U.S Government

Contract Specialist

U.S Government$75K — $95K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent with 24 semester hours in relevant fields.
  • At least one year of specialized experience at GS-11/GS-12 level in contracting.
  • Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) required for GS-12 and GS-13 levels.
  • Experience in contract negotiation and administration is critical.
  • Familiarity with Federal Acquisition Regulations and policy evaluation.

Responsibilities

  • Instruct program officials on procurement planning and contract strategy.
  • Prepare compliant solicitation documents for various program acquisitions.
  • Negotiate cost and price analyses for contractor proposals.
  • Administer active contracts to ensure compliant and cost-effective performance.
  • Spend over 50% of work time on contracts, grants, and agreements.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive federal employee benefits package for you and your family.
  • Eligibility for situational telework under specific conditions.
  • Benefits for current EPA employees will remain unchanged.
Full Job Description
Summary

This position is in Region 10, Land, Chemicals, & Redevelopment Division, RCRA & Tanks Branch. About Region 10: Region 10.

This is an office-centered positionyou must physically report to one of the duty stations stated in this announcement on a regular basis (location TBD after candidate selected).

Duties

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At the full performance level of this position, you will:

  • Instruct program officials on procurement planning and contract strategy to ensure compliant, competitive, and effective acquisitions.
  • Prepare and issue compliant solicitation documents Requests for Quotations, Invitation for Bids, Requests for Proposals for program acquisitions to clarify requirements and ensure fair, competitive procurements and timely awards
  • Negotiate cost and price analyses of contractor proposals for contracting officers and source selection teams to ensure fair, reasonable, compliant, and defensible contract awards.
  • Apply and administer active contracts for contracting officers, CORs, and program offices to protect government interests and ensure compliant, timely, and cost-effective performance


If you are hired at a grade level lower than the full performance level (i.e., highest promotion potential level), your duties will be less complex and you will have more supervisory oversight. You may be promoted to more complex duties and work more independently, as your career progresses. NOTE: Career ladder promotions are not automatic, and all eligibility and qualifications requirements must be met in order to progress to the next grade level.

You will spend more than 50% of your work time on contracts, grants/cooperative agreements, and/or interagency agreements.

One or more positions may be filled (in the organization advertised and/or in other organizations), if appropriate to the position.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

#LI-DNI

You must meet time-in-grade requirements no later than 30 calendar days after the closing date of this announcement.

This position is designated as Moderate Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation. All conditions of the pre-employment security process must be met before an official letter of employment can be issued with a report for duty date.

For the GS-12: You will be required to obtain and maintain Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) (Professional) or Department of Defense (DoD) Contracting Professional Certification.

Qualifications

NOTE: You must meet qualification requirements, including any requirements described in the Education section, by the closing date of this announcement.

In addition to the educational requirements, we are looking for at least one year of specialized experience related to this position as described below:

To qualify for the GS-12 level, you need to have at least one year of full-time experience equivalent to the GS-11 level defined as researching and analyzing legislation, regulations, policies and methods used in contracting (e.g. Federal Acquisition Regulation); evaluating the cost/price elements of contracts; and providing recommendations to senior level managers in response to contractual issues.

To qualify for the GS-13 level, you need to have at least one year of full-time experience equivalent to the GS-12 level defined as researching and applying legislation, regulations, policies and methods used in contracting (e.g., Federal Acquisition Regulation); negotiating contracts to develop contract prices and terms; applying price/cost analysis techniques to evaluate contractor proposals; and administering contracts.

You will need the following competencies in order to perform the duties of this position successfully:

  • Conflict Management. * (Only GS-12)
  • Technical Knowledge. (Related to Position)
  • Contract Management. * (Only GS-13)
  • Written Communication. * (Both GS-12 and GS-13)
  • Attention to Detail. * (Both GS-12 and GS-13)
  • Influencing/Negotiating.
  • Budget and Cost Management.


*You will be evaluated on these critical competencies.

For the GS-13: In addition to the requirements above, you must have (and will be required to maintain) Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) (Professional) or Department of Defense (DoD) Contracting Professional Certification.

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.

*If you have part-time work experience, read this: Part-Time Experience.

Education

For the GS-12:

You must have a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university 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.

For the GS-13:

You must have (1) a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university 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; (2) completed all mandatory training prescribed by the agency for progression to GS-13 (or equivalent) or higher level contracting positions; and (3) at least 4 years experience in contracting or related positions, at least one year of which must have been specialized experience as described above.

For information about accreditation requirements, visit Accreditation.

Additional information

Are you a Displaced Federal Employee? If so, please read the Required Documents section and visit the EPA website for additional information on the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): CTAP/ICTAP

NOTE: To be entitled to selection priority, you must be rated well-qualified (i.e., you must have a score of 87 or highersee the How You Will Be Evaluated section).

If you are selected, travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid by EPA. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting to work in this position will be your responsibility.

This position is not in the bargaining unit.

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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.

Benefits will not change for current permanent EPA employees.

If you are selected for this position, situational telework may be approved by your supervisor if you meet eligibility requirements, as allowable by agency policy and/or applicable collective bargaining agreement. EPA policy only allows telework to be approved situationally. Situational telework is for work or assignments of specific limited duration on an occasional, emergency, or ad hoc basis.

NOTE: If you are an EPA employee who currently works at a remote work location (i.e., full-time telework), your approval for remote work does not transfer to this position, subject to Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act.

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.

About U.S Government

The United States Government is the federal government of the United States, a republic in North America. The government is composed of three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The government is responsible for the administration of public policy and the enforcement of laws. The government is funded through a combination of taxes, fees, and borrowing. The government employs more than 21 million people, making it one of the largest employers in the world.
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