Contract Specialist

Duties This position is part of the Department of Defense (DoD), Missile Defense Agency (MDA). The incumbent will be responsible for soliciting, analyzing, evaluating, and negotiating contractors' proposals for highly specialized research and development requirements for programs/activities of the Missile Defense Agency. As a Contract Specialist at the NH-1102-4 broadband level some of your typical work assignments may include: Solicits, analyzes, evaluates and negotiates contractors' proposals for highly specialized research and development requirements for programs/activities of the Missile Defense Agency. Coordinates, analyzes, and negotiates acquisitions of both cost reimbursement and fixed-price contracting in such areas as prototype development of sophisticated research and testing equipment; weapons systems; software systems development; and development of new and unique materials. Acquisitions also may cover phased procurement; requiring options for follow-on work which are negotiated; unsolicited proposals which generate problems in proprietary rights, data, or patents; extensive subcontracting; and frequently involve personnel unfamiliar with Government contracting.Conducts acquisition planning and, in coordination with the technical program office, determines the contractual strategy to be used in the acquisition of a specific program element. Prepares required determinations and findings. Prepares and assembles solicitation documents. Processes, analyzes, evaluates, performs cost analysis, provides input for the competitive range determinations or makes the competitive range determination if serving as a contracting officer, and develops a pre-negotiation position for proposals. Negotiates individual contracts to obtain services for the Government at a fair and reasonable cost within acceptable time frames and designs final contract.Serves as point of contact for advising and assisting the MDA Deputies and Directors in areas not requiring contract contracting officer authorization, such as, coordination of future procurement requirements; preparation of required procurement supporting documentation; and the resolution of specific procurement problems.Devises negotiation approaches, modifies or extends existing guidelines in specific contractual situations (e.g., accommodate new reporting requirements), writes new clauses or provisions to cover specific situations (e.g., develop new language to eliminate various contractor objections or draft specific language to cover the contractor's proprietary rights under the Patent Rights Clause), or develops new information to establish a pricing position when historical cost data are not available.Serves as contract specialist and member of a negotiating team responsible for planning, coordinating, and negotiating a variety of procurements pertaining to research, development, test and evaluation requirements essential to MDA's mission. Advises technical personnel in the development of evaluation criteria which serve as standards against which proposals are judged, performing preliminary review of proposals for responsiveness, and assessing the responsibility of offerors to perform.As part of the negotiating team, plans and coordinates activities performed on a variety of contracts associated with spiral development, deployment and sustainment of MDA elements and supporting services. Complexities include: use of cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost sharing, negotiated or advertised firm fixed-price, requirements, indefinite quantity and incentive contracts; and, evaluation of unsolicited proposals; sole-source acquisitions involving highly specialized programs; contracts that involve difficult cost projections, time schedules, unauditable data, or unknowns; Scope of research effort, test required, and level and extend of labor and skills necessary, which are difficult to define because of lace of precedent data; frequent technological changes which are imposed by technical personnel and which incur delays or modifications to the solicitation or contract; technical experts and contractors who lack familiarity with the Government contracting process and procedures, requiring extensive contract orientation.Recommends forecasting labor and material costs with unknowns in the research program, locating or developing sources, developing approaches for procurement lacking precedent, accommodating technological challenges, and resolving major difference in the interpretation of the statement of work. Develops new or modified evaluation criteria, reporting requirements, and contracting arrangement and recommendations to the team leader or supervisor.Utilizes and promotes the use of electronic initiatives, systems, technology and information, e.g., Standard Procurement System, Past Performance Information Retrieval System, and Federal Business Opportunities System. -Performs other duties as assigned.Requirements Conditions of EmploymentMust be a US citizenMale born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective ServiceResume and supporting documents received by 11:59PM EST will be consideredSuitable for Federal employment determined by background investigationMay be required to successfully complete a probationary periodThis is a Drug Testing designated positionWork Schedule: FulltimeOvertime: OccasionallyTour of Duty: Maxi flexRecruitment Incentives: Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees based on agency policy and availabilityFair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): ExemptFinancial Disclosure: RequiredTelework Eligibility: This position is situational telework eligibleSelective Service Requirement: Please visit http://www.sss.gov for more informationMust be able to obtain/maintain a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Investigation (TS/SCI) clearance.This is an acquisition position coded Foundational (Contracting Professional) in Contracting. Incumbent must obtain mandatory Back-to-Basics (BtB) certification within 36 months of entry into position.Must acquire 80 Continuous Learning Points every 24 monthsThis is a Critical Acquisition Position. Incumbent will be required to sign a written tenure agreement to remain, for a minimum of three years, in the Federal Service in the Critical Acquisition Position. Qualifications You may qualify at the NH-04 broadband level if you fulfill the following qualifications: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the NH-03/GS-13 grade level in the Federal service and must meet two of three specialized experience listed below in order to be qualified: Applying Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Department of Defense (DoD) Supplement to FAR., DoD bulletins, Directives and notices, internal policy guidelines, government and agency-specific guidelines and business practices, including statutes, regulations, policies and procedures, which cover different contract types.Working with various types of contracts, methods, and procedures to acquire sophisticated or unique research, development, test and evaluation services, weapon systems, equipment, and components, through the use of cost and fixed-price contracting and cost sharing arrangements.Analyzing and negotiating acquisitions of both cost reimbursement and fixed-price contracting. 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. In addition to meeting qualifications, your application package must reflect the applicable experience to meet the Individual Occupational Requirements for the 1102 series. A. I have a Bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees. I have included my transcript with my application.OR B. I have served as a contracting officer with authority to award or administer contracts in excess of the Simplified Acquisition Threshold on or before September 30, 2000. This exception does not apply to new hires into an 1102 position. I have listed this experience in my resume.OR C. I have served in an 1102 position or as a Service member in a similar occupational specialty on or before September 30, 2000. This exception does not apply to new hires into an 1102 position. I have listed this experience in my resume.OR D. I am enlisted member of the Contingency Contracting Force (CCF). This exemption only applies to CCF members in their current or future CCF positions. The baccalaureate degree exemption does not apply to current CCF members seeking employment within DoD as an 1102. This exception does not apply to new hires into an 1102 position. I have listed this experience in my resume.FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Foreign EducationPlease limit your resume to five pages. If more than five pages are submitted, only the first five pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. NOTE: The limit does not apply to cover letters, eligibility documents such as Standard Form (SF) 50, Military Spouse, DD Form 214, transcripts, etc.Education Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for this grade level.Additional informationThis position may be eligible for part time, substantial or ad-hoc telework at the discretion of management Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, the veteran must be a preference eligible or a veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.Interagency Career Transition Assistance Programs: This program applies to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; Well qualified is defined as possessing the type and quality of experience that exceeds the positions minimum qualifications. and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. For more information: .Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: For more information on noncompetitive appointment authority eligibility requirements:Special Hiring Authorities for VeteransOther Special Appointment Authorities - Subpart FSpecial Hiring Authority for Certain Military SpousesMales born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see )To receive consideration please make sure you select ALL appropriate eligibilities in the application questionnaire. Other Notes: CRITICAL ACQUISITION POSITION (CAP): Selectee for this position will be required to sign a written agreement to remain, for a minimum of three years, in the federal service in this critical acquisition position. DAWIA (Back to Basics) Certification: CAP: Position is a DoD Critical Acquisition Position & requires DoD Acquisition in Contracting, Professional level certification within required timeframes. Selectee must also achieve 80 hours of Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) every 2-years and sign a written agreement to remain in Federal service in the position for at least three years. Click here for more details and Resources.Re-employed Annuitant: This position does not meet criteria for re-employed annuitant. The DoD criteria for hiring Re-employed Annuitants can be found at: Help 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 windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefitsEligibility 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.How You Will Be EvaluatedYou will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. 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. The numeric rating you receive is based on your responses to the questionnaire. The score is a measure of the degree to which your background matches the knowledge, skills and abilities required of this position. 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. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):Contract Performance ManagementOrganizational AwarenessPlanning and EvaluatingMilitary Spouse Preference: If you are entitled to military spouse preference, in order to receive this preference you must choose the spousal eligibility in your application package referencing MSP Military Spouse Preference. Your preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency. If you are claiming military spouse preference and qualified for the position, your name will be placed below preference eligible veteran candidates and above non-preference candidates on a list sent to the hiring manager for employment consideration. To claim Military Spouse Preference (MSP) please complete the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist, save the document and attach it to your application package.Priority Placement Program (PPP) DoD Retained Grade Preference (RGP): In order to receive this preference, you must choose to apply using the "Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference (RGP)" eligibility. If you are claiming RGP and are determined to be Well Qualified (score of 85 or above) for the position, you will be referred to the hiring manager as a priority applicant. Information and required documentation for claiming MSP may be found at the General Applicant Information and Definitions link below. To be eligible as a RGP, you must submit the following supporting documents with your application package: a signed Retained Grade PPP Self-Certification Checklist (DD3145-1 (whs.mil)); a copy of your Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) effecting the placement in retained grade status; or a copy of the notification letter you received regarding the RIF or classification downgrade.