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CONTRACT SPECIALIST

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Contracting Department
This job announcement has closed

Summary

These positions are part of the, The John F Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. The incumbents will be responsible for serving as a Senior Contract Specialist who performs pre-award and post award functions for procurements involving complex highly specialized contracts including contracts requiring some knowledge of FAR Part 36 (Construction and Architect-Engineer Contracts).

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
07/28/2025 to 08/07/2025
Salary
$120,579 to - $156,755 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
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
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
KC-25-DH-12770714HD
Control number
841786600

Duties

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  • Documents contractor performance, cost controls, funds management, quality control, property administration, and adherence to contract delivery schedules, to ensure that the Contractor is performing in accordance with the terms of the contract.
  • Works with and advises the customer on best contracting strategies and methods and provides technical responses. May negotiate or assist in the negotiation of contract modifications and settlements for such changes.
  • Enforces contract terms, conditions, and provisions; prepares or takes action on requests for consideration; recommends and prepares contracts for terminations of default or convenience; prepares correspondence; and replies to the customer.
  • Performs or leads all pre-award contracting functions which require the use of a combination of contract methods and types to procure large, highly complex/high dollar Construction programs or services where little or no contractual precedent exists.
  • Determines method of procurement, milestones, acquisition plan and type of contract. Develops procurement plans by reviewing previous history, market conditions, and specifications or technical data packages.
  • Performs the full range of contract management activities consistent with external and internal policy and guidance.
  • Responsible for monitoring contractor's performance via meetings, conversations, correspondence, reports, vouchers, and site visits for status of contract performance, scheduling, problems that have arisen, solutions, and verification of deliveries.
  • Conducts or attends monthly Performance Evaluation Boards to formally advise the Contractor of performance on a monthly basis. Issues Corrective Action Requests when necessary to affect contractor performance.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • US Citizenship is required.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, determined by background investigation.
  • Direct Deposit of pay is required.
  • Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt.

Qualifications

Applicants for the GS-13 level must meet the following Basic Qualification Requirements and Specialized Experience:
- A 4-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor's degree, that included 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. NOTE: You are required to submit your unofficial college transcripts. If selected, official transcripts will be required prior to establishing an entrance on duty date.
AND
- At least 4 years of experience in contracting or related positions - 1 year of which is specialized experience.
***AND
- One of the following:
-A current Federal Acquisition Certification
- Contracting Professional-A current DoD Contracting Professional Certification

***AND
In addition to the basic qualification requirement, you must meet the following specialized experience qualification:
One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level. Specialized experience is that which has equipped the applicant with the competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. Specialized experience for this position includes the following: (1) Performing the full range of complex procurement and contracting functions to include contract negotiation, administration and termination; (2) Contracts, task orders, delivery orders and Interagency Agreements, and other contractual transactions to obtain the best value for the customer; (3) Performing life cycle costing and analysis for an unusually large amount of products and services with a large dollar value associated with procurement; (4) Developing procurement plans including analyzing procurement requirements, marketing conditions, the contractor's responsibility, and availability of products/services; (5) Reconciling contractual delivery times, terms and conditions; (6) Developing new terms and conditions or other innovations necessary to satisfy the unique procurement requirements and conditions; and (7) Organizing and implementing strategically sourced contracts.

Exceptions for the GS-13: 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.

NOTE: COPIES OF THE CERTIFICATION MUST BE PROVIDED WITH YOUR APPLICATION BY THE CLOSING DATE OF THE VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT.

Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

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; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Note: PDF Portfolio documents will not be processed or accepted as they appear as a one-page document.

Only education from institutions which are accredited or preaccredited/candidate for accreditation may be used to meet education requirements.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/

Additional information

This vacancy is being filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority. All applicants who meet the basic and minimum qualification requirements will be forwarded to the selecting official for consideration. Traditional rating and ranking of applications and veteran's preference does not apply.

Telework Suitability:
This position is suitable for core or situational telework, use the Center guidance during an emergency or natural disaster.

Stipulations of Employment:
Selection may require completion of a 1-year probationary period.

If selected, you will be required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450).

Work Schedule:
This position allows for a flexible work schedule.

Miscellaneous:
The Center uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill similar positions within 90 days.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants who "self-certify" that they meet the minimum qualification standards, and other eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement may be referred to the selecting official who may conduct their own assessment for further consideration and interviews.

The selectee's eligibility will be verified prior to extending a tentative job offer. After making a tentative job offer, all pre-employment and suitability requirements will be conducted prior to a final job offer. Selections made under this notice will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would, therefore, be given new appointments to the civil service.


Veteran's Preference:
Veterans' Preference does not apply to Direct-Hire recruitment procedures. Applicants eligible for veteran preference are encouraged to include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g. DD Form 214, SF-15 or other substantiating documents) to their submissions. For more information on veterans' preference (see https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-employment-initiative/vet-guide/).

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