If you have experience in contracting, negotiating, and providing policy guidance and technical assistance to the acquisitions community AND you want to play a significant role in a dynamic organization, then consider joining the Office of Acquisition and Logistics Management (OALM), Office of the Director (OD). For more information, please visit https://oalm.od.nih.gov/.
If you have experience in contracting, negotiating, and providing policy guidance and technical assistance to the acquisitions community AND you want to play a significant role in a dynamic organization, then consider joining the Office of Acquisition and Logistics Management (OALM), Office of the Director (OD). For more information, please visit https://oalm.od.nih.gov/.
Salary displayed is the absolute minimum and maximum allowed. Pay will be set using the appropriate locality upon selection.
You must be a current or former federal employee eligible to apply under merit promotion procedures or otherwise be eligible as a status applicant (e.g., Veterans Employment Opportunity Act) OR be an individual who is eligible through an OPM interchange agreement or for a non-competitive appointment. This job is also open to USPHS Commissioned Corps Officers and Call-To-Active Duty (CAD) Candidates.
NIH may use this announcement to consider current Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) employees with an approved waiver of education requirements. If you are a current DHHS employee with an approved waiver, please submit a copy of your waiver with your application.
Basic Requirements for the GS-11/12:
In order to meet the basic requirements for the Contract Specialist, GS-1102-11/12 position, you must meet one of the following:
A. completed 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; OR
C. occupied a GS-1102 position on January 1, 2000. NOTE: 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.
Additional Qualifications for the GS-11:
In addition to the basic requirements above, you must demonstrate in your resume:
A. one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: performing recurring assignments in support of a local installation or in a centralized procurement activity; procuring supplies or services primarily through formal advertising, or through limited use of negotiation techniques; and/or evaluating bids or proposals for compliance with specifications or purchase descriptions and applicable clauses; OR
B. completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR
C. 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education 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
D. a combination of post baccalaureate education and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.
Additional Qualifications at the GS-12:
In addition to the basic requirements above, you must demonstrate in your resume:
One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector. Specialized experience includes: serving as Contract Specialist responsible for all aspects of the contracting transactions from initiation to recommendation of award for the: (1) central procurement of commodities or services for several activities in a geographic area, or for an agency or a department; or (2) performing acquisition planning, preparation of price/cost analyses for designated actions, formulation of negotiation strategies, development of negotiation objectives, and negotiation of various types of contracts.
Basic Requirements for the GS-13:
In order to meet the basic requirements for the Contract Specialist, GS-1102-13 position, you must meet one of the following:
A. completed 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
B. occupied a GS-1102-13 position on or before January 1, 2000; OR,
C. a current Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) employee with an approved waiver of educational requirements. To receive consideration, you must submit your waiver with your application.
Additional Qualifications at the GS-13:
In addition to the basic requirements for the GS-13 above, you must also meet ALL the following requirements:
A. completed all mandatory training and certification requirements prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to the GS-13 or higher-level contracting positions. Completion of this training for non-NIH employees is not required upon application to meet qualifications. If selected, you must complete all required training and satisfy all certification requirements within the specified time-frames determined by your supervisor. AND
B. have at least 4-years of experience in contracting or related positions. AND
C. have at least 1-year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: serving in a position responsible for pre-award and post-award functions, including price/cost analysis, negotiation, and administration for services, materials, and equipment associated with research, development, test, evaluation, and production activities of one or more organizations, professional or technical services, reviewing and analyzing requests for the procurement of complex equipment, services, sole source and other required clearances, and preparing documentation.
Visit our web page Guidance on Business Related Coursework for the GS-1102 Contracting Series for information on what coursework is qualifying along with other helpful information.
You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay.
Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.
We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as knowing your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin before receiving an offer.
Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12874647
This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts (or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades). Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education.
If you qualify based on education in lieu of specialized experience, you are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application packages. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education.
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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
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), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies:
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 an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.
Required for All Applicants
RESUME:
Your resume must clearly demonstrate, in two pages or less, how your skills and experiences align with the "Qualifications" section and support your questionnaire responses. We cannot assume required experience based on your work or academic history. If your resume exceeds two pages, only the first two will be reviewed. Use a legible font such as Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, or Arial, with 0.5-inch margins. Suggested formatting: 14-point for titles and 10-point for body text. You may use the USAJOBS Resume Builder or upload your own resume. If uploading, ensure it includes all required information and is organized so we can match the following to each position:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete and submit all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents sections. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. See the "Required Documents" section for any additional forms and/or supplemental materials required.
Complete the application questionnaire. Applicants are asked all questions regardless of their consideration preferences. We will only consider you for the grades, series, locations, specialties, and other considerations that you self-identify as being qualified for or interested in. Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12874647
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.
In addition to the required documents, we encourage you to submit a cover letter, copy of your transcripts, and any applicable certifications or licenses. Even though this information is not required at the time of application, we may request this information later.
We cannot assume responsibility or grant extensions for personal issues (e.g., troubles navigating the application process, loss of internet, not understanding a question) when applying to our announcements. For technical difficulties, contact HR Systems Support between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM ET Monday through Friday at hrss@nih.gov.
For reasonable accommodations not related to USA Hire, please contact Global Jobs at globaljobs@mail.nih.gov . Requests for reasonable accommodations must be made before the announcement closing date.
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments. To be considered for the position, you must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments.
Once you submit your application package, you will receive an acknowledgment email with the status of your application. To track or update your application or supporting documentation, during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. The Additional Application Information page provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application, including the invitation to take the USA Hire assessment.
At the discretion of the agency, you may be contacted via phone or email for an interview or to provide additional information up to several months from the closing date of the announcement. Please ensure you have provided accurate contact information. To remain in consideration, you must respond in a timely manner to our correspondence and requests for documentation or information throughout the hiring process.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
