Summary The Federal Election Commission is a small dynamic environment committed to building a skilled and motivated team that supports our mission and delivers high-quality services. This position is located in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), Procurement Division for the Federal Election Commission (FEC), which is responsible for timely, accurate and useful financial and procurement information, essential for making day-to-day decisions and managing the Agency's operations. Responsibilities Salary Ranges: GS-11: $84,601 - $109,975 GS-12: $101,401 - $131,826 GS-13: $120,579 - $156,755 As a Contracting Specialist in this position, you will: Collaborate with the supervisor/other contracting officials performing contract planning, including generating complete contract packages and providing long-range and short-term procurement planning. Prepare price and cost analyses for designated actions, formulate negotiation strategies, develop negotiation objectives, and negotiate contracts for the Agency's programs, including information technology equipment, computer programming services, conference management and case management services, and others. Perform contract administration functions required by procurement regulations, drafting documents for contractual modifications, and oversight of contract performance necessary to ensure delivery of the supplies or services required by contract. Administer and maintain contracting records and files ensuring strict compliance with contracting regulations. The full performance level of this position is GS-1102-13. If you are selected for the GS-11 or GS-12, you will perform the same duties outlined above in a developmental capacity. Upon meeting regulatory and performance requirements you may be promoted non-competitively to the target level of GS-13. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications In order to qualify, you must meet the experience and/or education requirements described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. If qualifying based on education, a copy of your unofficial or official transcripts must be provided with your application. Selective Placement Factor required for the GS-11, GS-12 and GS-13: You must have FAC-C (Professional) or Department of Defense (DoD) Contracting Professional Certification. You must provide copy of your certificate with your application. Basic Requirement for GS-11 and GS-12: A. Have completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field. OR B. Have completed 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 C. Currently occupy a GS-1102 position and have continuously occupied GS-1102 positions since January 1, 2000. (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 and an SF-50 dated on or before January 1, 2000 to support your response.) AND Additional Qualifications for GS-11: A. Have one full year of specialized experience, comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 federal grade level, performing the following on government contracts: (1) performing contract execution, which involves preparing and issuing solicitations and negotiating terms, conditions and price; (2) terminating contracts by analyzing, negotiating, and settling claims and proposals; (3) analyzing and evaluating cost or price proposals and accounting systems data; (4) performing price and cost analyses; and (5) preparing negotiation positions using technical analysis. OR B. Have 3 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in one or a combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. OR C. A combination of specialized experience, as defined in A, and graduate education, as defined in B, that when combined, equal 100% of the total requirement. (Please note only graduate education in excess of the first two years, generally considered 36 semester hours, may be used in this calculation.) Additional Qualifications for GS-12: Have one full year of specialized experience, comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-11 federal grade level, performing the following on government contracts: (1) performing contract execution, which involves preparing and issuing solicitations and negotiating terms, conditions and price; (2) managing the overall life cycle of the contract programs; (3) coordinating complex contract planning and preparation of price and cost analyses for designated actions; (4) developing negotiation strategies and objectives, and negotiate contracts for an organization; and (5) developing strategies and plans for contract specification and quality assurance criteria. Basic Requirement for the GS-13: A. Have 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. OR B. Currently hold a GS-1102 Contracting Specialist position in the Federal service at the GS-13 grade level or higher and I have held this position on or before January 1, 2000. (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 and an SF-50 dated on or before January 1, 2000 to support your response.) AND Additional Qualifications for GS-13: At least four (4) years of experience in contracting or related positions, and at least one (1) full year of that experience is specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-12 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing the following: (1) coordinating complex contract planning and preparation of price and cost analyses for designated actions; (2) performing complex contract planning, including generating complete contract packages and providing long-range and short-term procurement planning; (3) performing contract execution, which involves preparing and issuing solicitations and negotiating terms, conditions and price; and (4) developing strategies and plans for contract specification and quality assurance criteria. Status candidates must meet time-in-grade/band requirements: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-09 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-11 grade level. One year at the GS-11 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-12 grade level. One year at the GS-12 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-13 grade level. (Must submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted). In addition, you must provide a cover letter describing your experience with the competencies identified below (Please limit your cover letter to 2 pages.): Contracting/Procurement- Knowledge of various @types of contracts, techniques for contracting or procurement, and contract negotiation and administration. Influencing/Negotiating-Persuades others to accept recommendations, cooperate, or change their behavior; works with others towards an agreement; negotiates to find mutually acceptable solutions. Planning and Evaluating -Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes. Writing - Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material that is appropriate for the intended audience. Part-time or unpaid experience: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid and or part-time work. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. Volunteer or unpaid experience: Refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service Programs (i.e., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student and social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge and skills that can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Education To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. If you received a degree, the transcript must show the date the degree was awarded or conferred. A self-created transcript, or a list of courses you have prepared, is not acceptable. 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, click Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). You must provide translated transcripts. Additional Information This is a Non-Bargaining Position. FEC offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include: flexible work schedules, telework and transportation subsidies. If you receive a tentative offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: The following links contain information on the eligibility requirements to be considered under a noncompetitive appointing authority: Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans Special Hiring Authority for Certain Military Spouses Other Special Appointment Authorities Additional selections may be made from this announcement.
