Summary The NASA Office of Procurement seeks Senior Contract Specialists to perform procurement planning, negotiation, and contract administration in support of NASA programs. The Office of Procurement is structured to provide support to our mission partners regardless of location. This announcement may fill any of NASA Office of Procurement positions. Responsibilities Serves as a Senior Contract Specialist responsible for all pre-award and/or post award functions for a variety of supply, service, research, and/or construction contracts. Performs all aspects of contracting for procurements that are complex in nature and require extensive contract and subcontract administration. Develops contract-related documentation including incremental funding modifications, change orders, contract extensions, contractor performance evaluations, and reviewing and approving contractor financial reports and other submittals. Develops contract instruments representing sound judgement and business acumen (e.g. proper contract @type, pricing/other contract provisions, source selection, acquisition method, determination/findings, documentation, and propriety of cited funds). Coordinates with mission partners to develop overarching procurement objectives for program and construct contractual instruments accordingly including use of pricing arrangements, subcontracting goals, set-aside policies, and similar considerations. Plans and coordinates the negotiation strategy, evaluates with the negotiation team and conduct the negotiations with contractors to develop the contract prices and terms. Provides authority for pre/post-award contractual actions providing expert advice, guidance, mentorship, and training to less experienced personnel in order to create and maintain a high degree of competency and professionalism. Establishes and maintains collaborative relationships across acquisition Stakeholders to facilitate expert procurement consultation on solution based alternatives to achieving procurement objectives. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications You must meet all three requirements listed below; unless you are covered by an exception: The mandatory Basic Requirement shown in the Education section below; Specialized experience and/or directly related education, as shown below, which has equipped you with the particular competencies needed to successfully perform the duties of this position; and Certification/Training requirements. To qualify for GS-14, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level: Working with complex contracts with far reaching organizational impacts, pre/post-award actions to procure or administer contracts for a variety of supplies and services; Utilizing negotiation techniques sufficient to negotiate prices, terms and conditions, contract modifications, and settlements with representatives of industry and/or other government agencies; Advising senior leadership and junior contracting officers on matters pertaining to unprecedented contracting issues, contracting procedures and policy interpretations; Leading and/or mentoring junior contract specialists regarding acquisitions and pre/post award issues. Certification/Training for GS-14 You must meet one of the following requirements to be considered for this position: A. Certification: Possess a valid level III Federal Acquisition Certification-Contracting (FAC-C) or FAC-C (Professional) or level III Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification or DAWIA Professional. OR B. Training: Completion of all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for level III Federal Acquisition Certification-Contracting (FAC-C) (NASA-FAC-C-Curriculum-Table.pdf), and at least 4 years of experience in contracting or related positions. At least one year of that experience must have been specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level of the position, and must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position. To be hired for this position, you must possess a valid level III Federal Acquisition Certification-Contracting (FAC-C) or FAC-C (Professional) or level III Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification or DAWIA Professional or must have already completed all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for level III FAC-C and/or FAC-C Professional. If you are currently certified, you may be asked to provide evidence of continuous learning to verify your existing certification. If you are not currently certified, you must apply for certification within 30 days after your start date in this position. List your FAC-C or DAWIA certification level and date of certification. If you are not currently certified, but have completed the mandatory procurement training, list the training that you have completed to date. Your resume must include a clear and detailed narrative description, in your own words, of how you meet the required specialized experience. Experience statements copied from a position description, vacancy announcement or other reference material constitutes plagiarism and may result in disqualification and losing consideration for the job. NASA prohibits the use of artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted tool in drafting application and assessment responses. Please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Artificial-Intelligence to review NASA's guidance on the use of AI tools during the application process. The ideal candidate has experience recommending, developing, and implementing policies and procedures to procure supplies, services, for construction or research and development projects using formal advertising or negotiation procedures to evaluate contract price proposals and policies. Education Basic Requirement: 1. Completion of all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to GS-13 or higher-level contracting positions, including at least 4-years' experience in contracting or related positions. At least 1 year of that experience must have been specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level of the position, and must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position. AND 2. A 4-year course of study leading to a minimum of 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. NOTE: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the basic education requirements for positions they occupied on January 1, 2000; only including positions at the same grade. U.S. degrees must have been awarded from colleges or universities that are accredited by recognized accrediting organizations. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, go to http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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. These education credentials must be 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. All degrees must have been received in the year of, or any year subsequent to the original date of accreditation. Additional Information Additional selections may be made for similar positions across NASA within the local commuting area(s) of the location(s) identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) within NASA. CTAP/ICTAP will be cleared for any additional selection from this announcement. If you are a current federal employee, you must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible for this position. To be eligible, you must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks in a position no more than 1 grade lower than the advertised position. (Please submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. If your eligibility for both merit promotion and/or time-in-grade cannot be determined, your application will be rated ineligible.) Note: Time-in-grade requirements also apply to applicants who have held a non-temporary, competitive service GS position in the past year. If you have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must: - Indicate your eligibility when applying for a position. The questionnaire asks you to identify your ICTAP/CTAP eligibility. - Be well qualified for this position to receive consideration. Candidates rated in the 'Best Qualified' category are considered well-qualified. Please see 'How You Will Be Evaluated' for more information. - Submit proof that you meet the requirements for CTAP/ICTAP as indicated in 'Required Documents' For additional information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, click here - https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/#ictap. Qualified NASA term employees who have term conversion eligibility (Term Appointments | NASA) under the NASA Flexibility Act of 2004 will be referred and considered equally with other NASA permanent employees under internal competitive placement procedures. Per Executive Order 14343, this position is not part of a bargaining unit.
