CONTRACT SPECIALIST

Summary

Who May Apply:

• Current permanent Federal Civilian Employees, Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) eligibles, eligible Defense Cyber Excepted Service Employees, eligible Priority Placement Program DoD Military Spouses Preference (MSP) applicants, eligible PPP applicants, current Federal VRA Employees, and Eligible Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan applicants (ICTAP) .

Position Location(s):

• These are NOT remote positions.

This job is open to

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
  Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
• Federal employees - Competitive service
  Current or former competitive service federal employees.
• Veterans

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current permanent Federal Civilian Employees, Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) eligibles, eligible Defense Cyber Excepted Service employees, eligible Priority Placement Program DoD Military Spouses Preference (MSP) applicants, eligible PPP applicants, and current Federal VRA Employees, and Eligible Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan applicants (ICTAP).

Duties

• Develops and implements a plan to procure a multiyear program or system involving successive program stages.
• Will serve as a team leader over a variety of functional specialists to prepare Government position and conducts negotiations with contractors.
• Negotiates and deals with representatives of the private sector, government experts, or managers to procure extensive services and complex equipment.
• Serves as a senior contracting officer responsible for pre- and post-award functions involving highly specialized procurements.
• Advises program officials of the procurement objectives and reviews during procurement planning meetings.
• Incumbent is responsible for the procurement and administration of a variety of contracts which frequently require special quality assurance provisions or other
  specialized terms and conditions.
• Plans and conducts post-award conferences to ensure compliance with contractual requirements and to preclude unauthorized changes or alterations in contract
  provisions.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S Citizen or National.
• Registered for Selective Service (males born after 12-31-1959).
• Suitable for Federal employment.
• Time after Competitive Appointment: Candidates must have served 3 months after latest competitive appointment in the Federal service.
• This national security position, which may require access to classified information, requires a favorable suitability review and security clearance as a condition of employment. Failure to maintain security eligibility may result in termination.
• Time in Grade Requirement - see the Qualifications field below for more details.
• New employees to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov.
• Job Position: STRATEGY AND SUPPORT; ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT SERVICES; CONTRACT SERVICES DIRECTORATE; CONTRACT OPERATIONS; EXTERNAL MISSION SUPPORT; SS-ZECAD.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: To qualify for this position you must meet the basic requirements described below.

• Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited educational institution authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees.

You may need to send proof of education or of certification to be considered for this position. Click here for more information on who must submit documentation at the time of application and what documentation is acceptable: Transcripts and Certifications.

Attach a copy of the highest DAWIA certification in contracting which you currently hold.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, qualified applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-12) in the Federal service, which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position.

Specialized Experience Is Defined As:

• Leading and/or providing technical advice and assistance to a group of contracting representatives; providing oversight and implementation of contract administration workload; and experience performing contract closeout, pricing, negotiations and/or contract modifications based on extensive knowledge in contracting principles and procedures for pre- and post-award activities.

Time-in-Grade:

• Current or former federal employees who have held a GS position in the preceding 52 weeks, must meet the time in grade requirement. Applicant must have served 52 weeks as a GS-12 or higher grade in Federal Service.

You may qualify for consideration if meeting time-in grade, specialized experience, education requirement, 90 days after competitive appointment requirement, and all other qualification requirements within 30 calendar days after the closing date of the announcement, unless otherwise indicated on the announcement.

Education

Education is not substitutable for specialized experience at this grade level.

Additional information

• Selectee must have their Contracting Professional Certification (or be eligible for certification within 36 months of appointment) in the DAWIA Contracting Functional Area. Acquisition workforce employees must achieve 80 hours of Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) every two years, in accordance with DoDI 5000.66. Obtaining certification within the allotted grace period and maintaining CLPs before and after achieving certification are conditions of employment. If certification is not received within 36 months of appointment as defined by DAWIA, and training not completed within the established guidelines, the incumbent might be removed from this position. Additional information may be found at: https://www.dau.edu/back-to-basics.
• Moving expenses WILL BE PAID.
• The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 makes certain reimbursements/payments taxable. For information on these changes and the Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA), for which some appointees are eligible, click here.
• For positions where relocation is paid (see Location block of vacancy announcement), you can learn more about relocation allowances and entitlements.
• Telework availability will be based upon the mission requirements and supervisory determination.
• We may use this announcement to make a temporary promotion. For some positions, the temporary promotion may be made permanent without further competition.
• Selections are subject to restrictions resulting from the DoD Program for Stability of Civilian Employment.
• A one year probationary or trial period may be required.
• We may use this announcement to fill additional vacancies within 120 days of the closing date.
• This position is EXEMPT from the Fair Labor Standards Act.
• Travel requirement is 1-24%.
• This position IS covered by a bargaining unit.
• Retired Civil Service Employee: Employment of retired Federal employees receiving an annuity is subject to the requirements of the Department of Defense (DoD) policy guidance. (See DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 300, here)
• The Security Designation will vary and dependent upon position and may require a secret clearance or higher. Employment in this position requires a background investigation which may delay starting date. If you are selected and cannot obtain a favorable security determination within a reasonable period of time due to disclosed/undisclosed background issues, the employment offer may be withdrawn. Individuals selected are required to obtain/maintain a favorable security determination to occupy a sensitive position within the agency as a condition of employment. Failure to maintain eligibility to occupy a sensitive position may result in termination. For more information see the security section of Understanding Vacancy Announcements.
• Criminal History Inquiries- For some positions, criminal history inquiries may not take place before you receive a conditional job offer. Please see Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2019 (dfas.mil) for more information on The Fair Chance to Compete Act, exceptions, and DFAS contact information.
• All applicants are encouraged to apply electronically. If you are unable to apply on-line, you may contact [redacted] for assistance.

• Benefits
  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 benefits
  Eligibility 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 Evaluated

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

IMPORTANT NOTE - YOU MUST FOLLOW ALL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. ERRORS OR OMISSIONS MAY AFFECT YOUR RATING.

All information included in the resume and Occupational Questionnaire is subject to review and verification. HR will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. Applicants meeting the minimum requirements will be further evaluated based upon information you provided in the Occupational Questionnaire. If a determination is made that the work experience described in your submitted resume does not support your responses to the self-assessment questionnaire, your score may be reduced, and you may lose consideration for this position. If you are already a DFAS employee, you may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including removal from Federal service, if you are found to have exaggerated, embellished, inflated, mischaracterized, or falsified your resume or qualifications.

The Assessment Questionnaire takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and collects information on your education, training and experience related to the following critical competencies:

• Communication
• Contracting/Procurement
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Leading People

You can preview the Assessment Questionnaire here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/[redacted]

• Benefits
  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 benefits
  Eligibility 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.
• Required Documents
  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
  You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
  1. Resume: You are encouraged to choose only ONE method of submitting your resume. (HR will review the resume that the system date stamps as the latest one received and this may not be the resume, which best reflects your qualifications for the job and may result in an ineligible rating.) You may submit your resume by: attaching in your USAJOBS account. For assistance in preparing your resume, take a look at the DFAS Resume Tools.
  2. Complete Assessment Questionnaire: Your resume must describe the quality of work in regards to responses to the occupational self-assessment questionnaire as they generate your numerical rating.
  3. Other Supporting Documents.
  The following supporting documents are ONLY required if applicable to your personal qualifications or status. They must be received by the closing date of the announcement.
  1. Transcripts and/or Certifications: You must submit documentation if you are substituting education for experience. For additional information on acceptable documents or to see if you must submit documentation click here Transcripts and Certifications. You must also document your education and/or certifications in your resume.
  2. SF-50: With the exception of current permanent DFAS employees, current or former federal employees must submit a Notification of Personnel Action reflecting the highest grade held on a permanent basis, tenure and appointment type.
  3. Veterans Documentation: Click to review these authorities and documents verifying eligibility for a VEOA, VRA and/or 30% or more disabled veterans hiring authorities
  4. Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible: Military Spouse Preference applicants, must be selected and placed at the highest grade level for which they have applied and been determined best qualified up to and including the full performance level. You must include a completed copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist dated within 30 days along with the documents identified on the checklist to verify your eligibility for Military Spouse Preference. Click here to obtain a copy of the Military Spouse PPP Self-Certification Checklist.
  5. Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technicians PPP Eligible: MR and NG technicians PPP applicants must be selected and placed at the full performance level if determined well qualified. You must include a completed copy of the Military Reserve and National Guard Technician PPP Self-Certification Checklist to verify your eligibility for Military Reserve and Nation