Summary

This position is in the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Procurement, Acquisition and Logistics (OPAL), Strategic Acquisition Center (SAC). This position negotiates awards and administers strategic enterprise-wide multi-year, multi-billion dollar contracts for professional services.

Duties

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Major Duties:

• Train subordinates in methods and techniques of performing contract actions and provide or arrange for specific administrative or technical training necessary for accomplishment of individual and team tasks.
• Exercise supervisory authorities and responsibilities involving work assignment and review, as well as the administrative and personnel management functions relative to the staff supervised.
• Plan, develop and establish contractual strategy for acquisitions supporting major projects or programs of critical importance to VA and other Government agencies, including developing acquisition strategies, determining pre-negotiation positions, and selecting contract types and negotiation authorities.
• Conduct conferences and oral presentations with prospective contractors to arrive at a clear understanding of solicitation requirements.
• Provide complex contractual direction tor Contracting Officers/Specialists, Program Directors, and upper management at the highest levels.
• Coordinate, negotiate and administer non-information technology (IT) contractual actions with technical departments, the Office of General Counsel, the Office of Inspector General, program offices, and other activities within VA and other Government agencies.
• Direct a full range of contract administration actions, including contract modifications, negotiation of changes, exercising of options, resolution of delays, disposition of claims, tracking of contractor performance, and other related matters.
• Handles conflict and problems in dealing with customers constructively and appropriately, and reports to the Acquisition Service Director on issues arising from meetings with team leaders, program officials, and other customers that affect the team's objectives, work products or tasks.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm

Compressed/Flexible: May be available with supervisor approval.

Telework: Ad-hoc, as determined by the agency policy

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: PD20695A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Required

Physical Requirements: Subject position is primarily of an administrative nature in an office setting, however where travel to work sites is required there may be light physical work required, such as walking over uneven surfaces, or assisting technical personnel in taking measurements or elevations. Government travel for training, meetings, or customer interactions will be required for this position.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; including Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

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

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/05/2026.

Basic Requirements for the GS-13 and Above:

Contracting Series, 1102, Individual Occupational Requirements:

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.

In accordance with the Individual Occupation Requirements this position has the following certification requirements: Employees appointed to this position must possess the following certification, which must be submitted with your application: Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting, Professional/Level III (FAC-C Professional/Level III) certification.

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.

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 1 and 2 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.

GS-14 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Specialized Experience includes but not limited to: Exercise supervisory authorities and responsibilities involving work assignment and review, as well as the administrative and personnel management functions relative to the staff supervised. Provide administrative and technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the team.

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; religions; 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.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. To be found well qualified, applicants must meet the following qualifications: Demonstrate a full range of contract administration actions such as contract modifications, negotiation of changes, exercising of options, resolution of delays, disposition of claims, tracking contractor performance, and other related matters. Perform duties such as developing acquisition strategies, determining pre-negotiation positions, and determining the types of contracts and negotiation authorities.

Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/.

Local Commuting Area:The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from Frederick Maryland . This includes all locations that fall within a 50-mile driving distance from 5202 Presidents Court, Suite 103, Frederick, Maryland 21703.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

Additional information

VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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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.

This position may be authorized for telework. This position is authorized for situational (Ad-Hoc) telework only as determined by agency policy.

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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.