Contract Specialist - Direct Hire

As a Contract Specialist, you will:

• Serve as an entry level contract specialist. Basic knowledge of Federal Procurement Law, Federal and Departmental regulations and good business practices in planning and performing the Division’s contracting processes.
• Assist with pre-award activities including but not limited to market research and acquisition planning.
• Assist with post-award activities including but not limited to contract modifications and closeouts.
• Review bid, performance, and payment bonds for acceptable sureties and proper format, and make appropriate recommendations for acceptance to the Contracting Officer.
• Maintain proper customer service based interactions with internal contacts. Use effective prioritization and negotiation techniques and skills to deal with competing deadlines and stressful situations while still meeting customer expectations.

The ideal candidates will have the ability to communicate effectively regarding basic acquisition issues; work well in a team environment; and can perform research on acquisition issues/concerns to develop best/worst case scenarios so that the best acquisition strategy could be used.

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Individual Occupational Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of transcripts for verification, AND (3) meet the additional grade level requirements.

(1) All applicants must meet the following requirements under A or B to qualify for applying to a position in the 1102 series:

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

B. 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.

Graduate Education: To qualify for GS-1102 positions on the basis of graduate education, graduate education in one or a combination of the following fields is required: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.

Note:  For positions at GS-07 through GS-12, applicants who are qualifying based on experience must possess at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level, that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position, in addition to meeting the basic requirements in paragraph A or B, above.

• Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. Employees who occupy GS-1102 positions at grades 5 through 12 will be considered to meet the basic requirements for other GS-1102 positions up to and including those classified at GS-12. This includes positions at other agencies and promotions up through grade 12. However, employees must meet specialized experience requirements when seeking another position.
  

For additional reference, please refer to the OPM qualifications standard for GS-1102: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1100/contracting-series-1102/

(2) Upload the appropriate document(s) to your application for verification purposes.

Students enrolled in a qualifying degree program can apply if the anticipated graduation date is within six months of the closing date of this announcement. If selected, the final transcript must be received before your start date. Other applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

(3) Specialized Experience: To further determine eligibility, review the following grade specific details. You will be asked a few questions as part of your application but make sure to verify how you meet these grade levels in your resume. 

For the GS-07: You qualify for this grade level if you meet one of the following:

 On Experience, at least one year of specialized experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-05 grade level, which included:

• Experience supporting contract and/or procurement actions such as preparing contracts, reviewing bids, and making determinations.

On Education, you must have:

• 1 full academic year of graduate education or law school or a Bachelors degree with Superior Academic Achievement*.
  
  • *Superior Academic Achievement is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. (In order to be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled.)
    1. Class standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.
    2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.
• Or, you can also qualify based on a combination of higher level graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.

For the GS-09: You qualify for this grade level if you meet one of the following:

On Experience, at least one year of specialized experience, equal or equivalent to the GS-07 grade level, which included:

• Experience performing contracting actions such as preparing contracts, reviewing bids, and making determinations.

On Education, you must have:

• 2 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or masters or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B. or J.D.
• Or, you can also qualify based on a combination of higher level graduate education and experience. This must be fully supported by your resume and transcripts, provided with your application.

Note that graduate education is education attained after a Bachelor's degree.  Undergraduate education leads to a Bachelor's degree.  Please be sure that, if you are qualifying based on graduate level education, you include documentation to support education completed after your Bachelor's degree was attained.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following area:

1. Contracting/Procurement - Knowledge of various types of contracts, techniques, or requirements (for example, Federal Acquisitions Regulations) for contracting or procurement, and contract negotiation and administration.
2. Oral Communication - Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed.
3. Written Communication - Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

For all types of consideration, experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, 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.

See the Qualifications section for Mandatory Individual Occupational Requirements.