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Contract Specialist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Regional Procurement Office Central, Network Contracting Office 16
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The purpose of this position is to serve as a Contract Specialist for the US Department of Veterans Affairs with the responsibility for performing professional work involving procurement of supplies and services using procedures outlined in the Federal Acquisition Regulations, VA Acquisition Regulations, Public Laws, and agency policy.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: Contracting Specialist - Total Rewards

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
10/24/2024 to 11/15/2024
Salary
$86,962 to - $130,369 per year

Salary will be determined upon selection and dependent upon duty location, step and locality pay of selectee.

Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 12
Locations
27 vacancies in the following locations:
Fayetteville, AR
North Little Rock, AR
Fort Walton Beach, FL
Panama City, FL
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy. Telework or Remote Work may be authorized for this position. Please see the Duties section for additional information.
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
NCS/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
CBZY-12586527-25-DM-NCO16
Control number
815760900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This position is open to current, permanent employees of Stations 701 and 130, 19 Procurement and Logistics Office (19PLO) and CTAP applicants.

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Duties

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The Contract Specialist is responsible for performing professional work involving the procurement of supplies and services using procedures outlined in the Federal Acquisitions Regulations, VA Acquisition Regulations, Public Laws, and Agency policy. Major duties and responsibilities include: Aids requiring activities in performing market research, reviewing specifications and statements of work, and approving acquisition milestone plans; Ensures specifications and statements of work are prepared in a manner which adequately describes the Government's requirements without restricting competition; Advises technical personnel as to inadequate, ambiguous or vague specifications to avoid Government liability; Performs a complete review of recommended sole-source requirements and conducts necessary market analyses to test the noncompetitive assumptions of requisition; Selecting the appropriate method of procurement i.e. simplified acquisition procedures, sealed bidding, negotiations; Responsible for advertising all applicable requirements and preparing the solicitation document using agency contract writing systems for issuance, insuring regulatory and legal sufficiency, and promoting maximum competition; Conducts public bid openings, reviews bids and determines responsiveness and responsibility of low bidder in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements when using sealed bidding; Serves as contract administrator on awarded contracts; Conducts post-award conferences with Contractor and Government personnel to provide information and to clarify standard and special contractual provisions of the contract; Negotiates required changes to contract conditions to protect the agency; Resolves problems of delivery, production, quality, differing site conditions, inspection, and other pertinent matters; Performs cost/price analysis on change order proposals and analysis of delivery requirements; Administers payment provisions of the contract for partial payments, progress payments and final payments using the VA Online Certification system; Establishes position of the Government in disputes and issues final decisions of the Contracting Officer; Closes out contract upon completion of the contract, resolution of all conflicts, and final disposition of payment and obtains adequate release of claims documents to protect the agency; Fully utilize contract writing system (i.e., Electronic Contract Management System), contract reporting system (i.e., Federal Procurement Data System), financial management system (i.e., Integrated Funds Distribution, Control Point Activity, Accounting, and Procurement), and prosthetics application suite (i.e., Graphical User Interface), in accordance with Agency policies. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Promotion Potential: This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed represent the full performance level of GS-12. At the lower grade levels, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher-level work, and availability of funds. Promotion is not guaranteed, and no promise of promotion is implied.

Work Schedule: Tour of Duty is 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Compressed/Flexible Schedules: Available
Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Remote: This is a remote position. (Remote refers to work performed on full-time basis anywhere other than a VA facility or using VA-leased space.)
Virtual: This is not a virtual position. (Virtual refers to work performed on full-time basis using VA-leased space or at a VA facility other than the facility that hired the employee.)

****If selected, applicant will be required to reside within the NCO16 geographical footprint. When residing within the NCO16 geographical footprint, telework (up to 80% per pay period) or remote work (100% off site) may be authorized upon supervisor approval. **

Position Description/PD#: Contract Specialist/PD99469S, PD99470S, PD99471S, and PD99472S
Bargaining Unit: This is a bargaining unit position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary in nature. There are no special physical requirements. The work is performed primarily in office areas or conference rooms and similar environments. However, it may require some traveling and visits to Government and/or contractor's facilities and other contract-related performance sites.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
  • Position requires filing a Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days from your start date

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks as a GS-05. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

Basic Requirements: Applicants must meet the basic requirement for this position.To meet the basic requirement for Contract Specialist GS-05 through GS-12 positions, applicants must have:
  • A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field. OR,
  • 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.
Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. 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. However, employees must meet specialized experience requirements when seeking another position.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/15/2024.

Education/Experience GS-07: Applicants must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirement for the GS-07 grade. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below for the GS-07 Contract Specialist position:

  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-05) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience includes experience with: Acquisition regulations, contract law, and procedures applicable to acquisition and contract administration; Various types of contracts and contract methods; Negotiation techniques sufficient to negotiate prices, terms, and conditions of contracts; Business practices to identify sources, analyze cost and pricing data; Monitoring contractor performance and compliance with all terms and conditions of the contract. OR,
  • Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have one full academic year of graduate education or law school, or a 4-year degree with superior academic achievement (SAA). To qualify on the basis of graduate education, graduate education must be 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,
  • Combination: Applicants may combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and graduate education described above to meet the qualification requirements for this position.
Education/Experience GS-09: Applicants must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirement for the GS-09 grade. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education described below for the GS-09 Contract Specialist position:
  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-07) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience includes experience with: Acquisition regulations, contract law, and procedures applicable to acquisition and contract administration; Various types of contracts and contract methods; Negotiation techniques sufficient to negotiate prices, terms and conditions, contract modifications, and settlements; Commercial and industrial business practices to identify sources, analyze cost and pricing data; Contract administration principles and practices sufficient to monitor contractor performance and compliance with all terms and conditions of the contract. OR,
  • Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 2 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or masters or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B or JD. 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,
  • Combination: Applicants may combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and graduate education that equates to 100% of the requirements for the GS-9 (only graduate education in excess of 1 year, 18 semester hours, can be used towards crediting a combination of education and experience).
Education/Experience GS-11: Applicants must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirement for the GS-11 grade. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education described below for the GS-11 Contract Specialist position:
  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-09) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience includes experience with: Federal Acquisition regulations (or similar), VA Acquisition regulations (or similar), contract law, and procedures applicable to acquisition and contract administration including change orders, supplemental agreements, terminations, claims, and close out of contracts; Various types of contracts including firm-fixed price, firm-fixed price with economic price adjustments, and cost reimbursement, and contract methods to include simplified acquisitions, sealed bidding, negotiations, cost sharing, multiple awards, commercial items, and special provisions; Cost/price analysis techniques used in evaluation of contractor proposals, change order proposals and to conduct negotiations; Negotiation techniques sufficient to negotiate prices, terms and conditions, contract modifications and settlements; Contract administration principles and practices sufficient to monitor contractor performance and compliance with all terms and conditions of the contract. OR,
  • Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 3 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree 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,
  • Combination: Applicants may combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and graduate education that equates to 100% of the requirements for the GS-11 (only graduate education in excess of 2 years, 36 semester hours, can be used towards crediting a combination of education and experience).
Specialized Experience GS-12: Applicants must also meet the specialized experience for the GS-12 grade. You may qualify based on your experience described below for the GS-12 Contract Specialist position:
  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-11) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience includes experience with: Federal Acquisition Regulations (or similar), VA Acquisition Regulations (or similar), contract law, and procedures applicable to acquisition and contract administration including change orders, supplemental agreements, terminations, claims, and close out of contracts; Various types of contracts, including firm-fixed price, firm-fixed price with economic price adjustments, and cost reimbursement, and contract methods to include simplified acquisitions, sealed bidding, negotiations, cost sharing, multiple awards, commercial items, and special provisions; Cost/price analysis techniques used in evaluation of contractor proposals, change order proposals and to conduct negotiations; Negotiation techniques sufficient to negotiate prices, terms and conditions, contract modifications and settlements; Commercial and industrial business practices to identify sources, analyze cost and pricing data; Program objectives, technical terminology, and uses of equipment, architect engineering services, or construction services to be procured to plan, negotiate and administer the contract; Contract administration principles and practices sufficient to monitor contractor performance and compliance with all terms and conditions of the contract.
  • Education: There is no education substitute for the GS-12 grade.

Education

Transcripts: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Transcripts must depict the name of the college to determine accreditation, and your name must also be displayed on the transcripts. If qualifying based on a degree, or for positions requiring a degree, the transcript must show the date the degree was conferred. If selected, you must provide official transcripts. Transcripts should state degree conferred, and have a date. Undergraduate transcripts are required to meet the basic requirement for this position; please submit all transcripts. Copies of Official Transcripts are accepted and are the best way to ensure your education is interpreted correctly in accordance with OPM qualification standards, but unofficial transcripts are accepted if they contain all the required information. If credit for a course is being questioned by the HR Professional performing qualifications, it is your responsibility to provide supporting descriptive information (course syllabus/descriptions) in your application package.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): To qualify for SAA, applicants must have completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree in any field and meet one of the following:
1. Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university or major subdivision.
2. A grade-point average of "B" (a GPA of 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.
3. A grade point average of "B+" (a GPA of 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.
4. Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. For a list of recognized honor societies please visit http://www.achsnatl.org/quick_link.asp.
For more information regarding SAA please visit http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/SEC-II/s2-e5.asp#e4f.

Graduate Education: To qualify for GS-1102 positions on the basis of graduate education, graduate education in one or a combination of the following fields is required: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.

Note: The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) does not grant Academic degrees; therefore courses completed at the DAU are not creditable towards meeting the 24 semester hour requirement, in the fields identified above, unless the coursework has been evaluated by an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and appears on a college or university transcript.

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Preferred requirements are available on the following FAC link: Contracting (FAC-C) | FAI.GOV

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; religions; 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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

For more information on these qualification standards, visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA 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. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

You will be rated on the following competencies based on your application for this position:

  • Contract Administration
  • Customer Service
  • Reading
  • Computer Skills
  • Pre-Solicitation
  • Contract Formation
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Decisions Making
  • Writing. (GS-09 only)
  • Cost Estimation and Analysis (GS-11 only)
Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

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