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Contract Specialist

Department of Energy
National Nuclear Security Administration
Office of Partnership and Acquisition Services

Summary

The incumbent serves as the Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO) of a specific NNSA Management and Operating (M&O) contract, providing overall leadership and direction for oversight of assigned contractor, and federal programs and activities related to the M&O contract. The incumbent will be responsible for the management and appointment of individual Contracting Officer Representatives (CORs) and serves as a principal advisor and recognized authority on all M&O acquisition matters.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$126,384 - $164,301 per year

The salary range reflects base pay only. The actual salary will be based on the geographic location (to include locality pay) for which selected.

Pay scale & grade
NQ 4
Promotion potential
4
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
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Q Access Authorization
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Financial disclosure required
Yes
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
26-NA-PAS-XA-00967-DOE
Control number
885845900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applicant packages will only be accepted from Current DOE and NNSA federal employees who meet the following conditions: Competitive Service Employees; Reinstatement Eligibles (previously held a competitive service position); CTAP and RPL Eligibles; and VEOA Eligibles. If you are not a federal employee of the Department of Energy or the National Nuclear Security Administration, you will be rated ineligible.

Duties

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  • Responsible for all pre-award/post-award functions for complex, long-term contracts. Contracts assigned are major procurements involving annual budgets of more than six hundred million dollars per year and their term is generally 5-10 years. Implements policies and procedures relating to Work Authorization Control System, contractor performance evaluation, and all other initiatives developed to administer M&O contracts.
  • Provides cost/price analysis, cost realism, and contract close-out functions, and prepares and distributes procurement documents.
  • Reviews complex contractual pricing arrangements and incentives characterized by multiple incentives requiring sophisticated contracting techniques, i.e., sharing arrangements such as cost-plus incentive fees or fixed-price incentive fees where the agency and contractor share cost risk, or economic price adjustment clauses for adjusting labor and material costs where price cannot be reasonably predicted at time of negotiation.
  • Develops, evaluates, and implements new concepts toward improving the overall quality of contractor deliverables.
  • Evaluates the effectiveness of operations and makes necessary adjustments to meet organizational goals and objectives, quality, and quantity standards, procedural, policy and regulatory compliance and technical competence.
  • Finds and implements ways to eliminate or reduce significant bottlenecks and barriers to production, improves business practices and promotes team building.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Subject to Random Drug Testing
  • Must pass a pre-employment drug test.
  • Favorable suitability determination required.
  • Financial Disclosure is required.
  • Must be able to obtain/maintain a Q-level Security Clearance.
  • You must be a United States Citizen.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • Males must abide by Selective Service registration requirements.
  • Compliance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-12) governing personal identity which will require that you provide two forms of identification.
  • FAC-C (Professional) certification is required. A valid Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification is equivalent to a FAC-C at the same certification level, provided the FAC-C education and continuous learning requirements have been met. Certification requirements may be viewed at https://fai.gov/certification/fac-c
  • Please limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, you will be disqualified.
Probationary periods are required for new employees appointed to competitive service positions for the first time or reinstated employees who return to Federal service after a break in service of 30-days or more and who have not completed a probationary period will need to complete the requirement.

Qualifications

All applicants must meet the Individual Occupational Requirements (basic requirements) AND Specialized experience outlined below.

Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR)

A. Completion of all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to GS-13 or higher-level contracting positions, including at least 4-years of experience in contracting or related positions, with at least 1 year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the NQ-03 or GS-14 level.
and
B. Completion of 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
C. Exceptions: 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 under Paragraph D.
OR
D. Waiver: When filling a specific vacant position, the senior procurement executive of the selecting agency, at his or her discretion, may waive any or all of the requirements of Paragraphs A and B above if the senior procurement executive certifies that the applicant possesses significant potential for advancement to levels of greater responsibility and authority, based on demonstrated analytical and decision making capabilities, job performance, and qualifying experience. With respect to each waiver granted under this Paragraph D, the senior procurement executive must document for the record the basis of the waiver. If an individual is placed in a position in an agency on the basis of a waiver, the agency may later reassign that individual to another position at the same grade within that agency without additional waiver action.

Specialized Experience

A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower NNSA pay band level or GS grade level in the Federal Service, i.e., NQ-03 or GS-14. Specialized experience for this position is defined as planning, directing, and coordinating the execution of Management and Operations (M&O) contract activities of high national significance.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills; and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

EDUCATION: 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, only provide transcripts from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

**FOREIGN EDUCATION: Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. A written evaluation of any foreign education must be provided with your application in response to this vacancy announcement or be received by the closing date of this announcement. Failure to provide this evaluation will result in you being found unqualified for the position. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education, see the Department of Education website, and for a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, visit The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. Please Note: If your foreign education has already been accepted by an accredited U.S. educational institution as part of a degree program with that institution, you do not need to provide an evaluation of foreign education but must submit a copy of the transcripts listing the degree from the U.S. accredited institution that accepted your foreign 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.

If you are selected, official transcripts will be required.

Additional information

  • If you believe that you are eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP), please visit the OPM ICTAP/CTAP website. Click HERE for more information. In order to be considered under the CTAP program, your application must score within the pre-established "well qualified" category as stated in the Qualifications section.
  • More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
  • All positions require successful completion of a background investigation.
  • All males born after December 31st 1959 must abide by laws regarding Selective Service registration. To learn more about this law, visit the Selective Service web page, Who Must Register. If you are not registered and don't have an approved exemption, you will not be eligible for employment with the Federal government.
  • A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified applicant in accordance with the Agency policy and applicable regulations.
  • In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to the four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answers to these questions are not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.

EEO Policy: Click HERE.
Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Click HERE.
Veterans Information: Click HERE.
Telework: Click HERE.
Selective Service Registration: Click HERE

Information about the NNSA Demonstration project can be found by clicking HERE.

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.

This position is announced under a government wide Direct-Hire Authority (DHA) for Contract Specialist positions in the1102 series. Under the DHA, Veteran's Preference, category rating, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply.

The Human Resources Office will review your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the eligibility, basic requirements and specialized experience qualifications listed above. If you are referred to the Hiring Manager, you will be further evaluated on the competencies listed below:

  • Communication
  • Contracting/Procurement
  • Organizational Awareness

If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses you provided in your online questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation before the vacancy closes, you may be rated 'ineligible' or 'not qualified'.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the link below.
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13068534

National Nuclear Security Administration

Would you like a career ensuring the nation sustains a safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent? Are you interested in collaborating with diverse partners to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation and reduce the threat of nuclear and radiological terrorism around the world? If so, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Partnership and Acquisition Services (NA-PAS) has the perfect employment opportunities for Contract Specialists. In this position you will be responsible for developing, executing, and administering acquisitions for complex, large scale contracts including services, products, construction, and Management and Operation of national security sites.

Agency contact information

Crystal Wells
Email
crystal.wells@nnsa.doe.gov
Address
Office of Partnership and Acquisition Services
24600 20th St SE
Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5507
US

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