Clarification from the agency

ALL U.S. CITIZENS. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

The major duties of the position are:

• Represent the Agency in meetings with both public and private sector officials involved in contracting and procurement activities.
• Provide professional guidance and direction to other contract specialists and to program and administrative staff in interpreting, applying, and complying with Federal and Agency contracting and procurement laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Serve as a warranted Contract Specialist with delegated signature authority, and provides expertise, advice, and recommendations to management officials and Agency staff on all aspects of contracting and procurement programs and functions.
• Exercise delegated authority for contractual actions and phases of assigned contracting and procurement programs, including contract negotiation, cost and price analysis, and contract administration.
• Research and analyze complex problems and issues relating to contracting and procurement functions.

Conditions of employment

U.S. Citizenship is required.

All qualification requirements must be met by 11/12/2024. Your application package will not be considered if it is missing any of the required documents listed under the "Required Documents" tab. Failure to submit required documentation will impact your eligibility for this position. If you have any concerns or questions regarding required documents, please contact FRTIB Operations (contact information is noted below in this announcement) prior to the closing date of this announcement.

Probationary Period. One-year probationary period may be required.

Selective Service. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law.

Background Suitability Investigation. Continued employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation and the granting of a federal suitability or security clearance. If selected, you may be offered tentative employment until the background investigation has been fully adjudicated.

If selected for this position, you will be required to provide documentation of your current, unexpired Contracting certification prior to appointment.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position applicants must meet the Basic Experience, the mandatory training requirement, and the Specialized Experience as described below.

Basic Experience:
Basic Requirements for GS-5 through GS-12
1. A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field;
Or
2. 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.

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.

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.

Basic Requirements for GS-13 and Above
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 of 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
B. 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.

Or
C. Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on 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 D.

D. 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 Paragraphs A and B 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 D, 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.

Mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to GS-13 or higher level:
FAC-C or Department of Defense certification in Contracting at any level, or Certified Federal Contract Manager from the National Contract Management Association. More information about FAC-C certification can be found here.

Specialized Experience: GS:12: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirement and the mandatory training, applicants must also have at least one year of full-time specialized work experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the next lower level (equivalent to the GS-11) in the federal government.

Specialized experience is defined as: (1) procuring supplies and services; (2) advising personnel on the development of statements of work; (3) formulating contracting approach; (4) securing supplies and services through use of both formally advertised and negotiated procurements; (5) administering contracts; (6) planning and conducting detailed contract price/cost analyses; and (7) reviewing procurement actions to determine cost effectiveness and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

GS-13: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirement and the mandatory training, applicants must also have at least one year of full-time specialized work experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the next lower level (equivalent to the GS-12) in the federal government. Specialized experience is defined as: (1) planning, negotiating, leading, and administering complex procurements of goods, systems or services, using a wide variety of cost and fixed-price contracts, multi-year contracts and extensive use of subcontractors; (2) developing contractual pricing arrangements and incentives; (3) auditing or reviewing major acquisitions, and then presenting findings, and (4) recommending corrective actions and policy or procedure improvements.*Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations. 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.

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.

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.

To preview the occupational questionnaire, click on the following link https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12592342.

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

Once the application process is complete, a review of the resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

Contracting/Procurement - Knowledge of various types of contracts, techniques, or requirements (for example, Federal Acquisitions Regulations) for contracting or procurement, and contract negotiation and administration.

Technical Competence - Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.

Writing - Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a brief, clear, and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). The ICTAP provides eligible displaced federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility, you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and you are found Well Qualified for this vacancy. Well Qualified means you must meet all the minimum qualification standards listed above and be assessed and assigned the rating of at least Well Qualified to receive special selection priority. Well Qualified is further defined as possessing the Basic Qualifications and meeting the specialized experience noted above.

You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Information about ICTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition website.

When a sufficient pool of candidates has been determined only members of that group will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.