Contract Specialist -Gs-1102-09/13 Job in Washington DC Metro Area - 97772693 - ZA0PECZUGOEUS

Job Title:
Contract Specialist -GS-1102-09/13

Department:
Department Of Homeland Security

Agency:
Federal Emergency Management Agency

Job Announcement Number:
MG-2011-T0133-JMS-438932D/M

SALARY RANGE:
$51,630.00 - $115,742.00 /year

OPEN PERIOD:
Thursday, March 24, 2011 to Friday, March 23, 2012
SERIES & GRADE:GS-1102-09/13

POSITION INFORMATION:
Full Time Career/Career Conditional

PROMOTION POTENTIAL:
13

DUTY LOCATIONS:
Many vacancies - Washington DC Metro Area, DC

WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED:
This announcement is issued under the direct-hire authority to recruit for positions for which there is a critical need. Selectee(s) will receive a career or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service and may be required to serve a one year probationary period. All applicants who meet the basic qualification requirements will be forwarded to the Selecting Official for consideration.

JOB SUMMARY:

When disaster strikes, America looks to FEMA. Now FEMA looks to you. Join our team and use your talent to support Americans in their times of greatest need. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) prepares the nation for all hazards and manages Federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. We foster innovation, reward performance and creativity, and provide challenges on a routine basis with a well-skilled, knowledgeable, high performance workforce.

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Mission Support Bureau, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer. At the full performance level of this position, you will serve as a Contracting Officer with Level III signatory authority for all contract actions in support of multi-year major programs.  You must maintain eligibility for a DHS contracting officer warrant to remain qualified for this position.

PROMOTION POTENTIAL:
  Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.

EMERGENCY ASSIGNMENT: FEMA employees are subject to 24 hour on-call in the event of any emergency. This service may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee's official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites that require functioning under intense physical and mental stress.

Relocation expenses are not authorized for this position.

Applications received March 31, 2011 will receive first consideration.  Subsequent cut-off dates may be established throughout the open period.  Applicants are encourage to apply early in order to maximize their opportunity for consideration.

KEY REQUIREMENTS:

• You must be a U.S. citizen to be considered for this position.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period of 1 year.
• This position requires a (Public Trust/High Risk, TS) background check.
• Occasional travel may be required.
• Direct Deposit is mandatory.
• All male applicants born after 12/31/1959 are required to register.

Additional Duty Location Info:
Many vacancies - Washington DC Metro Area, DC

Major Duties:

·Exercises complete authority for all contractual actions and phases of the program including planning, requirements definition, acquisition strategy, pre-solicitation conferences, source selection plan, evaluation plan, negotiations, competitive range determination, and ultimate selection coordinating with the customer.

·Responsibilities include the whole range of contracting duties using a variety of contract types and acquisition strategies during both the pre and post award environment including utilizing new procurement initiatives such as performance-based contracting, partnering concepts, and past performance evaluation methods.

·Works in full partnership with the program offices to plan and develop the contractual strategy necessary to meet their requirements. This includes development of pre-negotiation positions, types of contracts, citation of appropriate regulatory and statutory authorities to justify the acquisition strategy, and preparing necessary documentation. 

      Acts as a mentor to junior procurement staff (GS-12s and below). Mentors other employees in the acquisition and contracting process. Prepares and provides monthly reports to management as to in process actions as well as actions in various phases of contract administration and closeout.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

Qualifications:

Specialized Experience Requirements:   Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service.  

Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is in or related to the work of the position to be filled. 

Specialized experience for this position is described as the following:

For GS-13: Experience equivalent to the GS-12 level, that involves: the application of contracting principles, laws, regulations and procedures in planning, developing, implementing, and maintaining all aspects of the administration of one or more major systems contracts; applying knowledge of a procurement functional area sufficient to provide expert technical leadership, staff coordination, and consultation; formulating guidelines, implementing new developments, and providing policy interpretation; performing in-depth evaluations of the financial and technical capabilities, or the performance, of the contractor.

For GS-12: Experience equivalent to the GS-11 level that has involved the application of contracting principles, laws, regulations and procedures in planning, developing, implementing, and maintaining all aspects of the administration of contracts for acquisition of supplies and services, some of which may have special or unique requirements; applying knowledge of a procurement functional area sufficient to provide expert technical leadership, staff coordination, and consultation; formulating guidelines, implementing new developments, and providing policy interpretation; performing in-depth evaluations of the financial and technical capabilities, or the performance, of the contractor.

For the GS-11: Experience equivalent to the GS-9 level, that involves: the application of contracting principles, laws, regulations and procedures in planning, developing, implementing, and maintaining all aspects of the administrating of contracts for acquisition of items and services, some of which may have special or unique requirements; applying knowledge of a procurement functional area sufficient to provide expert technical leadership, staff coordination, and consultation; formulating guidelines, implementing new developments, and providing policy interpretation; performing in-depth evaluations of the financial and technical capabilities, or the performance, of the contractor.

For the GS-09: Experience equivalent to the GS-7 level that has involved the application of contracting principles, laws, regulations and procedures to carry out recurring assignments involving planning, developing, implementing, and/or maintaining administration of contracts for procurement of a variety of supplies or services; reviewing requisitions and recommending use of formal advertising or negotiation; assisting in developing specifications and awarding contracts; monitoring financial and technical capabilities, or the performance, of the contractor.

Time-in-Grade Requirements: Status applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the Federal service. To be creditable, one (1) year is required at the GS-7 for the GS-9 level; at the  GS-9 level for the GS-11; at the GS-11 level for the GS-12 and at the GS-12 level for the GS-13.

This position has a positive education requirement.  To permit determination that you meet the basic qualification requirements for the position, please provide a copy of your school/college transcripts or a list of courses including course title, credit hours, and grade. Proof of successful completion of required course work MUST be provided before any offer is made.

To qualify for GS- 9 through GS-12, you must have:

a) Completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field'

OR

b) Completed 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. 

To qualify for GS-13, you must have:

a) Completed 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) Completed all of the following mandatory training requirements for progression (i.e., GS-13 or higher level) to a senior level contracting position with the Department of Homeland Security:

- Basics of Contracting (Defense Acquisition University (DAU) CON 101 or equivalent); - Principles of Contract Pricing (DAU CON 104 or equivalent); - Intermediate Contracting (DAU CON 202 or equivalent); - Intermediate Contracting (DAU CON 204 or equivalent); - Government Contract Law (DAU CON 210 or equivalent); - Advanced Business Solutions for Mission Support (DAU CON 353 or equivalent); - Two Targeted Electives - each should be a minimum of 16 hours of assignment or individual specific learning identified as developmentally beneficial for the individual for career progression. Electives can include formal training or education, seminars, conferences, special projects, or other developmental activities in the procurement field. Day-to-day work experience may not be used to fulfill elective requirements. Only courses offered by the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) or by a recognized equivalent provider may be used to meet the training requirements. Information on DAU equivalent providers may be found at http://www.dau.mil/learning/appg.asp. AND

c) Five years of progressively more responsible contracting experience (within the previous ten years) that provided competencies from the previous levels as well as: mastery of procurement regulations and contracting principles including the latest procedures and techniques; knowledge of principles of acquisition planning sufficient to develop and implement a plan to procure a multi-year program or systems involving successive stages; skill in negotiating techniques to serve as lead negotiator; mastery knowledge of acquisition methods; ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing to a variety of audiences; ability to lead teams; ability to manage conflict.  (Competencies may be verified through examination of performance appraisals, portfolios, resume of previous experience and/or interview with candidate).

EXCEPTIONS TO EDUCATION AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS: a) Applicants for GS-12 positions who have been in a GS-1102 position at grades GS-5 through GS-12 since January 1, 2000 without a break in service meet the qualification standard for other GS-1102 positions up to and including those classified at GS-12. b) Applicants who have been in a GS-1102 position, at or above the GS-13 level since January 1, 2000 without a break in service meet the qualification standard for the grade held on January 1, 2000 and need to meet the requirements stated in Qualifications Requirements to receive a promotion.

Waiver: When filling a specific vacant position at the GS-13 level (or equivalent), the selecting agency, at his or her discretion, may waive any or all of the education and training requirements 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, 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.

SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS:  This position requires a (Public Trust/High Risk, TS) background check.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

This notice is issued under the Direct-Hire Authority. Using Office of Personnel Management (OPM) approved government-wide direct hire authorities, agencies may appoint candidates directly to jobs, without regard to the provisions of Title 5 U.S.C. 3309 through 3318, for which OPM determines that there is a severe shortage of candidates or a critical hiring need.  Candidates will be evaluated on their basic eligibility for Federal employment, minimum qualifications and possession of job-related knowledge, skills, abilities, and other factors.  All applicants who meet basic qualification requirements will be forwarded to the Selecting Official for further consideration.

The "Rule of Three", Veterans’ Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

Once the application process is complete, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. If, after reviewing your resume and or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience your score can and will be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.

INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ICTAP): Federal Career and Career-Conditional Displaced employees in the local commuting area who are rated "well qualified" will receive special selection priority. If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, you must submit a copy of your recent performance appraisal (at least "Meets or Exceeds", or equivalent), proof of eligibility, and your most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location. Please do not submit a cash/time off award SF-50, as this does not verify grade. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must meet the well qualified standards for the position. A well qualified applicant must satisfy the following criteria: In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, including selective placement factors, education, and experience requirements, the applicant must score at least an 85 (prior to veteran’s preference being applied) on the application questions as established and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. 

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click the following link:  View Assessment Questions

BENEFITS:Our career opportunities feature the potential for performance-based increases, flexible hours, and the ability to achieve and maintain a balanced lifestyle.  Other benefits that may be available include a uniform allowance, health and wellness programs, fitness centers, and telework.  For more information on federal benefits, please visit www.usajobs.gov/jobextrainfo.asp#FEHB.

OTHER INFORMATION:

This announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.

VETERANS INFORMATION, EEO POLICY, AND REGISTRATION FOR SELECTIVE SERVICE can be obtained utilizing the links at the bottom of this announcement.

CITIZENSHIP:  Agencies are permitted to hire non-citizens only in very limited circumstances where there are no qualified citizens available for the position.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS:  For more information, please see the link at the bottom of this announcement and www.opm.gov/disability/reasonableaccommodation.asp.

HOW TO APPLY:

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:

1. Your Resume;

2. A complete Occupational Questionnaire;

3. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section below).

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Friday, March 23, 2012.

To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.Please ensure you click the Apply for this position now! button at the end of the process.You will be redirected to Application Manager, https://applicationmanager.gov/, to complete your application package.Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire.

Note:To check on the status of your application or return to a previous or incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account, select Application Status, and click on the more information link under the application status for this position.

To fax supporting documents that you are unable to upload, complete this cover page, http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf using the following vacancy ID:438932.Fax your documents to 1-478-757-3144.

If you cannot apply online, you will need to:

1. Click the following link to view and print the occupational questionnaire: View Occupational Questionnaire,

2. Print the 1203FX form to provide your response to the occupational questionnaire: http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdfimage/opm1203fx.pdf, and

3. Fax the completed 1203FX form (all 6 pages but do not include a Cover Page for this document) to: 1-478-757-3144.

4. Print the fax cover page (http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover/pdf) and include with any supporting documents you fax (e.g. resume, transcripts, veterans documents, etc) to the same fax number in #3.

Please do not complete steps 1 – 4 if you are applying on line.

If you upload your documents using Application Manager, DO NOT FAX the same documents.To verify uploaded documents have been processed, please wait one hour to ensure they have cleared the virus scan.You can verify that your uploaded documents are attached to your application by checking the Details tab of your Application Manager account (https://applicationmanager.gov/ for this vacancy announcement.You documents will be displayed under the Details tab in the Document area.

Faxed documents will take 2-3 business days to process.To fax documents, you MUST use the special cover page.Print the pre-populated cover page on the uploaded documents screen of Application Manager or you may click this link:http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf to print a copy of the cover page.When faxing documents, follow the procedures outlined below.

·Include the 8-character Vacancy Identification Number: 438932

·Provide your Social Security Number and full name in the spaces provided or we will not be able to associate your document(s) with the rest of your application.

·Fax your cover page and documents to 1-478-757-3144.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

In addition to your Resume and complete Occupational Questionnaire:

• Eligible veterans must attach the latest report of Separation from Active Duty (DD-214).
• If DD-214 is not available or if on active military duty at the time of separation, applicants must submit proof of honorable discharge or terminal leave status.
• Applicants claiming 10-point preference must complete for SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference.  The SF-15 is available at:  http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf.
• Current or former Federal civilian employees must attach a copy of a non-award SF-50.
• Qualified handicapped individual must submit proof of disability. 
• Qualified disabled veterans must submit a DD 214, VA Disability letter, and SF 15. 
• If you are claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, you must submit a copy of your recent performance appraisal (at least "Meets or Exceeds," or equivalent), proof of eligibility, and your most current non-award SF-50.
• If qualifying based on education or a combination of education and experience, you must submit a copy of your college transcript.
• Foreign Education:  to receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs.

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

Johnny Smith
Phone: (202)646-4075
TDD: (800)877-8339
Email: JOHNNY.SMITH@FEMA.GOV Agency Information:
DHS FEMA HCD Talent Acquisition and Processing
1201 Maryland Avenue Portals III
Mail Stop 3715
Washington, DC 20024

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

Once your complete application is received, you will receive correspondence indicating that your application has been received.  After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official.  If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.