Acquisition Program Specialist

Summary This position is located in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Patents, Assistant Commissioner for Patents, Office of Application Processing and Systems Administration (OAPSA). The OAPSA has oversight for the full life-cycle of contract management activities for mission critical contracts that support the patent application processing Responsibilities The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, Virginia. This position is 100% telework eligible per agency and business unit discretion/policy. Applicants from outside the local commuting area are welcome and encouraged to apply. Major Duties for this position include: The incumbent provides analytical, evaluative, and advisory support to the Office of Application Processing and Systems Administration (OAPSA) management and program offices on acquisitions and contract administration methods and procedures, thereby increasing organizational effectiveness, efficiency and productivity. Additionally, the incumbent will perform the following duties. Serves as a senior acquisitions consultant and point of contact for OAPSA managers and technical staff on broad contracting and acquisitions policies, directives, and procedures. Evaluates and advises management and program offices on acquisitions and contract administration methods and procedures. Provides overall strategic planning support for complex and/or high visibility OAPSA acquisitions. Provides recommendations to senior leadership on short-term and long-range acquisition program activities, including proposed solutions that reduce total cost while meeting customer requirements. Serves as a Federal Acquisition Certification Contracting Officer's Representative (FAC-COR) Level III Contract Officer Representative for assigned contracts, with delegated responsibility for providing technical leadership, oversight, and direction of complex contracts valued at or above $10,000,000. Evaluates contractor performance in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 42.1 5 and USPTO procedures and submits reports on contractor performance. Provides acquisition information to support analysis and evaluation of new or modified program/management policies, goals, or objectives. Serves as liaison with the Office of Procurement, Office of Planning and Budget, and the Office of Finance on contractual and financial matters Establishes or recommends new acquisition-related initiatives, objectives, and/or standards to improve OAPSA projects and programs. Reviews receivers and approves invoices for deliverables or level of effort performed to ensure receipt and acceptance of goods and services prior to payment. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM Website. Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the federal service. For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-14. Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the federal service. For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-13. Specialized experience for this position includes: applying various types of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), acquisition techniques, contracting methods, contract negotiation strategies, and contract administration, performing COR duties for projects of significant complexity and/or high visibility, monitoring and inspecting costs and evaluating contractor performance and presenting briefings to senior management on complex management or technical issues as related to acquisitions. 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. Selective Placement Factor: This position includes a selective placement factor. This is a requirement in addition to the basic qualification requirements. You must currently have a FAC-COR Level III Certification. Education Education may not be substituted for specialized experience at this grade level Additional Information Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement unless eligible for special hiring authority, reinstatement eligible, non-current Federal employee applying as a VEOA eligible which do not require time-in-grade/band. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information. This is a Bargaining Unit position and represented by National Treasury Employee Union, Chapter 243 (NTEU 243) This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of "moderate". Background Investigation - If selected for this position, you may be required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306), which includes a fingerprint and credit check, to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit the Department of Homeland Security Website. Probationary Period- If selected, you may be required to complete an initial one-year probationary period. All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice. Relocation Expenses are not authorized and will not be paid. CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a "well qualified" rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: OPM CTAP/ICTAP.CTAP/ICTAP documentation requirements are listed in the 'Required Documents' section of this announcement. More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 90 days from the date the certificate was issued. All application materials become the property of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. USPTO Job Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should request accommodation(s) from the USPTO at http://www.uspto.gov/accommodation.The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors. If you believe that you have been discriminated against and would like to file an EEO complaint, you must do so within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act. Claims of employment discrimination must be submitted to the attention of the USPTO's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity via email (oeeod@uspto.gov) or phone (571-272-8292).