Summary You are responsible for the completeness and accuracy of your application package. We encourage you to read the entire announcement before starting the application process. Qualifications and requirements must be met by the announcement closing date. This recruitment is subject to restrictions of the DoD referral system for displaced employees and category rating procedures. Additional positions may be filled from this announcement up to 90 days after it closes. Responsibilities Serves as the Contract Specialist in a Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) location. The primary purpose of this position is to perform a full range of pre and post award contracting functions within any Defense Commissary Agency. This is a developmental position. Work assignments are progressively complex and intended to broaden your skills and provide you with practical experience to prepare you to perform at the target grade level. Position responsibilities include: Receive the education, training, and developmental assignments necessary to equip him/her to perform the duties of the Contract Specialist at the full performance level. Responsible for pre-award and post-award functions for a variety of supplies, services, equipment contracts. Perform market research, determine the most suitable methods of acquisition, and prepare acquisition plans and attendant acquisition documentation. Develop source selection criteria and technical evaluation plans, determines the need for and conducts acquisition conferences and other activities with industry to ensure all requirements of the agency are clearly communicated. Meet with contractors and technical representatives in presentations and demonstrations, negotiate terms and conditions of contracts, utilize innovative techniques and ideas to develop contractual arrangements taking into consideration life cycle management, cost benefits analysis, economic pricing arrangements, market fluctuations, distribution considerations, etc. Prepare contract award packages. Perform a full range of contract administration functions including monitoring contractor performance, interpreting contract provisions for contractors and for officials of the agency; negotiating consideration for late delivery and non-conforming products; reviewing settlement proposals and negotiating settlement actions; and closing the contract upon completion. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications In accordance with the Individual Occupational Requirements for the Contracting Series, https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1100/contracting-series-1102/ , applicants applying to the GS-09 position must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level OR two full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or masters or equivalent graduate level or LL.B. or J.D OR a combination of education and experience by the closing date of this announcement. Applicants applying to the GS-11 position must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level OR three full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or PH.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR a combination of education and experience by the closing date of this announcement. AND A bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees. OR Have served in an 1102 position or as a service member in a similar occupational specialty on or before September 30, 2000.Volunteer Experience: Your experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through a National Service program (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, and social). 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. In addition to meeting the qualifications outlined above, you must also meet the following requirements: Time after competitive appointment: Candidates applying under merit promotion must have completed three months of civilian service after a competitive appointment by the closing date of the announcement. (5 CFR 330.501)Time-in-Grade: Current or previous federal employees must have held a permanent appointment in the competitive or excepted service for a minimum of 52 weeks at the GS-07 (or equivalent) level to be eligible for the GS-09 position by the closing date of the announcement. Time-in-Grade: Current or previous federal employees must have held a permanent appointment in the competitive or excepted service for a minimum of 52 weeks at the GS-09 (or equivalent) level to be eligible for the GS-11 position by the closing date of the announcement. Examples of specialized experience at the GS-09 grade level include: Experience in contract administration principles and practices to monitor contractor performance and to solve problems relating to contract modifications, progress and other payments, and similar problems. Extensive knowledge of FAR,DFARS, FPMR, agency regulations, and precedents governing contracting and contract administration functions. Experience in contract termination procedures sufficient to perform a variety of tasks such as analyzing allowable costs and making recommendations. Experience in pre-award and post-award functions for standard, well-defined contract actions. Examples of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level include: Experience in application of statues, laws, FAR/DFARS, FPMR, agency regulations, policies, procedures and general business practices. Experience in the use of negotiation techniques to conduct face-to-face negotiations with industry representatives. Experience in detailed cost and price analysis techniques. You must also meet the following requirements by the announcement closing date: Current and former federal employees in either the competitive or excepted service and current federal employees applying under VEOA eligibility are subject to time-in-grade. You must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade level to be eligible for promotion. You must submit SF50s with your application package to verify you held the next lower grade level for at least 52 weeks. You may need to submit two (2) or more SF50s. Examples of appropriate SF 50s include Promotion, Reg WRI, and SF 50s effective more than 52 weeks ago. Current civilian employees must have completed at least 90 days of federal civilian service since their latest non temporary appointment from a competitive referral certificate, known as time after competitive appointment. For this requirement, a competitive appointment is one where you applied to and were appointed from an announcement open to "All US Citizens." Education Education used to qualify for this position must be from an accredited school or educational institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and a copy of your transcript is required as part of your application package. For the application process, unofficial transcripts are acceptable if they contain the applicant's name, the name of the school, the date and degree that was awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned. Failure to provide transcripts will result in you being rated ineligible for this position. If selected, you must provide an official transcript before we set your entrance on duty date. Foreign Education. If using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show a private organization specializing in interpreting foreign education programs has deemed the foreign education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program or show that a U.S. accredited college or university has given full credit for the foreign courses. If you are relying on education to qualify, then: Your education must be from a college or university accredited by an organization approved by the U.S. Department of Education. See https://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ for more information. Failure to provide transcripts will result in you being rated ineligible for this position. We accept unofficial transcripts for the application process, as long as they contain your name, the name of the school, the date and degree awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned. Transcripts must be received by this office no later than 11:59 PM EST on the closing date in order to be considered. If selected, an official transcript MUST be received before an Entrance of Duty date is set. Additional Information We encourage you to review the Safer Federal Workplace information regarding COVID-19. To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to E.O. 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine. Applicants with a Permanent Resident Card (aka Green Card) are authorized to live and work in the U.S. but are not eligible for employment in positions requiring U.S. citizenship. This position requires U.S. citizenship. The minimum age requirement is generally 18 years of age. Employing those under 18 may be possible under certain circumstances. If under 18 years of age, ensure you provide documentation showing how you are eligible. Subject to occasional overtime. Position is Exempt from Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Position is not covered by a bargaining unit. Position is not obligated. Financial Difficulty does not automatically remove you from consideration for a position. Position does not meet the DoD criteria for re-employing former Federal employees who retired under either the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Deliberate attempts to falsify your application information, such as copying portions of this job announcement into your resume, may result in you being removed from consideration for this position. PCS Is Authorized: Most civilian PCS entitlements are now taxable. The Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) reimburses eligible employees for additional Federal, State, and local income taxes incurred as a result of receiving taxable travel income. More information is available at Civilian Relocation/PCS Tax Changes. Temporary duty (TDY) and travel by military and commercial aircraft or land transportation may be required in the performance of official assigned duties. Must be able to obtain and maintain security clearance eligibility based on appropriate background investigation. This is an Acquisition, Technology, & Logistics position in the Contracting career field. The incumbent will be required to become certified at Level II (2) in the Contracting career field within 24 months unless a position requirements waiver is approved to extend the 24 month period.
