Contract Specialist

Summary This position is located in the Office of Management Services (OMS), Office of the Managing Director (OMD), Federal Maritime Commission (FMC or Commission). The OMS directs and administers a variety of management service functions that provide administrative support to the program operations of the Commission. The OMS procures, secures and/or furnishes all supplies, equipment and services required in support of the agency's mission, and arranges for facilities management and security. Learn more about this agency Requirements Conditions of Employment A 1-year probationary period is required (Unless already completed). Must be able to obtain and maintain a background investigation. Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer. FMC participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel. May be required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on. Qualifications You must meet the Basic Requirement and the Additional Qualification Requirement listed below by the closing date of this announcement: Selective Placement Factor: This position requires special qualifications that have been determined to be essential to perform the duties of this position and will be used as a screen out element. Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified: Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting (FAC-C) Level 2 or equivalent certification for this position. Education: Basic Requirements for GS-11 and GS-12 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. Basic Requirements for GS-13 and Above Completion of all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to GS-13 or higher level contracting positions, including at least 4-years experience in contracting or related positions. At least 1 year of that experience must have been specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level of the position, and must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position. and A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, that included or was supplemented by 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. Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. This also applies to positions at the same grade in the same agency or other agencies if the specialized experience requirements are met. However, they will have to meet the basic requirements and specialized experience requirements in order to qualify for promotion to a higher grade, unless granted a waiver under Paragraph D. Waiver: When filling a specific vacant position, the senior procurement executive of the selecting agency, at his or her discretion, may waive any or all of the requirements of Paragraphs A and B above if the senior procurement executive certifies that the applicant possesses significant potential for advancement to levels of greater responsibility and authority, based on demonstrated analytical and decision making capabilities, job performance, and qualifying experience. With respect to each waiver granted under this Paragraph D, the senior procurement executive must document for the record the basis of the waiver. If an individual is placed in a position in an agency on the basis of a waiver, the agency may later reassign that individual to another position at the same grade within that agency without additional waiver action. Specialized Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade of federal service. You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: For the GS-11: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes developing procurement packages which include obtaining and/or developing memorandums, scopes of work, independent Government cost estimates, reporting requirements, security requirements checklists, technical packages, evaluation criteria, methods of solicitation and any other required documents; Conducting pre-solicitation/pre-proposal conferences and processes protests; Performing detailed analysis of bids/proposals received, ensuring strict compliance with specifications on advertised procurements, and recommending award to lowest responsible, responsive bidder. OR Ph.D (or equivalent doctoral degree) or three academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education. For the GS-12: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes establishing methods of procurement, milestones, acquisition plans, and types of contracts; developing procurement plans by reviewing previous history, market conditions, and specification; Reviewing requests for and makes recommendations pertaining to progress payments, price revisions, and special payments; Determining the extent to which subcontracting plans comply with regulatory guidelines; monitoring subcontracting for compliance with plans; issues consents to subcontract; identifying potential funding and production problems; and initiating remedial or corrective actions. For the GS-13: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes developing procurement objectives and strategies to be pursued under assigned programs, taking into account considerations such as competition maximization, pricing arrangements, subcontracting, and other special considerations; Advising requesting offices of the pre-solicitation process and the use of different contracting methods, processing of unsolicited proposals, use of the multiple award schedules, and any special provisions relating to propriety rights, rights in data, or similar considerations; Responding to protest by researching and developing the necessary analysis, documentation, and history; Applying Federal Acquisition laws, regulations, and policies to plan, evaluate, negotiate, and manage IT-related procurements, ensuring compliance, value, and effective interpretation of contract terms and conditions. Education Please refer to the following sections for additional education information: Qualifications and Required Documents. Additional information Must be a U.S. citizen Federal employees are required to adhere to the 14 Principles of Ethical Conduct. We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. We may fill like positions within 12 months of the close of the announcement. This is a non-bargaining unit position. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.