Contract Specialist - Washington, District of Columbia

Job Summmary

This position is located in the Department of State, Bureau of African Affairs (AF), Office of the Executive Director, Management Support Division (AF/EX/MSD).

Who can apply

1. Internal to an agency - appears on USAJOBS
2. Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Job Duties

• Performs the full range of contract administration responsibilities including incremental funding, preparation of rates and cost adjustments, redirection of efforts, coordination of time extensions, and issue responses to situations and or problems.
• Analyzes alternatives for contracting requirements and develops strategy tailored to provide the most effective support of current needs and anticipated long-range mission requirements.
• Provides expert advice to program officials throughout the Bureau on procurement policies and procedures; advises and assists in the preparation of statements of work including technical evaluation criteria and government cost estimates.
• Analyzes market trends and conditions, distribution patterns, and technological advances, as well as the impact of socioeconomic conditions on procurement actions.
• Provides oversight of training completion and certification requirements for all AF Bureau Contracting Officer Representatives (CORs).

Requirements

Qualification

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-13 grade level must meet one of the following requirements to qualify for this position: IN ADDITION to the requirements below, all applicants must possess the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) (Professional), as outlined on the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) website (https://www.fai.gov/certification/fac-c) or possess the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Contracting (Professional) certification, as outlined on the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) website (https://icatalog.dau.edu/onlinecatalog/CareerCertGuides.aspx?lvl=4&cfld=3). Applicants must submit the following documentation: A PDF copy of the FAI CSOD or DAU transcript showing the completion of the requirements for the most recent Continuous Learning Points (CLP) period and proof of an active Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Professional; AND A. In addition to completing the mandatory FAC-C (Professional) or DAWIA Contracting (Professional) training requirements, you must have at least 4 years of experience in contracting or related positions AND at least 1 full year of this experience is specialized and equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service 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 AND this degree included or was supplemented by 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 B. In addition to completing the mandatory FAC-C (Professional) or DAWIA Contracting (Professional) training requirements, you 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-12 level in the Federal service that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position as described in paragraph A above under qualifying specialized experience. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience developing and implementing comprehensive procurement plans, objectives and strategies to procure multi-year programs, systems, goods, and/or services. Experience with various contract types, methods, and techniques, including cost and incentive contracting, award fee, cost sharing arrangements, processing of unsolicited proposals, and multiple awards. Experience with project management principles and developing controls to ensure projects are accomplished timely, within funding constraints and in compliance with relevant contractual, legal, and/or policy requirements. Note: All applicants WILL BE required to submit transcripts and/or training certificates 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.

Additional information

For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or [email protected]. If eligible, telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in this Bureau for up to 240 days and may require a higher or lower security clearance. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.

Get More benefits details at https://careers.state.gov/work/benefits/cs/

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 resume will be conducted and compared against your responses to the assessment questions to determine if you are qualified for this job. Note: Responses to questions that are not fully supported by the information in your resume may result in adjustments to your rating. Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements, as described in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement, will be assigned a score between 70 and 100. The assessment is used to measure the degree in which your background matches the competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) required for this position. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies: Knowledge of contract administration techniques and principles. Ability to analyze, evaluate and interpret contract/acquisition regulation. Knowledge of contracting laws, regulations, principles, policies and procedures. Skill in interpreting, explaining, and applying policies/regulations. Ability to communicate effectively. Ability to communicate in writing. 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. Agency Career and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be rated "Well Qualified" for the position and earn a score of at least 85 (when applicants are rated in a range of 70 to 100) to receive consideration for selection priority. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Document Requires:-

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 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. 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, 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. Visit our agency’s CTAP site for required documentation.

How to appy this Job

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.

Apply Online

Next Step after Apply

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: After applications are received. After applications are assessed to determine qualifications. After candidates are referred to the hiring manager. 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.