Clarification from the agency

This is a direct hire authority announcement. All qualified applicants are considered and Veterans' preference does not apply. Additional vacancies may be filled from this announcement.

As a Contracting Specialist GS-12 you will be responsible for the following duties:

• Performs duties of contract specialist responsible for pre-award and post-award contracting functions, including acquisition planning, market surveys, price/cost analysis, negotiation, and administration of contracts.

• Reviews requests for procurement, determines the method of acquisition, and prepares the acquisition plans and associated documentation.

• Gathers and analyzes a variety of information to determine the best way to complete acquisition projects.

• Monitors contractor performance using a variety of methods.

• Prepares notices, proposals, and settlement actions and recommends decisions on claims.

Read the entire job announcement. Focus on the following sections to understand whether or not you qualify for the position. This critical information is found under:

• Duties and Qualifications
• How to Apply (including a preview of the assessment questionnaire, if applicable)
• How You Will be Evaluated

Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the Qualifications section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We do not assume you have the necessary experience to successfully perform in this job regardless of your employment history or academic career.

Read the entire announcement before starting the application process.

Conditions of employment

• Be a U.S. citizen or national. Applicants with a Permanent Resident Card are authorized to live and work in the U.S. but are not eligible for employment in positions requiring U.S. citizenship. If selected, proof of citizenship is required.
• Meet the minimum age requirement. See Additional Information.
• Males born after 12-31-1959 must be registered with or exempt from Selective Service.
• Appointment is subject to successful verification of identity and employment eligibility through E-Verify. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, at https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• Appointment is subject to a favorable suitability or fitness outcome, as determined by a completed background investigation. New federal employees will be fingerprinted.
• Be able to obtain and maintain clearance eligibility based on the appropriate background investigation.
• May be subject to a probationary/trial period.
• Direct deposit of pay is required.
• Meet the physical requirements identified in the Qualifications section.

Qualifications

To Qualify for a Contracting Specialist at the GS-12 Level your resume and supporting documentation must support:
In accordance with the Individual Occupational Requirement for the Contracting, 1102 series, and http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/Standards/IORs/gs1100/1102.htm, To qualify for the GS-12 position, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level grade. Education may not be substituted for specialized experience at this level.

Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:

• Gathering, analyzing and recording contractors past performance information.
• Interpreting contract provisions for contractors and for officials of the agency, and providing appropriate advice and guidance, and negotiating contract modifications.
• Reviewing requests for procurement of complex items, analyzing the requirement, determining the most suitable method of acquisition, developing acquisition plans, and associated documentation.
• Preparing termination notices, reviewing settlement proposals, negotiating settlement actions, and
  recommending decision on claims.

AND

Individual Occupational Requirements:

Applicants must possess one or a combination of the following: A. A 4-year course of study with a conferred bachelor's degree with a major in any field 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.

B. Exceptions - The qualification requirements imposed by the Secretary of Defense pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) shall not apply to an employee of the Department of Defense or member of the armed forces who:

1. Served as a contracting officer with authority to award or administer contracts in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold on or before September 30, 2000.
2. Served, on or before September 30, 2000, in a position either as an employee in the GS-1102 series or as a member of the Armed Forces in a similar occupational specialty.
3. Is in the contingency contracting force.
4. Is described in subsection (e)(1)(B).

C. Waiver - The Secretary of Defense may waive any or all of the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) with respect to an employee of the Department of Defense or member of the armed forces if the Secretary determines that the individual possesses significant potential for advancement to levels of greater responsibility and authority, based on demonstrated job performance and qualifying experience. With respect to each waiver granted under this subsection, the Secretary shall set forth in a written document the rationale for the decision of the Secretary to waive such requirements.

NOTE: The education requirements listed above apply only to individuals entering DoD 1102 positions on or after September 30, 2000. Current members of the armed forces (that self-nominate prior to retirement/separation), and current DoD employees are exempt from the basic requirements if:

1. Served as a contracting officer with authority to award or administer contracts in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold on or before September 30, 2000.
2. Served, on or before September 30, 2000, in a position as either an employee in the GS-1102 series or as a member of the Armed Forces in a similar occupational specialty.
3. Is in the contingency contracting force.
4. Is described in subsection (e)(1)(B).

If you are using education to meet this individual occupational requirement, transcripts must be provided. Failure to provide transcripts will result in an ineligibility rating for this position. We accept unofficial transcripts as long as they contain the applicant's name, the name of the school, the date and degree that was awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned. Transcripts must be received in this office by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date of the announcement in order to be considered.

This education must be from an accredited college or university accredited by an organization approved by the U.S. Department of Education. See http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ (http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/) for more information.

Time-in-grade applies to the promotion of current and former federal employees who hold or have held a permanent GS position in either the competitive or excepted service in the previous 52 weeks, including current employees applying under VEOA. Your application package must contain proof you meet this requirement. See Required Documents for more information.
For GS-12: You must have 52 weeks of Federal service at or equivalent to GS-11.

Time after competitive appointment. Current federal civilian employees must have completed at least 90 days of federal civilian service since being selected for a non-temporary appointment from a competitive examination register of eligibles (an announcement opened to the public) or under a direct hire authority.

This position is located in the Acquisition Management Directorate.

This position requires Acquisition Workforce Level II certification in contracting. Certification prior to hiring is not essential but must be accomplished within 18 to 24 months after entry into this position, depending on the entry level grade at hiring.
This is an Acquisition Workforce position in DAWIA Career Field/Position Category K (Contracting). Mandatory and desirable DAWIA career field requirements will be used during the rating process.

Position requires access to or control over private/sensitive but unclassified, controlled unclassified information and requires access to ADP IT Level II systems, therefore incumbent must obtain and maintain security clearance eligibility based on appropriate background investigation.

The assessments for this job will measure the following Competencies:

• Communication
• Contract Administration
• Contract Performance Management
• Contract Termination
• Contracting/Procurement
• Minimum Education Requirement (IOR)

Overtime: Occasional
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
Bargaining Unit Status: Covered
Obligated Position: No
Those retired under CSRS or FERS considered: No. DoD criteria not met.
PCS Authorized: No.
Telework eligible: Yes, Telework is at discretion of supervisor/Agency.
Remote work eligible: No.

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, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the job requirements. This vacancy will be filled through a Direct Hire Authority. All applicants who meet the basic qualification requirements will be forwarded to the Selecting Official for consideration. We will evaluate your application for basic eligibility and to determine if your experience meets the basic qualification requirements described in the announcement. All applicants who meet the qualifications and other basic requirement are eligible for referral and selection consideration.

Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the Qualifications section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We do not assume you have the necessary experience to successfully perform in this job regardless of your employment history or academic career.

At a minimum, your resume MUST contain your name, address, and contact information, and the following for each listed job experience: Job title; Series and grade, if it is a federal civilian position; Employer's name and address; Employment beginning and ending dates (Month/Year); Number of hours worked per week, and Description of duties performed. DO NOT send a list of competencies or skills in place of a description of the duties performed.

Selections are subject to restrictions of the DoD referral system for displaced employees.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP):This program applies to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria AND 2) be rated well-qualified for the position AND 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. Well-qualified means you possess the type and quality of experience that exceeds the position's minimum qualifications.

Priority Placement Program (PPP) DoD Retained Grade Preference (RGP): To receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the (RGP) eligibility. If you are claiming RGP and are determined to be Well Qualified (score of 85 or above) for the position, you will be referred to the hiring manager as a priority applicant.

Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible (PPP DoD MRNG):In order to receive this preference, you must choose the (PPP DoD MRNG) eligibility, and fill out and submit the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician PPP Self-Certification Checklist and copies of the appropriate documentation.

Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) (PPP MSP): In order to receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the(MSP) (PPP MSP) eligibility. If you are claiming MSP (PPP MSP) and are determined to be Well Qualified (score of 85 or above) for the position, you will be referred to the hiring manager as a priority applicant.