Contract Specialist

As a Contract Specialist, you will procure a wide range of design, construction, services and/or supplies, utilizing a variety of acquisition methods and vehicles. Location of position: Public Buildings Service, Acquisition Management Division, in any of the locations listed. We are currently filling 13 vacancies, but additional vacancies may be filled as needed.

Major duties

Review and analyze requests for procurements, revising work statements and drawings or specifications as necessary. Determine the method of procurement and the contract type and develops an acquisition plan to assure project completion in a timely and efficient manner. Research market conditions to assess adequacy of competition. Prepare solicitation documents and review or evaluate proposals from prospective contractors, incorporating a range of specialized provisions. Develop special clauses and provisions for unique procurements for which there is no precedent. Prepare and issues solicitation awards. Review contractor proposed small business subcontracting plans. Administer awarded contracts, including contracts under a variety of FAR 8 and FAR Part 19 Programs. Conduct initial conferences (post award orientation) with the contractor to provide information, and to maintain liaison with the contractor to interpret contractual obligations and resolve problems. Interpret provisions, provide advice and guidance to contractors and customer agencies' stakeholders. Execute modifications and supplemental agreements; negotiate delivery and progress schedule changes. Determine contract cost changes, price adjustments, progress, partial, and final payments and whether the contractor has fulfilled all contract requirements. Close out contracts; issue termination notices; review settlement proposals; and take administrative actions, calculating Government liability, determine settlement costs and negotiate settlement agreements. Review termination notices for extent of action (partial or complete) and for special conditions or instructions.

Qualifications

To evaluate your qualifications, your resume must clearly demonstrate how you meet the specialized experience described below. Your resume must not exceed two pages. To ensure your qualifications can be fully evaluated, we recommend including the following information: Name, address, telephone number, email address; Job Title (if Federal Service, provide series and grade; if not in GS plan, provide GS equivalent grade); Relevant work experience—should include employer name, job title, start and end dates (month/year), the number of hours worked per week and descriptions that explain how you meet the required qualifications in the job announcement. Education, certifications or licensures—If the job announcement requires any education, certifications or licensures, make sure to include the required information and any required documents like transcripts. Your resume should contain enough information to make a valid determination that you fully meet experience requirements for each grade level you are applying to. If you do not provide enough information for us to determine your qualifications, you may be rated ineligible. If you have volunteered your service through a National Service program (e.g., Peace Corps, Americorps), we encourage you to apply and include this experience on your resume. The GS-12 salary range starts at $90,968 per year and varies by location. If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.

Basic Requirements for GS-12

• A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field; or
• 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.

In addition to the Basic Requirements listed above, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience performing contracting assignments for construction, facilities management, professional services, Architecture/Engineering (A/E) services, and other types of projects and/or services using a wide range of contracting methods, contract vehicles and types. Procurement of these supplies and/or services at this level include:

• Planning and carrying out pre-award, award, and post-award acquisition actions;
• Preparing solicitation documentation incorporating necessary specialized provisions, and drafting the final contract;
• Evaluating vendor offers for both technical and price/cost factors as well as evaluating bidders capacity to perform/comply with contract clauses and specifications;
• Planning and conducting negotiations on price, technical requirements, terms, and conditions of the contract;
• Responding to and resolving acquisition questions/issues that require research to provide recommendations/responses;
• Analyzing contracting issues and identifying alternative courses of action.

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcript(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcements to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.

Education

Note: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/

Requirements

If selected, you must meet the following conditions:

• Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non­Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.
• Serve a one year probationary period, if required.
• Undergo and pass a background investigation (Tier 2 investigation level).
• Have your identity and work status eligibility verified if you are not a GSA employee. We will use the Department of Homeland Security's e-Verify system for this. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of continued employment.