Summary Serves as a Contract Specialist at Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) HQ, Fort Lee, VA; responsible for a full range of pre and post award contracting actions in support of DeCA's mission, including acquisition of goods and services, revenue generation and execution of licensing agreements, monitoring contractor performance, negotiating price adjustments and recommending action in problem situations. Read the entire announcement before starting the application process. Responsibilities As a Contracting Specialist GS-12 you will be responsible for the following duties: Performs duties of contract specialist responsible for pre-award and post-award contracting functions, including acquisition planning, market surveys, price/cost analysis, negotiation, and administration of contracts. Reviews requests for procurement, determines the method of acquisition, and prepares the acquisition plans and associated documentation. Gathers and analyzes a variety of information to determine the best way to complete acquisition projects. Monitors contractor performance using a variety of methods. Prepares notices, proposals, and settlement actions and recommends decisions on claims. Read the entire job announcement. Focus on the following sections to understand whether or not you qualify for the position. This critical information is found under: Duties and Qualifications How to Apply (including a preview of the assessment questionnaire, if applicable) How You Will be Evaluated Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the Qualifications section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We do not assume you have the necessary experience to successfully perform in this job regardless of your employment history or academic career. Read the entire announcement before starting the application process Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To Qualify for a Contracting Specialist at the GS-12 Level your resume and supporting documentation must support: In accordance with the Individual Occupational Requirement for the Contracting, 1102 series, and http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/Standards/IORs/gs1100/1102.htm, To qualify for the GS-12 position, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level grade. Education may not be substituted for specialized experience at this level. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Gathering, analyzing and recording contractors past performance information. Interpreting contract provisions for contractors and for officials of the agency, and providing appropriate advice and guidance, and negotiating contract modifications. Reviewing requests for procurement of complex items, analyzing the requirement, determining the most suitable method of acquisition, developing acquisition plans, and associated documentation. Preparing termination notices, reviewing settlement proposals, negotiating settlement actions, and recommending decision on claims. AND Individual Occupational Requirements: Applicants must possess one or a combination of the following: A. A 4-year course of study with a conferred bachelor's degree with a major in any field 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. B. Exceptions - The qualification requirements imposed by the Secretary of Defense pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) shall not apply to an employee of the Department of Defense or member of the armed forces who: 1. 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. 2. Served, on or before September 30, 2000, in a position either as an employee in the GS-1102 series or as a member of the Armed Forces in a similar occupational specialty. 3. Is in the contingency contracting force. 4. Is described in subsection (e)(1)(B). C. Waiver - The Secretary of Defense may waive any or all of the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) with respect to an employee of the Department of Defense or member of the armed forces if the Secretary determines that the individual possesses significant potential for advancement to levels of greater responsibility and authority, based on demonstrated job performance and qualifying experience. With respect to each waiver granted under this subsection, the Secretary shall set forth in a written document the rationale for the decision of the Secretary to waive such requirements. NOTE: The education requirements listed above apply only to individuals entering DoD 1102 positions on or after September 30, 2000. Current members of the armed forces (that self-nominate prior to retirement/separation), and current DoD employees are exempt from the basic requirements if: 1. 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. 2. Served, on or before September 30, 2000, in a position as either an employee in the GS-1102 series or as a member of the Armed Forces in a similar occupational specialty. 3. Is in the contingency contracting force. 4. Is described in subsection (e)(1)(B). If you are using education to meet this individual occupational requirement, transcripts must be provided. Failure to provide transcripts will result in an ineligibility rating for this position. We accept unofficial transcripts as long as they contain the applicant's name, the name of the school, the date and degree that was awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned. Transcripts must be received in this office by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date of the announcement in order to be considered. This education must be from an accredited college or university accredited by an organization approved by the U.S. Department of Education. See http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ (http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/) for more information. Time-in-grade applies to the promotion of current and former federal employees who hold or have held a permanent GS position in either the competitive or excepted service in the previous 52 weeks, including current employees applying under VEOA. Your application package must contain proof you meet this requirement. See Required Documents for more information. For GS-12: You must have 52 weeks of Federal service at or equivalent to GS-11. Time after competitive appointment. Current federal civilian employees must have completed at least 90 days of federal civilian service since being selected for a non-temporary appointment from a competitive examination register of eligibles (an announcement opened to the public) or under a direct hire authority. This position is located in the Acquisition Management Directorate. This position requires Acquisition Workforce Level II certification in contracting. Certification prior to hiring is not essential but must be accomplished within 18 to 24 months after entry into this position, depending on the entry level grade at hiring. This is an Acquisition Workforce position in DAWIA Career Field/Position Category K (Contracting). Mandatory and desirable DAWIA career field requirements will be used during the rating process. Position requires access to or control over private/sensitive but unclassified, controlled unclassified information and requires access to ADP IT Level II systems, therefore incumbent must obtain and maintain security clearance eligibility based on appropriate background investigation. The assessments for this job will measure the following Competencies: Communication Contract Administration Contract Performance Management Contract Termination Contracting/Procurement Minimum Education Requirement (IOR) Overtime: Occasional Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt Bargaining Unit Status: Covered Obligated Position: No Those retired under CSRS or FERS considered: No. DoD criteria not met. PCS Authorized: No. Telework eligible: Yes, Telework is at discretion of supervisor/Agency. Remote work eligible: No. Education You may not use education to qualify for this position. Transcripts. REQUIRED when using education to meet qualifications or when education is required. Foreign education may be qualifying if a private organization specializing in interpreting foreign education programs has deemed the foreign education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program or a U.S. accredited college or university has given full credit for the foreign courses. Unofficial transcripts from U.S. Department of Education accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions listing your name, the name of the school, the date and degree awarded, and the list of classes and credits earned are acceptable for the application process. If selected, official transcripts are required before a firm job offer is made. A photocopy of your degree/diploma is not acceptable. When relying on foreign education, submit transcripts and a copy of the equivalency evaluation results letter with a course-by-course listing. Documents must be in English or include an English translation. The hiring employer for this position does not evaluate degrees from foreign colleges or universities. Additional Information Executive Order 12564 requires a federal workplace to be free of illegal drugs and prohibits the use of illegal drugs both on and off duty by federal employees. As a reminder, marijuana is still classified as an illegal drug by the Federal government and is prohibited for use by Federal employees even if such use is legal in the state where the Federal employee resides and/or works. The Defense Commissary Agency is a Drug-Free Federal Workplace where the use of illegal drugs will not be tolerated and may result in penalties up to and including removal from Federal service. The display of a salary range on this announcement does not suggest or convey an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. Upon first appointment to a civilian position in the Federal government, you are entitled only to the lowest step (Step 1) of the grade for which selected. The minimum age requirement is generally 18 years. Employing those under 18 may be possible under certain circumstances. If under 18 years of age, ensure you provide documentation showing how you are eligible. Applicants with financial difficulty are not automatically removed from consideration. Selectees are required to complete an online onboarding process. Retired military service members cannot be appointed to a Department of Defense (DoD) civilian position within 180 days of their retirement date. 5 United States Code 3326. The following may result in a rating of ineligible. Ineligible applicants receive no consideration. Not selecting an eligibility. Submitting an incomplete application package may result in your not being considered for this position. Your resume must reflect that you are either Part-Time with the number of hours listed, Full Time, or 40 hours per week as your work schedule. If you fail to provide this information in your resume, your resume will be considered as incomplete. Submitting encrypted documents or uploading Adobe portfolio documents. Submitting any document that contains a photo or image of you. Including social media links, inappropriate material or content, classified or government sensitive information, or personal information such as age, gender, race, religion, or social security number on your resume. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials. Deliberately attempting to falsify your application information, such as copying portions of this announcement into your resume. Appointment Eligibility Criteria. You choose how you wish to be considered for this position by selecting one or more of the eligibilities listed in the Assessment Questionnaire AND providing the supporting documents for the selected eligibility/eligibilities. Required documents are listed in the eligibility description. You are responsible for providing the documents required to prove you can be considered for the selected eligibility/eligibilities. HR does not select or change your eligibility/eligibilities for you, regardless of the supporting documents you submit. You are considered ONLY for the eligibility or eligibilities you select and for which you provide all required supporting documents. You will not be considered if you do not select an eligibility. If you have questions about which eligibility/eligibilities apply to you, contact the HR POC listed on this announcement.
