Summary

The GSA Office of Inspector General (OIG) is seeking a highly motivated and qualified Contract Specialist to be a proactive member of our team in the Office of Administration, Acquisitions and Operations Division.

We are currently filling one vacancy in either Washington, DC or Atlanta, GA, but additional vacancies may be filled as needed.

Duties

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As a Contract Specialist, you will be part of a small but highly motivated team that provides critical support to the OIG in performing the following functions:

• Serving as a warranted contracting officer responsible for pre-award, award, and post-award functions including acquisition planning, requirements development, solicitation preparation, price/cost analysis, negotiation, evaluation, administration, termination, and contract closeout.
• Responsible for contracting of a wide variety of supplies, vendors, equipment, and services; participating in the negotiation of equipment and services, including the procurement of specialty items, furniture, manpower, and maintenance services.
• Assisting with the development and administration of procurement processes, including contract planning, development of requests, recommendations in proposals and the procurement of equipment, supplies, services, information technology (IT) equipment and systems, and supporting relevant OIG initiatives and interest.
• Interpreting policies and procedures of procurement and contract information; accepting contract proposals and selecting awardees and researching the validity of data provided and providing alternative solutions, if required.
• Working with other specialists internal and external, including senior members of the contracting team and the OIG Counsel, to resolve issues and formulate appropriate responses to procurement issues.
• Assisting the contracting team in providing business advice and solutions to OIG program offices and senior leaders regarding all aspects of acquisition planning and management for the procurement of supplies and services based on expert knowledge of Federal contracting theories, statues, principles, practices, and procedures.
• Providing excellent customer service to clients, responsive to clients' inquiries and issues, demonstrating flexibility and agility in procurement strategies and good judgement.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• US Citizenship or National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
• Meet all eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date.
• Register with Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959

If selected, you must meet the following conditions:

• Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or NonCareer SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.
• Serve a one year probationary period, if required.
• Undergo and pass a background investigation (Tier 5 investigation level).
• Have your identity and work status eligibility verified if you are not a GSA OIG employee. We will use the Department of Homeland Security's e-Verify system for this. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of continued employment.
• Complete a financial disclosure report to verify that no conflict, or an appearance of conflict, exists between your financial interest and this position.
• As a condition of employment, you must maintain FAC-C (Professional) certification throughout your employment in this position. At the GS-12 level you must also obtain and maintain an acquisition warrant at the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT) level, at minimum. Upon promotion to the GS-13 level you will be required to obtain and maintain a Senior Unlimited Acquisition Warrant.

Qualifications

The GS-12 salary range starts at $102,415 per year in Washington, DC or $94,654 per year in Atlanta, GA. If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.

Basic Requirement for GS-1102-05 through 12 levels: 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.

Exception Provision : If you occupied a GS-1102 position at the GS-5 through GS-12 on January 1, 2000 and have continually held this occupational series since that date, you are considered to meet the basic requirement for other GS-1102 positions up to and including those classified at GS-12. However, employees falling under the exception provision must also meet the specialized experience requirements and selective placement factor requirements outlined below for this vacancy.

GS-12 Qualification Requirements

You must meet the Basic Requirements (or the exception) listed above and have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience performing contracting assignments procuring supplies and/or services using a wide range of contracting methods, contract vehicles and types. Procurement of these supplies and/or services at this level include:

• Planning and carrying out pre-award, award, and post-award acquisition actions;
• Preparing solicitation documentation incorporating necessary specialized provisions, and drafting the final contract;
• Evaluating vendor offers for both technical and price/cost factors as well as evaluating bidders capacity to perform/comply with contract clauses and specifications;
• Planning and conducting negotiations on price, technical requirements, terms, and conditions of the contract;
• Responding to and resolving acquisition questions/issues that require research to provide recommendations/responses;
• Analyzing contracting issues and identifying alternative courses of action.

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: In addition to the qualification requirements listed above, you must currently hold an acquisition warrant at the SAT level or higher OR have FAC-C Professional (or the DoD equivalent) certification and be eligible to apply for the SAT warrant at the time of entry.

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcript(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcements to verify qualifications. If selected, official transcript(s) will be required prior to appointment.

Promotion Potential: The incumbent may be promoted non-competitively to the GS-13 full performance level provided work at this level exists, the incumbent meets all qualification requirements and has demonstrated the ability to perform the higher-level duties, and time-in grade and other administrative requirements are met. For reference, the basic qualification requirements for 1102 Contracting occupational series at GS-13 and above can be found at the following link: OPM's Individual Occupational Requirements for the 1102 Contracting series

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Applicants are encouraged to make their resume searchable in their USAJOBS.gov profile. This will allow Federal hiring specialists and hiring managers across agencies to find their resume as part of agency recruitment campaigns or staffing searches.

Current civil service employees will receive new appointments if selected under this Direct Hire Authority.

If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the OIG HR point of contact listed on this vacancy announcement.

Relocation-related expenses are not approved and will be your responsibility.

In the event that this position cannot be filled by the initial selection, alternate selections may be made from this announcement. Management also has the right to not fill this position or to fill additional vacancies through this announcement as needed.

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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.

You will have access to many benefits including:

• Health insurance (choose from a wide range of plans)
• Life insurance coverage with several options
• Sick leave and vacation time, including 11 paid holidays per year
• Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401(k) plan)
• Flexible work schedules
• Transit and child care subsidies
• Flexible spending accounts
• Training and development

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.