Contract Specialist

Job Details

Position Overview

This position is located in the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Office of the Executive Director, Office of Management Services, Contracting and Procurement Division (DS/MGT/CAP).

The Contracting and Procurement Division provides a full range of acquisition and procurement services to DS leading to the acquisition of supplies, services, and equipment; interagency acquisition agreements (IAAs); personal service contracts (PSCs); credit card purchases, and grants and cooperative agreement awards.

Duties

• Monitors the progress of contracts to determine adherence to financial, production, and delivery requirements and ascertain the necessity for contract modification or amendment.
• Analyzes procurement requirements to recommend the type of contract and acquisition milestones as well as to prepare the acquisition plan.
• Manages Government-wide Commercial Purchase Card (GPC) accounts to ensure the integrity of the program is maintained within the contracting operations of the organization.
• Plans, analyzes, and evaluates procurement programs to support the development of new and revised policies and procedures to govern the Bureau's contracting and procurement program.
• Advises Bureau employees and managers on the application, clarification, and interpretation of procurement and contract administration policies, regulations, and procedures.

Qualifications & Requirements

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application. 

NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement.

Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F.

Applicants applying for the GS-12 grade level must meet one of the following requirements to qualify for this position:

A. Have 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position AND completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field from an accredited college or university. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

• Experience evaluating contracting methods and practices to make recommendations on procurement approaches;
• Experience reviewing procurement activities to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements; AND
• Experience monitoring contractor progress and adherence to financial, production and delivery requirements. 

-OR-

B. Have occupied your position, which is classified in the GS-1102 series, since January 1, 2000 AND have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position as described in paragraph A above under qualifying specialized experience.

-OR-

C. Have 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position as described in paragraph A above under qualifying specialized experience AND completed 24 semester hours of "undergraduate" study in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.

-OR-

D. Have 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position as described in paragraph A above under qualifying specialized experience AND completed 24 semester hours of "graduate" level 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.

Note: All applicants WILL BE required to submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you will be rated ineligible for this position.

Education

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: www.naces.org/members.php.

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
• Statement of Employment & Financial Interest required prior to appointment.

Evaluations

The evaluation process consists of the ApplyGov Competency Based Assessments for which applicants will be assigned a score between 70 and 100. A resume review will be conducted for minimum qualification requirements, as described in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement, of applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates based on assessment scores.  Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.  

You will be assessed on the following job-related competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):  

Non-Supervisory: Oral Communication, Writing, Interpersonal Skills, Problem Solving, Teamwork, Technology Orientation, Customer Service, Attention to Detail and Self-Management. 

Set aside at least 2 hours to take the external assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. There are timed sections that must be completed within the allotted timeframe.

Your score from the Non-supervisory assessment will remain on file for 180 days, allowing you to apply for multiple DOS-announced positions without needing to retake the assessments. 

Top applicants may be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies: 

• Knowledge of federal contracting laws, regulations, principles, and procedures.
• Knowledge of procurement methods and contract types.
• Ability to apply pre-award and post-award contracting policies and procedures.
• Skill in price/contract negotiation.
• Skill in cost/price analysis.
• Skill in written and oral communication sufficient to prepare and present guidance and trainings.

In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We do not make assumptions regarding your experience. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials may result in your removal from consideration. 

Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.  Qualified non-competitive candidates must be deemed best qualified based on the applicant assessment in order to be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. 

Required Documents

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

1.  Resume limited to two pages showing relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training. Include the start and end dates (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours per week worked/volunteered. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must support your answers to the completed online assessment questions. Resumes longer than two pages will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered further.

2. Transcripts, if applicable and you are qualifying based on education.  See the Qualification and Education sections of this announcement for more information. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.  

3. Other Qualification Documentation (e.g. certificates, certifications, etc.), if applicable.  See the Qualification section of this announcement for more information.

4.  Most recent SF-50s (Notification of Personnel Actions), if you are a current eligible DOS employee (per 3 FAM 2313.4(a)(5)), including current employees applying under a non-competitive hiring authority. The SF-50s must show: effective date, position title, series, grade, salary, tenure, position occupied, full promotion potential, and name of agency. Multiple SF-50s may be needed to show all required information (e.g., promotion, within-grade increase, and separation SF-50s). Award SF-50s often do not show the required information. 

5.  Performance appraisal, strongly encouraged for current eligible DOS employees. Submit a copy of your most recent (i.e., usually within the last 18 months) final (i.e., not a mid-year review) official (i.e., signed by the rating official and in original format) annual performance appraisal for the hiring manager’s consideration. If a performance appraisal is not available, you may provide a statement and/or a statement from your supervisor explaining the reason one is not available and your servicing HR Office contact information (name, email address, phone number).

Note: You may be requested to provide an appraisal to the hiring official if one was not provided with your application.  To receive a promotion, the employee’s most recent performance rating must be “fully successful” or an equivalent level or higher. Employees who are tentatively selected to receive a promotion will be required to provide performance documentation within two business days of request. Servicing HR Offices may be contacted to verify performance ratings.

6.  Non-competitive hiring authority eligibility documentation, if applicable. If you are a current eligible DOS employee applying under a non-competitive hiring authority (e.g, FS tenured employees, USUN reinstatement eligibles, Schedule A), you must submit proof of non-competitive eligibility with your application.  For information related to Schedule A hiring authority for individuals with disabilities visit OPM’s hiring information site.  

7.  CTAP documentation, if applicable (e.g., reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, certification of expected separation, etc.).  In addition submit a copy of your current (or last) performance rating of record which must be at least fully successful or equivalent and submit all required documents listed above that apply to you (e.g., resume, transcripts, SF-50, etc.).

How to Apply

Prepare your application in USAJOBS

To start your application, click Apply and we’ll walk you through the process to attach a resume and any required documents.

During the application process you can review, edit, delete, and update your information. We’ll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won’t lose any changes.  You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process.

STEP 1: Select the "Apply" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS.

STEP 2: Submit your resume.  Please see the Required Documents section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume.

STEP 3: Complete the online assessment questions.

STEP 4: Submit all required documentation applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section.

To learn how to view the status of your submitted supporting documentation and application, visit the Application Instructions section of our agency’s Civil Service selection process site.

Technical assistance with your on-line application is available through the Help Desk at [email protected] or by calling (866) 656-6830 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET

Alternate Application Procedures

If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET at least 2 working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted.

After all application packages are received, we will review applications and evaluate applicants’ qualifications.  Then, in approximately two weeks after this announcement closes, we will refer candidates, as described in the “How You Will Be Evaluated” section, to the hiring manager for selection consideration.  Your application status will be updated up to four times during the following hiring phases:

1. After applications are received.
2. After applications are assessed to determine qualifications.
3. After candidates are referred to the hiring manager.
4. After a selection is made.

For the selected candidates who receive a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability review and/or security background investigation that generally takes an average of at least two to six months.