Contract Specialist

Duties

Applies experience and comprehensive knowledge applicable to perform a full range of contract award functions on highly complex and large dollar value acquisition, single source and competitive source selections, to ensure a successful, timely, economical and effective outcome as well as strict compliance with contract terms and conditions.

PRE-AWARD: Provides information, technical expertise, guidance, interpretation, and advice on policies, procedures, regulations and issues/trends to other contract specialists, customers and industry on all matters relating to the acquisition function. Conducts Acquisition Strategy with customers as required and advises/assists customer, via strategy meetings or examples, as applicable. Determines the type of contract, such as firm-fixed price, time and material, labor hour, cost reimbursable, indefinite delivery, or incentive type that will best accomplish the acquisition. Develops acquisition objectives, conducts pre-proposal conferences and prepares Screening Information Requests (SIR) using pricing arrangements, subcontracting and set-aside policies and other similar considerations required to conform to the Acquisition Management System (AMS), and other regulations and directives as required. Obtains maximum practical competition from qualified sources. Conducts all activities leading up to contract award such as: determines proposal acceptability in accordance with SIR provisions; serves as lead negotiator and performs cost/price analysis as applicable; determines contractor responsibility and ability to perform by examining historical performance records and on-site pre-award surveys. Promotes and supports the procurement preference programs consistent with national policy and agency goals.

POST-AWARD: Interprets contract provisions for contractors, Customers and Government officials. Provides appropriate advice and guidance. Monitors contractor's performance to ensure that end products are delivered as specified and required services have been received. Conducts post-award conferences with contractors to avoid misunderstandings and clarify issues on contractual requirements and obligations such as billing procedures, technical requirements, government interface, and compliance with applicable laws. Conducts negotiation activities leading up to contract modification such as: communication interface between requiring organization and contractor; development of negotiation objectives and strategies to establish a realistic Government position for within scope increases, termination and claim settlements, and other contractual agreements; utilizes previous contract history, audit, legal, and other technical recommendations to determine resulting price reasonableness. Reviews and analyzes requests for exercise of renewal options and increased qualities. Analyzes, evaluates and approves requests for progress payments, reviews and approves final invoices. Issues cure and/or show cause notices to contractors prior to termination for defaults, as applicable. Physically complete contracts are closed in a timely manner in accordance with agency policy and guidance, or acceptable reasons for delay exist based upon checklists and review. Makes recommendations for higher level review and approval when an equitable agreement cannot be reached in settling contract disputes, terminations, settlements, or other claims, advises contractors of their appeal rights.

Prepares written documentation, obtains necessary approvals and clearances as required, and makes all presentations necessary to upper management, prepares final documents, and awards and administers the contract. Serves as an advisor to special project teams for changes related to acquisition laws, regulations, order, directives, and procedures. May be called upon to act in the capacity of Section or Branch Manager in their absence.

Qualifications

Reference OPM's Operating Manual Qualification Standards Individual Occupational Requirements for Contract Specialist, 1102.

BASIC QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: All applicants must meet the following basic qualification requirements:

A) Completion of 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.

AND

B) 4 years of experience in contracting or related positions. At least 1 year of that experience must have been SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE at or equivalent to the next lower level of the position and must have provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

AND

C) Completion of mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency (Level I, II or III Certification). Training courses reflect a government-wide standard and each level of certification must be met to qualify for the next level. Applicants must document successful completion of core course work or evidence of certification.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to the basic requirements above, all applicants must also meet the following specialized experience requirements:

To qualify for the FV-I band level, all applicants must demonstrate possession of one year (52 weeks) of SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE equivalent to the next lower grade (FG/GS-12) or pay band level (FV-H band) in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is defined as experience which is in or related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE for this position includes experience providing advice and guidance to management and staff on federal acquisition guidelines and performing various contract management activities and pre-award and post-award functions for various types of contracts; developing screening information requests, pre-negotiation positions, contract types, justifications and business clearances for a full range of supplies, services and systems, and leading groups/teams in contract management related meetings and workgroups.

Applicants should include examples of specialized experience in their Work History.

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 FG/GS-5 through FG/GS-12 will be considered to meet the basic requirements for other GS-1102 positions up to and including those classified at the FG/GS-12 grade level. This includes positions at other agencies and promotions up through Grade 12. However, employees must meet specialized experience requirements when seeking another position.

All applicants must submit a copy of their transcripts to be considered. Unofficial copies are acceptable at the application phase; however, a selectee must provide official transcripts prior to entry on duty.

FAILURE TO PROVIDE TRANSCRIPTS WILL ELIMINATE YOU FROM CONSIDERATION. Schools must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Qualifications must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Information Regarding KSA’s:

As a part of the Federal-Wide Hiring Reform Initiative (streamlining the hiring process), the FAA is committed to eliminating the use of the Knowledge, Skills and Ability (KSA) narratives from the initial application in the hiring process for all announcements. Therefore, as an applicant for this announcement, you are NOT required to provide a narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA.

In lieu of providing a KSA narrative response in the text box listed below each KSA section, please include information in your work history that provides specific examples of how you meet the response level or answer you chose for each KSA. Your work history examples should be specific and clearly reflect the highest level of ability. Your KSA answers will be evaluated further to validate whether the level that you selected is appropriate based on the work history and experience you provided. Your answers may be adjusted by a Human Resource Specialist as appropriate.

Eligible applicants meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective factor(s), if applicable, may be further evaluated on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) listed in the announcement. Based on this evaluation, applicants will be placed in one of the following categories: score order, category grouping, or alphabetical grouping and referred to the selecting official for consideration.

Education

EDUCATION:

Also see Qualification Requirements.

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 announcement. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment. You may upload these documents with your application in USAJOBS or fax it to 405- 954-3003 (please include announcement number on each page). Failure to do so will result in loss of consideration. Schools must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation may be verified at the following website: www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.

Foreign education must be evaluated by a private professional organization specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials or an accredited U.S. educational institution in terms of equivalency to a degree acquired at an American college or university. A copy of the evaluation results must be included, otherwise your foreign education will not be considered.