Summary This position is located in the Office of Procurement, Acquisition, and Logistics (OPAL), Technology Acquisition Center (TAC). TAC provides acquisition and program management expertise and support for life cycle management of enterprise-wide solutions. The position serves as the focal point in developing, establishing, interpreting and guiding the implementation of acquisition policy and regulatory material throughout TAC. Responsibilities Major duties include, but are not limited to the following: Expert analysis and proper interpretation of procurement policy/regulations and reduces the risk for protests from vendors. Review procurement packages that are complex and difficult prior to senior executive level signature approval. Coordinate with Contracting Officers, management, or OALC acquisition personnel to identify and resolve issues. Resolve complex procurement issues. Interpret new legislation and provides synopsis to senior level management. Defend and explain complex issues. Answer inquiries and provides contracting advice and technical assistance to TAC personnel in regards to general and specific situations/problems encountered for all @types of complex contracts (i.e., supply and/or service contracts) or contracting methods that are necessary to plan and execute sound strategies to procure a broad-range and long term complex requirements. Collaborate in the development of acquisition documents and templates that are in accordance with policies and regulatory guidance issued from a programmatic standpoint. Comprehensive knowledge of business practices and market conditions applicable to program and technical requirements. Oral and written communication skills to prepare written and oral guidance and decisions; to explain and defend decisions to contracting personnel, customers, or higher headquarters; and to provide training. Serve in a supporting advisory capacity, the incumbent exercises experienced judgment, initiative and resourcefulness in the interpretation of guidelines to ensure uniform application of guidelines by contracting personnel, which includes correct application among closely related or seemingly conflicting directives. Participate in the development of acquisition plans providing advice and guidance in support of the Advocate for Competition Program (ACP); ensures all supporting documentation is compliant and consistent with the J and A including, but not limited to, Performance Work Statements, Statements of Work, and the Acquisition Plan. Demonstrate and apply expert knowledge of government acquisition statutes, regulations and policies in order to support the Competition Advocate to administer the organization's competition advocate program. Serve in a supporting advisory role when participating in the development of Justification and Approval (J&A) documents on proposed noncompetitive acquisitions over $900,000. Provide various members of the acquisition community (TAC and its customers) with appropriate competition training to ensure full understanding of the various competition laws/requirements. Collaborate with customer and acquisition team members making recommendations to ensure procedures and policies of the organization are in consonance with the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA), acquisition regulations, and higher authority guidance. Conduct training of TAC employees and customers and explains impact of new policies, regulations, and guidance. Play a key role in supporting the execution of acquisition strategies to ensure compliance with Public Law 98-369, which is identified as the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) of 1984. Provide advice and recommendations to the development of acquisition strategies to support program requirements. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Telework limited to ad-hoc with supervisor approval. Regular and recurring telework is not available. Position Description Title/PD#: Procurement Analyst/ PD44300A and PD44313A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Required Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. This position has Individual Occupational Requirements (IORs). In additional to the specialized experience listed below, applicants must meet the IORs as described in the Education section of this Job Opportunity Announcement. GS-12 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Analyzing new policies, laws, and regulations and applying to review of procurement documentation to ensure compliance; participating as a member of procurement team working on high level procurement issues; reviewing complex technical requirements to assist technical subject matter experts in the drafting of procurement documentation. GS-13 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Developing operating guidance and procedures for the complex issues that arise and using them as a basis to provide training to staff; Defending and explaining complex issues with auditors resulting from an audit; Preparing briefings on complex procurement issues for use by senior procurement officials. 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; religions; 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. Note: Resume must include job title and employer name, number of hours worked per week, start and end dates (including month and year), list of duties and responsibilities for each position held. In addition, if the experience was a federal position, you must list series and grade for each position held. Failure to include this information may result in an ineligible rating. A full year of work is considered to be 40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Certification Requirements:The incumbent must have an active Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Professional certification (or a legacy FAC-C Level III Certification that they have maintained with continuous learning) or an active Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Level III Contracting certification; or have the ability to obtain this certification within 18 months of appointment. In accordance with Office of Federal Procurement Policy, all 1102s within the organization are required to complete the Digital IT Acquisition Professional Training Program (DITAP) and obtain a "CFCN 001 Digital Services credential (DITAP)." If selected for this position, you will be required to obtain a "CFCN 001 Digital Services credential (DITAP)." You will be scheduled for this training and given adequate time to complete the training accordingly. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be found well qualified, applicants must meet the following qualifications: Developing and publishing Standard Operating Procedures, Operations Alerts, local procedure updates utilizing expert knowledge of local contracting laws, statutes, Executive Orders, Federal regulations, policies, acquisition processes, financial regulations, and procedures Performing detailed analyses of procurement performance metrics and management issues Researching and analyzing GAO and OIG audits as well as protests made to the TAC or GAO and then reporting analyses to higher authority Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Local Commuting Area: The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from Eatontown, NJ. This includes all locations that fall within a 50-mile driving distance from 23 Christopher Way, Eatontown, NJ 07724. Education There is no educational substitution for the specialized experience for the GS-12 or GS-13 levels, however you must meet the Individual Occupational Requirements as listed below. Basic Requirements for GS-5 through GS-12 A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field; or 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. Basic Requirements for GS-13 and Above 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 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. Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. This also applies to positions at the same grade in the same agency or other agencies if the specialized experience requirements are met. However, they will have to meet the basic requirements and specialized experience requirements in order to qualify for promotion to a higher grade, unless granted a waiver under Paragraph D. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. Additional Information Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online and request information about the Alternate Application process, please contact the Agency Contact listed for this Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA).
