Principal Contract Specialist/Program Manager (15.49)Responsibilities and Duties
OCT currently has an opening for a Principal Contract Specialist/Program Manager to work with our federal client. The selected candidate will lead OCT's contractor team embedded with the client's contracting department, which plans, awards, and administers fixed-price and cost-type contracts for supplies, services, and information technology. The Principal Contract Specialist/Program Manager will serve as OCT's on-site contract manager and primary point of contact for the COR and Technical Point of Contact, while also performing complex contracting work.
This position is contingent upon contract award.Day to day responsibilities include:- Serve as OCT's on-site contract manager with full authority to act on daily operational matters; serve as primary point of contact for the COR and TPOC.
- Receive acquisition packages from the Government and assign and disseminate work to contractor staff; manage team workload, performance, and quality.
- Implement and maintain the Quality Control Plan; oversee contractor-to-contractor peer review of all work products prior to Contracting Officer review.
- Enter contractor staff time into the client timekeeping system; coordinate and monitor approved telework arrangements.
- Lead weekly performance meetings with the COR, report on status and issues, and resolve performance concerns.
- Ensure the team does not perform inherently governmental functions and maintains non-personal services and OCI safeguards.
- Prepare the Transition-Out Plan and lead knowledge transfer at the end of the period of performance.
- Support the full acquisition lifecycle (cradle-to-grave) for complex supplies, services, and information technology, including fixed-price and cost-type contracts, IDIQs, BOAs, BPAs, and task/delivery orders.
- Conduct market research and prepare market research memoranda, Justifications and Approvals (J&As), and related acquisition strategy documents; review requirements and sole-source justifications for accuracy.
- Prepare Requests for Quotes (RFQs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and combined synopsis/solicitations, ensuring all appropriate FAR/DFARS terms and conditions are included; verify funds availability and obtain legal concurrence as required.
- Support informal and formal source selections, including Source Selection Plans, evaluation worksheets, conflict-of-interest/non-disclosure documentation, and draft Source Selection Decision Memoranda.
- Perform cost and price analysis using advanced Excel (XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP/HLOOKUP, pivot tables, nested functions, conditional formatting) on large pricing datasets; assist program offices with Independent Government Estimates (IGEs).
- Develop pre-negotiation objectives and support the Contracting Officer during negotiations; prepare award documents, COR designation letters, and FPDS-NG reporting.
- Provide training, mentoring, and knowledge sharing to Government and contractor staff, including PowerPoint training materials and job aids.
Requirements- Must be a U.S. Citizen
- Eight (8) or more years of Government contracting experience, including commercial and non-commercial supplies and services, IDIQs, and task/delivery orders.
- Three (3) or more years of Government supervisory experience.
- Bachelor's degree required (Business degree preferred). Education and experience may not be substituted for one another.
- DAWIA Contracting Professional certification or equivalent (e.g., DAWIA Level IV, FAC-C (new criteria)/FAC-C-DoD, or FAC-C Level III (legacy)) AND DAWIA Program Management Advanced certification or equivalent (DAWIA Level III PM).
- Demonstrated experience training, mentoring, or knowledge sharing with contracting staff.
- Expert knowledge of Federal contracting law, regulations, policies, and precedents sufficient to plan, lead, review, or audit the most complex procurement functions.
- Skill in promoting e-commerce and using automated acquisition systems; proficiency in Microsoft 365 and Adobe Acrobat.
- Preferred: twelve (12) or more years of Government contracting experience and five (5) or more years of supervisory experience; prior experience managing an embedded contractor team at a DoD contracting activity.
- Must hold an active security clearance at the time of contract award; the investigation will involve a credit, fingerprint, and law enforcement agency check.
- Must be able to obtain client facility access credentials (CAC/badge) and wear required safety equipment (hard hat, safety glasses, steel-toed boots) in industrial areas.
- Location: Full-time, on-site at the client facility. Work hours fall within [redacted] ET, Monday through Friday. Telework is permitted only with Government approval.
BenefitsOCT offers competitive compensation packages and a full suite of benefits which includes:
- Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
- Retirement savings 401K plan provided by an industry leading provider with 3% employer contributions of the employee's gross salary
- Paid Time Off and Standard Government Holidays
- Life Insurance, Short- and Long-Term disability benefits
- Training Benefits
Salary Range: $120,000- $135,000 yearly commensurate with experience, education, etc. 
