Acquisition Program Specialist

Patent and Trademark Office

$95K — $115K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years of relevant acquisition experience including contract management and administration.
  • Active FAC-COR Level III certification or equivalent.
  • Experience analyzing acquisition operations using quantitative and qualitative methods.
  • Ability to provide strategic recommendations to improve acquisition processes.
  • Experience advising management on contract administration methods and processes.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as a senior acquisitions consultant advising on contracting policies.
  • Establish and recommend new acquisition initiatives to improve project outcomes.
  • Analyze effectiveness of acquisition operations against established goals.
  • Review and approve invoices to ensure proper receipt and acceptance of goods/services.
  • Act as point of contact for managers and technical staff on acquisitions.
  • Provide acquisition information for evaluating policy and program objectives.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive federal benefits package for employees and families.
  • Opportunities for professional development and continuing education.
  • Situational telework options available up to 52 hours per calendar year.
  • Supportive work environment focused on government efficiency and public service.
Full Job Description
Summary

This position is located in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Patents, Assistant Commissioner for Patents, Office of Application Processing and Systems Administration (OAPSA). The OAPSA has oversight of the full lifecycle of contract management activities for mission-critical contracts supporting patent application processing.

Duties

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The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, Virginia. Presence at the Alexandria, VA campus is required for this role, as it includes on site functions that must be performed in person. Position may be eligible for situational telework in accordance with agency policy/business unit discretion. The agency currently allows for 52 hours of telework per calendar year.

The individual selected for this position will be...

  • Serving as a senior acquisitions consultant and point of contact for managers and technical staff on broad contracting and acquisitions policies, directives and procedures.
  • Establishing or recommending new acquisition-related initiatives, objectives, and/or standards to improve projects.
  • Analyzing and evaluating on a quantitative/qualitative basis the effectiveness of acquisitions operations in meeting established goals and objectives.
  • Reviewing receivers and approving invoices for deliverables or level of effort performed to ensure receipt and acceptance of goods and services.


Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Applications will only be accepted from United States Citizens and Nationals.
  • Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related competencies.
  • You must meet the definition of specialized experience.
  • Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
  • Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
  • If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
  • You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
  • Suitable for Federal Employment
  • Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
  • This position requires the completion of OGE-450 Financial Disclosure.


Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. OPM Qualifications Standards are available at General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Specialized Experienceis experience that has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, you must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 in the Federal service:

Specialized experience for this position includes:

  • Analyzing and evaluating acquisition operations using quantitative and qualitative methods to assess progress toward established goals and objectives; AND
  • Evaluating and advising management and program offices on acquisition and contract administration methods and procedures; AND
  • Providing acquisition information to support the analysis and evaluation of new or modified program and management policies and goals.


Must possess a current, active FAC-COR Level III or an agency-recognized equivalent (e.g., FAC-C [Professional] or DAWIA Contracting Professional).

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.

Education

Education may not be substituted for specialized experience at this grade level.

Additional information

Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement unless eligible for special hiring authority, reinstatement eligible, non-current Federal employee applying as a VEOA eligible which do not require time-in-grade/band.

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

This is a Non Bargaining Unit position.

If selected for this position, you may be required to complete the Fair Credit Act Memo, which gives consent so that one or more consumer credit reports may be obtained for employment purposes.

This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of "moderate risk".

Background Investigation - If selected for this position, you may be required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306), which includes a fingerprint and credit check, to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.

The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit the Department of Homeland Security Website.

All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.

Relocation Expenses are not authorized and will not be paid.

CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a "well qualified" rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: OPM CTAP/ICTAP. CTAP/ICTAP documentation requirements are listed in the 'Required Documents' section of this announcement.

More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 90 days from the date the certificate was issued.

All application materials become the property of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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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.

Review our 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.

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