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CONTRACTING 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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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
09/22/2025 to 09/26/2025
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
No
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-MP-12805064JD
Control number
846552700

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.
  • Status candidates must meet time-in-grade (see Qualifications).

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.

Applicants must carefully review the information in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section for important information and instructions pertaining to the multi-hurdle assessment process for this position.

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

TIME-IN-GRADE: Current career or career-conditional employees of the Federal government, or former career or career-conditional employees, who have a break in service of less than one year, are required to meet the time-in-grade restriction of one year of Federal experience at the next lower grade, with few exceptions outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b).

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/

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for RA for Online Assessments.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Programs: CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. Please refer to Required Documents section for additional details. For information on CTAP and ICTAP visit here.

Appointment Authorities: For more information on appointment authority eligibility requirements:


Telework Suitability:
The duties of this position are not suitable for core or situational telework, use the Center guidance during an emergency or natural disaster.

Stipulations of Employment:

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

  • Your performance and conduct;
  • The needs and interests of the agency;
  • Whether your continued employment would advance the organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • Whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment may be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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.
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.

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.

Once the application process is complete, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment(s) required for this position (if applicable). You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

Note: Duplicative competencies indicate that the competency is being assessed in both the Assessment Questionnaire and USA Hire Competency Based Assessment.

  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online USA Hire Competency Based Assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

The USA Hire Assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration

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