Skip to main content
U.S. flag
 

Contract Specialist (Recent Graduate)

Federal Maritime Commission
Office of Management Services

Summary

The FMC is the federal agency responsible for regulating the U.S. international ocean transportation system for the benefit of U.S. exporters, importers, and the U.S. consumer. The FMC is dedicated to ensuring a competitive and dependable international ocean transportation system that supports the U.S. economy and safeguards the public from unfair or deceptive practices.Join the FMC and be part of a mission-driven organization during an important and exciting time in the maritime industry.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$70,623 - $91,815 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Promotion potential
13
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Recent graduates
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
Yes
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
DE-13018076-26-CH
Control number
885620800

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

Recent graduates who have completed, within the previous (2) two years, a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. Exception: A veteran due to military service obligation was unable to apply with 2 years of receiving their degree, will have up to (6) six years after degree completion to apply. This announcement is advertised under Direct Hire Authority.

Duties

Help

As a Contract Specialist (Recent Graduate), you will perform the following duties and will receive training to help you grow in this position:

  • Processes requisitions and assists in determining the appropriate method of procurement for well-defined, precedented requirements.
  • Works with the team lead or senior specialist to develop procurement plans by reviewing procurement history, market conditions, and specifications or technical data packages.
  • Assists in preparing and issuing solicitation documents, selecting standard provisions and clauses, and applying established evaluation criteria in solicitations.
  • Research manuals, catalogs, and other reference sources, or holds discussions with manufacturers' representatives or requisitioning offices, to help identify and resolve discrepancies in the description of work, referring unresolved or unusual issues to the supervisor or a senior specialist.
  • Applies simplified acquisition procedures under FAR Part 13 and as directed, considers other methods such as those in FAR Part 8 (Required Sources of Supplies and Services) or FAR Part 12 (Acquisition of Commercial Items).
This is an appointment under the FMC Recent Graduates program. The program duration is one year. Upon successful completion of the program and at the agency's discretion, the appointee may be converted to a term or permanent position in the competitive service.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • 2-year trial period may be required.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service, see http://www.sss.gov/.
  • Direct Deposit: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
  • May be required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation.
  • FMC participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.
  • This position is in the Excepted Service.
  • There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations. Please read and retain these documents:
  • Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights, for those who undergo an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history record check for personnel vetting, which includes Rap Back,
  • FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI (this is the same statement used when your fingerprints are submitted as part of your background investigation), and
  • SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov), (applicable to those who hold a sensitive position or have eligibility for access to classified information)"

Qualifications

To be eligible for a Recent Graduate appointment, you must meet requirement A or B.

A. Completed all requirements for a diploma, associate, bachelor, master, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution or career or technical education program (including registered Apprenticeship Programs, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Job Corps, Climate Corps) within the previous two years; OR

B. Was released or discharged from active duty within the previous two years, where the applicant is a veteran who, due to a military service obligation, was precluded from applying for a recent graduate position during any portion of the two-year eligibility period following completion of his/her degree or certificate requirements, provided that not more than six years have transpired since the applicant completed the requirements for a degree or certification. You must submit an academic transcript from your academic institution showing the date that you most recently completed the academic requirements described above.

In addition to meeting the requirements for the Recent Graduates program, you must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement:

Basic requirement
Contract Specialist (1102 series) positions also require one of the following: a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field; completion of at least 24 semester hours in accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management; or Federal employees in Contracting Series (1102) positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. Transcripts or SF-50s must be submitted; AND

Grade-specific requirements
In addition to the Basic Requirement, applicants must also meet Minimum Qualifications for the grade level for which they are applying.

GS-9
Applicants may qualify at the GS-9 level based on one of the following:
  • One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 level that demonstrates at least three of the following:
    1. Analyzing contract materials, technical specifications, or financial statements to support acquisition-related documentation.
    2. Reviewing contract proposals for pricing, technical capability, or adherence to specifications to inform award decisions.
    3. Preparing reports, summaries, memoranda, correspondence, instructions, or background research to support procurement or operational decisions.
    4. Responding to inquiries to provide business or administrative recommendations; OR
  • Two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education, or a master's, LL.B., or J.D. 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
  • A combination of qualifying education and experience. If you have some qualifying education and some qualifying experience, but don't fully meet either requirement on its own, you may be able to combine them. Only graduate education in excess of one year (18 semester hours or equivalent) can be used in this calculation. Experience must be reflected in your resume, and transcripts are required.
    1. Divide your qualifying graduate semester hours beyond the first 18 by 18. That gives you your education percentage.
    2. Divide your months of qualifying experience by 12. That gives you your experience percentage.
    3. Add the two together. If the total is 100% or more, you qualify.
The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-9.

Education

Transcripts (official or unofficial) are required at the time of application. Transcripts must show the date the degree was conferred/awarded.
An official transcript will be required if you are selected.

A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.

If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.

Additional information

Relocation expenses will not be paid.

If selected, will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across FMC.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, please refer to the agency contact information.

Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the FMC considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their application submission documentation.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Statement: http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/index.cfm

Males born after 12-31-1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx)

Federal employees are required to adhere to the 14 Principles of Ethical Conduct. All employees of the Federal government are subject to the conflict of interest statutes and regulations including the Standards of Ethical Conduct that govern activities with outside organizations and reporting financial holdings. This position may require the incumbent to complete a confidential financial disclosure report within 30 days of appointment.

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 will be rated based on their education, experience, demonstrated legal research and writing abilities, and performance during the interview process. here are no numerical rating systems through which to apply veterans preference. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their resume. If selected, additional information may be required. Once the application process is complete, your resume and supporting documentation will be reviewed to determine whether you meet the minimum qualifications and eligibility requirements outlined in this announcement. A Subject Matter Expert (SME) or SME Panel may be utilized to assist in the technical evaluation of candidates' qualifications. Applicants who meet these requirements will be certified and referred to the selecting official. A writing sample may be included as a part of the interview process.

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 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 an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Federal Maritime Commission

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is an independent regulatory agency with a mission ensure a competitive and reliable international ocean transportation supply system that supports the U.S. economy and protects the public from unfair and deceptive practices. FMC is conveniently located within walking distance to Union Station in an area with numerous amenities. Come and join the FMC! More information about the FMC and its programs can be found at http://www.fmc.gov.

Agency contact information

Office of Human Resources

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.