position, demonstrated by meeting at least 51% or more of the competencies/KSA’s listed below (e.g. 3 or 4 out of 4).

The competencies/KSAs required for the position are:

  • Knowledge of Federal and agency contracting laws, policies, regulations and procedures to acquire and administer contracts for a wide range of extensive or unique services, supplies and equipment.
  • Knowledge of various types of contracts, methods of contracting and selection factors to satisfy complex requirements and to conduct negotiations in the pre award and post award phases of contracting.
  • Skill in the use of negotiation techniques sufficient to negotiate prices, terms and conditions, contract modifications and settlements.
  • Knowledge of current software and media applications to facilitate the efficient exchange and reporting of information via email, spreadsheets, WebEx, and other IT systems supporting the Integrated Acquisition Environment (e.g., SAM, eSRS, CPARS/PPIRS/ FAPIIS).

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