CONTRACT SPECIALIST at U.S. Department of State

Overview
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates

04/20/2023 to 04/26/2023

Salary

$112,015 - $145,617 per year

Pay scale & grade

GS 13

Location

1 vacancy in the following location:
District of Columbia, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job

No

Telework eligible

Yes—as determined by the agency policy.

Travel Required

25% or less - Some travel may required 25% of the time.

Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

Appointment type

Permanent -

Work schedule

Full-time -

Service

Competitive

Promotion potential

13

Job family (Series)

1102 Contracting

Supervisory status

No

Security clearance

Secret

Drug test

Yes

Position sensitivity and risk

Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk

Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

National security

Announcement number

HRSC/INL-2023-0030

Control number

720645300
Summary

This position is located in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, Executive Office, Grants, Acquisitions, and Procurement Division (INL/GAPP). The Grants, Acquisitions, and Procurement Policy Division provides guidance and support and manages comprehensive federal assistance and acquisition programs for INL.

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This job is open to
The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

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Duties
Provides expert advice to program officials on procurement objectives to be used, and assists/advises on preparation of statements of work. Prepares determinations and findings and solicitation documents.
Performs the full range of contract administration.
Reviews contractor performance through site visits, correspondence, and telephone conversations for completion of applicable contract clauses, e.g. small business subcontracting plans, patent rights, labor laws, and progress reports.
Manages/oversees projects in support of customer requirements. Sets project priorities and deadlines; schedules projects and tasks based on priorities and in consideration of the contract's constraints and requirements.
Performs market surveys to identify potential sources for contracted goods and services both in the U.S. and overseas, as well the availability of products or producers.
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Requirements
Conditions of Employment
U.S. Citizenship is required.
Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
Statement of Employment & Financial Interest required prior to appointment.
Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/
Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the 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.

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 be Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Level III certified, as outlined on the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) website (https://www.fai.gov/certification/fac-c) or Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Level III certified, as outlined on the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) website (http://icatalog.dau.mil/onlinecatalog/CareerLvl.aspx?lvl=3&cfld=3). Applicants whose certification is over two years old, must also have completed 80 Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) every two years. The 80 CLPs every two years must be from the issuance date of certification and valid through the closing date of the announcement.

Applicants must submit the following documentation: 1. Copy of initial FAC-C Level III certification or DAWIA Level III certification. AND 2. If initial Level III certification is over two years old from the closing date of the announcement, a Certificate of Achievement from the Federal Acquisition Institute Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD) system (https://www.fai.gov/page/fai-cornerstone-ondemand-csod-faqs) in recognition of attainment of continuous learning requirements showing certification valid through the closing date of the announcement; OR An equivalent transcript or list of training from DAWIA that shows 80 CLPs obtained within the previous two years from the closing date of the announcement (the transcript or list of training must assign CLP numeric values to each eligible activity/course or must clearly reflect the numeric total of 80 CLPs).

AND A. In addition to completing the mandatory FAC-C Level III or DAWIA Level III 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 Level III or DAWIA Level III 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 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.
Experience with price/cost analysis techniques, such as learning curve analysis and cost estimating relationships, in order to evaluate contractor proposal

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 and/or remote work agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval. Please note that any approved remote work arrangement is subject to the locality pay area of the alternative telework worksite.
Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.

Benefits
How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Under the provisions of the Direct-Hire Authority, veterans' preference and traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply. For this announcement, all applicants will be assessed to determine if they meet the qualifications for this position, specifically the education, specialized experience, and knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) necessary to perform the work of the position. All applications that meet the required qualifications will be referred to the selecting official in the order in which the applications were received.

Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following KSAs and other characteristics that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume:

Knowledge of contracting laws, regulations, principles, policies and procedures.
Ability to award and administer contracts.
Ability to negotiate.
Ability to determine procurement methods and contract types
Ability to analyze evaluates and interprets contract/acquisition regulations and technical materials.
Ability to analyze, interpret and apply contract/procurement regulations and principles.

Agency and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for selection priority. Candidates are considered well qualified if their knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) exceed the minimum qualifications described in the announcement.

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

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Required Documents

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. Veterans' Preference Documentation, if applicable. Veterans’ preference does not apply to this vacancy. Any supporting documentation received from veterans will be retained to document veteran’s status if selected.

To claim 5-point preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.
To claim 10-point preference, submit all required documentation outlined on the SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) to support your claim (e.g., DD-214, official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs, etc.). If we cannot verify your 10-point preference claim, your application will be reviewed for 5-point preference.
To claim 10-point derived preference (i.e., spouses, widows, widowers or mothers of veterans), submit a completed SF-15 and all required documentation listed on the SF-15 to support your claim.
To claim 0-point Sole Survivorship preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 or another form of official documentation showing that your discharge or release from active duty occurred on or after August 29, 2008 and was based on a sole survivorship discharge.

For all preference claims:
DD-214 Member 4 copies are preferred and must show the dates of service, type of discharge, and any qualifying service campaign medals.
If you are currently on active duty and applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must provide a certification on letterhead from your military branch which contains your military service dates, expected date of discharge or release, and the character of service to show that your military service was performed under honorable conditions. The expected date of discharge or release must be no later than 120 days after the certification is submitted for consideration for this vacancy announcement.
For more veterans’ preference information, visit the USAJOBS Help Center.

5. ICTAP/CTAP documentation, if applicable. Visit our agency’s ICTAP and CTAP sites for required documentation.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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How to Apply

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.