Contract Specialist

Department of Energy

$80K — $95K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, economics, or related fields with 24 semester hours from an accredited institution.
  • 4 years of experience in contracting or related positions, with 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-12 or NQ-02 level.
  • FAC-C (Professional) certification required; equivalent DAWIA certification may also qualify.
  • U.S. citizenship required; must comply with Selective Service registration (if applicable).
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a Q-level security clearance.

Responsibilities

  • Determine contractual policy, type of contract, and contractor qualifications for acquisitions.
  • Develop special terms and conditions for contracts and provide guidance to staff.
  • Evaluate contractor proposals collaboratively with Source Evaluation Teams.
  • Negotiate complex, multi-million-dollar contracts and related documents.
  • Administer multi-million-dollar contracts, including various pricing types as per FAR guidelines.
  • Prepare for contract terminations, whether by government convenience or contractor default.
  • Manage contractor performance evaluations and award fee determination processes.

Benefits

  • Access to a comprehensive benefits package as a federal employee.
  • Eligibility for relocation or recruitment incentives for highly qualified applicants.
  • Opportunity to work in a stable, rewarding federal career environment.
  • Employment includes protections for veterans and persons with disabilities.
Full Job Description
Summary

The incumbent serves as a Contract Specialist and provides specialized expertise in developing and executing acquisition plans for a wide variety of products and services, taking a lead role in negotiating and administering assigned contracts and has major responsibility for termination of assigned contracts

Duties

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As a Contract Specialist, you will:

  • Determine the contractual policy and procedural approach, including type of contract, fee application, required contractor qualifications and experience, solicitation, available funding, and approval and final authorization. Analyze requirements for contractor selection and negotiation processes, and prepares actions for establishment of Source Evaluation Teams, Negotiation Teams or Boards. Prepare Request for Proposals and other required solicitation documents.
  • Develop special terms and conditions for solicitation documents and contracts and provides guidance to NNSA staff in their use. Receive contractor proposals and, in conjunction with the Source Evaluation Team/Board, evaluates contractor proposals on the basis of experience, capabilities, efficiency of operations, etc. Prepare Team/Board selection findings for submission to the selecting official.
  • Conduct negotiations on complex, large-scale, long-term multi-million- dollar contracts. Developing contracts, modifications, MOUs, IAs, or other types of contractual arrangements.
  • Conduct negotiations on complex, large-scale, long-term multi-million-dollar contracts.
  • Develop contracts, modifications, MOUs, Ias or other types of contractual arrangements.
  • Prepare, as required, the termination of contracts for the convenience of the government or default by the contractor.
  • Perform contract administration of one or more multi-million-dollar complex contracts. The contracts administered may include complex short or long-term cost, incentive, re- determinable, flexibly priced, or firm fixed-price type contracts as defined in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 16 - Types of Contracts..
  • Manage the contractor performance evaluation (fee determination) process for the assigned, other than M<O contract, and the award fee determination process for other incentive contracts, if applicable (e.g., CPAF and CPIF).


Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Subject to Random Drug Testing
  • Must pass a pre-employment drug test.
  • Favorable suitability determination required.
  • Financial Disclosure is required.
  • Must be able to obtain/maintain a Q-level Security Clearance.
  • You must be a United States Citizen.
  • Males must abide by Selective Service registration requirements.
  • Compliance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-12) governing personal identity which will require that you provide two forms of identification.
  • FAC-C (Professional) certification is required. A valid Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification is equivalent to a FAC-C at the same certification level, provided the FAC-C education and continuous learning requirements have been met. Certification requirements may be viewed at https://fai.gov/certification/fac-c
  • More than one position may be filled from this vacancy announcement.
  • If you are a current federal employee, appointed under the direct-hire authority, you will be given a new appointment.
  • May be required to successfully complete a one (1) year probationary period. Employees serving on a probationary period may be terminated at any time during the probationary period for performance, conduct, or business-related reasons in the interest of Federal service.
  • Please limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, you will be disqualified.


Probationary periods are required for new employees appointed to competitive service positions for the first time or reinstated employees who return to Federal service after a break in service of 30-days or more and who have not completed a probationary period will need to complete the requirement.

Qualifications

All applicants must meet the Individual Occupational Requirements (basic requirements) AND Specialized experience outlined below.

Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR)

A. 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, with at least 1 year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the NQ-02 or GS-12 level.

and

B. Completion of 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.)

OR

C. 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.

OR

D. Waiver: When filling a specific vacant position, the senior procurement executive of the selecting agency, at his or her discretion, may waive any or all of the requirements of Paragraphs A and B above if the senior procurement executive certifies that the applicant possesses significant potential for advancement to levels of greater responsibility and authority, based on demonstrated analytical and decision making capabilities, job performance, and qualifying experience. With respect to each waiver granted under this Paragraph D, the senior procurement executive must document for the record the basis of the waiver. If an individual is placed in a position in an agency on the basis of a waiver, the agency may later reassign that individual to another position at the same grade within that agency without additional waiver action.

Specialized Experience

A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower NNSA pay band level or GS grade level in the Federal Service, i.e., NQ-02 or GS-12. Specialized experience for this position is defined as developing and executing acquisitions for a wide variety of products and services.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

EDUCATION: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, only provide transcripts from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

**FOREIGN EDUCATION: Applicants who have completed part or all of their education outside of the U.S. must have their foreign education evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure that the foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. A written evaluation of any foreign education must be provided with your application in response to this vacancy announcement or be received by the closing date of this announcement. Failure to provide this evaluation will result in you being found unqualified for the position. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education, see the Department of Education website, and for a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, visit The National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. Please Note: If your foreign education has already been accepted by an accredited U.S. educational institution as part of a degree program with that institution, you do not need to provide an evaluation of foreign education but must submit a copy of the transcripts listing the degree from the U.S. accredited institution that accepted your foreign education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating. If you are selected, official transcripts will be required.

Additional information

  • Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets Click HERE for more information.
  • If you believe that you are eligible for the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), please visit the OPM ICTAP/CTAP website Click HERE for more information. In order to be considered under the ICTAP program, your application must score within the pre-established "well qualified" category as stated in the Qualifications section.
  • More than one selection will be made from this vacancy announcement.
  • All positions require successful completion of a background investigation.
  • All males born after December 31st 1959 must abide by laws regarding Selective Service registration. To learn more about this law, visit the Selective Service web page, Who Must Register. If you are not registered and don't have an approved exemption, you will not be eligible for employment with the Federal government.
  • A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified applicant in accordance with the Agency policy and applicable regulations.
  • In accordance with Executive Order 14170, applicants are encouraged to respond to the four short, free-response, essay questions in the questionnaire. Answers to these questions are not scored or rated. Your answers will be reviewed by the hiring manager and agency leadership if you are referred for selection consideration.


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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