New job Contract Specialist in Oregon

Contract Specialist

Company : US Forest Service
Salary : $53,433 - $84,049 a year
Location : Oregon

Full Description

Duties

Summary

This position is located in a Forest Service Washington Office (WO) unit, or a WO detached unit. The incumbent is responsible for formal advertising and negotiation activities involved in the procurement of supplies, services, or equipment to meet the requirements of the agency.

2 Positions will be filled from this announcement one position at each duty station. See "How to Apply" for contact information for each duty station.


Responsibilities

  • Responsibilities are listed at the full-performance level.
  • Develop solicitation packages that incorporate program requirements, ensuring contract language is clear, understandable and will promote competition.
  • Perform market research, including analyzing market trends, conditions, product availabilities and possible vendors.
  • As a technical expert, advise management, customers, and contractors related to the market, industry, specifications, and socioeconomic concerns.
  • Awards or recommends award in accordance with delegated authority.
  • Conduct pre-work conference to assure adequate understanding of terms, provisions, and general requirements of the contract.
  • Coordinate with industry associations and/or the Small Business Administration in efforts to expand competition.
  • Negotiate price, contract specifications, delivery dates, incentives, and other terms of conditions.
  • Analyze requirements and resolve major differences in the interpretation of the statement of work / performance work statement.
  • Review contractor requests for deviations to contract terms or specifications and determine action to be taken.
  • Gather facts and negotiate or make final decisions regarding a variety of contractor disputes or claims over contract terms of specifications.
  • Manage all aspects of varying types and complexities of contracts, determining methods of contracting, milestones, and procurement plans.
  • Evaluate contractor?s bid/offer responsiveness or cost/price proposals to ensure procurements are from responsible sources and obtained at fair and reasonable prices.
  • Make necessary inspections to ensure contractor compliance with contract provisions and ensure CORs are properly executing their duties and responsibilities.
  • Prepare timely responses to data calls, Congressional inquiries, Freedom of Information Act requests, or other sensitive correspondence.
  • Develop solicitations, that include written specifications, quantities, logistic requirements, and delivery conditions.
  • Prepare required determinations and findings and other justifications for contract award.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status

No

Promotion Potential

11

  • Job family (Series)

    1102 Contracting

  • Requirements

    Requirements

    Conditions of Employment

    • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
    • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
    • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
    • Successful completion of one year probationary period, unless previously served.
    • Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
    • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov

    Qualifications

    In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

    Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

    Basic Requirement:
    A. A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field;

    OR

    B. 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.

    Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for all grade levels for which both education and experience are acceptable.

    Graduate Education. To qualify for GS-1102 positions on the basis of graduate education, graduate education in one or a combination of the following fields is required: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.

    Note - For positions at GS-7 through GS-12, applicants who are qualifying based on experience must possess at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level, that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position, in addition to meeting the basic requirements in paragraph A or B, above.
    • Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. Employees who occupy GS-1102 positions at grades 5 through 12 will be considered to meet the basic requirements for other GS-1102 positions up to and including those classified at GS-12. This includes positions at other agencies and promotions up through grade 12. However, employees must meet specialized experience requirements when seeking another position.
    In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.

    Specialized Experience Requirement:

    GS-09
    Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level. Examples of specialized experience are: Assist in procuring off-the-shelf items or services available from numerous sources; reviewed requisitions and recommended procurement methods; performed basic computations related to a contract cost/price analysis.

    OR

    2 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or masters or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B. or J.D.

    GS-11
    Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level. Examples of specialized experience are: Evaluate bids or offers to determine responsiveness and offerors capacity to perform/comply with contract clauses and make or recommended contract award.

    OR

    3 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

    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; religious; 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.

    To receive consideration for this position, you must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

    TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

    Education

    See Qualifications section for education requirements.

    Additional information

    Salary range as shown is the locality pay area of Rest of U.S. (RUS). Pay rates vary depending on location and may be higher or lower than the amount shown. Please visit the Office of Personnel Management's website for additional information.

    Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

    Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA).

    Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Part-time and intermittent service will be credited only for time actually worked. Non-pay status such as leave without pay is credited for up to six months in a calendar year; anything beyond six months is not credited. Applicants are responsible for providing sufficient information/documentation to determine if the 24 month criteria is met.

    Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.

    PROMOTION POTENTIAL: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied or guaranteed.

    This is a bargaining unit designated position.

    This is a bargaining unit position represented by the National Federation of Federal Employees, IAMAW.

    Forest Service daycare facilities are not available.

    Government Housing is not available.

    Daycare facilities are not available.


    This position is eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

    The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/

    Salary wage as shown is for Rest of the U.S. For more information, refer to the Office of Personnel Management, Salary and Wages web page.

    How You Will Be Evaluated

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

    You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the competencies listed below:

    • Contracting/Procurement
    • Oral Communication
    • Problem Solving
    • Project Management
    • Writing


    Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position.

    If you meet the qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified, you will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities must meet minimum qualifications to be referred.

    Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action.

    To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11170964

    Background checks and security clearance

    Security clearance

    Other

    Drug test required

    No

    Position sensitivity and risk

    Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

    Trust determination process

    Credentialing, Suitability/Fitness

  • Required Documents

    Required Documents

    The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in mail service, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
    • Resume that includes: 1) personal information such as name, address, contact information; 2) education; 3) detailed work experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); 4) supervisor's phone number and whether or not the supervisor may be contacted for a reference check; 5) other qualifications.
    • If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit: a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
    In addition to the above, you must submit the documents below if you claim the following:
    • Current Federal employees: 1) Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing that you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND 2) Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. Do not submit a performance plan.
    • Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.
    • Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act Eligible Applicants: please review the Required Documents for Hiring Authorities Quick Guide on the Forest Service website.
    • Current permanent FSA County employees: most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action, (SF-50 or equivalent) showing your highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) per above.
    • VEOA, Veterans: please review the Required Documents for Hiring Authorities Quick Guide on the Forest Service website.

  • Benefits

    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.

    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.


Help

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.

  • Land & base management

    Certain current or former term or temporary federal employees of a land or base management agency.

  • Veterans

Clarification from the agency

Current permanent federal employees with competitive status, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP eligibles, VEOA eligible candidates and Farm Service Agency permanent county employees only. Candidates outside the federal government or who do not have VEOA eligibility will not be considered.


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