Summary

This position is located in the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Office of Chief Financial Officer, Acquisitions Management Branch. The branch is responsible for the planning, development, coordination, and execution of centralized procurement programs for purchases on the open market and from mandatory sources, and/or lease of diversified types of equipment, supplies, services, and a complete contracting services program.

Duties

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As a Contract Specialist (Lead Contracting Officer), GS-1102-13, your typical work assignments may include:

• Preparing Requests for Proposals and Requests for Quotes, publicizing the requirements for items and services to be procured, issuing the solicitation document, reviewing the quotes for responsiveness to the solicitation, determining financial responsibility and performance capability of the quoters, and award the contract.
• Examining and evaluating the contractor's prospective cost estimates or price proposals to determine the necessity, fairness, and reasonableness of proposed contract prices.
• Advising and assisting program officials in the drafting of requirements and technical evaluation reports documenting the technical evaluation process for selecting sources.
• Monitoring outstanding contracts to ensure satisfactory progress, to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of the contract, and to identify problems that threaten contractor performance.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• U. S. Citizenship Required.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• This is not a remote position.
• Relocation expenses are not authorized.
• This position is in the Competitive Service.
• This position is not part of the Bargaining Unit.
• You may be required to complete as applicable, a new one-year probationary period or two-year trial period if appointed.
• If you are a current status federal employee, you may be required to complete a new one-year probationary period if selected.
• Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position.
• A Level II, FAC-C (Professional) Certification in Contracting is required.
• This is a positive education position. Transcripts are required to be considered for this position.
• Subject to a background investigation prior to appointment.
• Submit complete application package online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

Qualifications

All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

IDEAL CANDIDATE STATEMENT

The Ideal Candidate for the Contract Specialist position has knowledge and experience with various contracting methods and types, procurement principles, and techniques. The ideal candidate has performed contractual actions, strategy development, planning, requirements, and determinations. The candidate has experience leading a team of contract professionals in contract negotiation, cost and price analysis, and administration.

BASIC REQUIREMENT:

• 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 the following paragraph;
• 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 the first two paragraphs 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, 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.

In addition to the BASIC REQUIREMENT, applicants must also meet the following:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants must have one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-12 grade level, which has provided them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the Contract Specialist (Lead Contracting Officer) at the GS-13 grade level.

Specialized experience includes:

• Experience independently preparing and issuing solicitations and awards; and
• Experience applying acquisition regulations to administer complex contracts and/or task orders and make difficult decisions about contract-related matters; and
• Experience coordinating and providing technical advice and guidance on contracting issues both orally and in writing; and
• Experience mentoring, training, and reviewing the work of others.

This experience must be fully supported and articulated in your resume to receive consideration. Please do not cut and paste the specialized experience from this announcement into your resume, as this will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience may not be used for this grade level.

For more detailed information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website here.

NOTE: 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

This position has a basic education requirement listed under the Qualifications section of this announcement.

Education must be accredited by an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Applicants can verify accreditation here.

All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education

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 and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in accredited U.S. education programs; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education.

Additional information

SUPPLEMENTARY VACANCIES

Supplementary vacancies may be filled in addition to the number stated in this announcement.

PLACEMENT POLICY

The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by Promotion. The position may be filled by Reassignment, Change to Lower Grade, Transfer, Appointment, or Reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

PROBATIONARY/TRIAL PERIOD

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period, or 2-year trial 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; and
• The needs and interests of the agency; and
• 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 or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

ALTERNATE APPLICATION INFORMATION

Applicants may contact the Office of Human Resources.

The National Labor Relations Board offers career opportunities that feature competitive starting salaries and the potential for performance-based increases, flexible hours, and the ability to achieve and maintain a balanced lifestyle. You will enjoy a range of comprehensive and competitive employment benefits that include Work/Life Balance Programs (Alternative Work Schedules, Telework, Employee Assistance Program, and the Child Care Subsidy Program), the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, Flexible Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, Long-Term Care Insurance, Thrift Savings Plan, and the Transit Benefit Program.

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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.

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.