Contract Specialist.

Duties

• Perform all phases of the acquisition processes including acquisition planning, preparing solicitations, evaluating bids/proposals, contract negotiations, contract award, administration, and closeout.
• Provide technical assistance to lower-level contracting staff and assists with difficult or complicated contracting assignments.
• Evaluate acquisition requests to determine the purchase description, performance work statement, specifications and/or drawings are sufficient to ensure their adequacy and successful procurement.
• Perform cost or price analysis to determine reasonableness and performs the full range of contract administration functions.
• Perform the full range of contract administration functions.
• Prepare and negotiate complex agreements and understandings with other state or federal agencies.
• Provide input on the Region's contracting processes and suggests improvements to increase productivity ensure compliance with procurement regulations.
• Ensure Regional contracting goals are met.
• Review/write statements for construction management support contracts to be included in Contracting Officer's requests for proposal.
• Oversees Contract Management Specialist on projects assigned.
• Participates in the review of proposals and selection of contractors.
• Reviews payment requests and makes recommendations for payment against contractor's progress and compliance with contract specifications.
  
  

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• U.S. Citizenship Required
• Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (title 25, USC Section 472). Form BIA -4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference.
• You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit
• You may be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period
• A background security investigation will be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
• If you are a male applicant born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.
• Incidental Operator position. If you are required to operate a motor vehicle in order to properly carry out assigned duties, the 25 IAM 4 Motor Vehicle Safety Program Policy applies. A Link is provided in the Additional Information Section.
• TRAVEL AND RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL NOT BE AUTHORIZED. ANY RELOCATION EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH REPORTING FOR DUTY WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SELECTED EMPLOYEE.
  
  

Qualifications

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: (OPM Operating Manual, General Schedule Qualification Standards and Individual Occupational Requirements for GS-1102, Contracting Series).

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 successfully perform 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 to qualify for promotion to a higher grade.

• MUST SUBMIT A COMPLETE, LEGIBLE COPY OF YOUR OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS TO DOCUMENT THE BASIC REQUIREMENT.
  
  

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: In addition to meeting the basic qualification requirements, applicants must have the following:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE GS-13:

I have at least one year of full-time specialized experience or the equilvalent, comparable to at least the GS-12 level in Federal Service (obtained in either public or private sector). This experience must include experience applying contracting principles, laws, regulations and procedures in planning, developing, implementing, and maintaining all aspects of pre-award and post-award administration of systems contracts, construction contracts and A&E services; performing in-depth evaluation of the financial and technical capabilities and contractor performance; planning and conducting negotiations on price, technical requirements, terms and conditions of the contract; perform cost and price analysis in assessing fairness and reasonable proposed costs.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT: The incumbent may be required to obtain and maintain an appropriate FAC-C level and to hold and maintain a Contracting Officer Certificate of Appointment (COA) commensurate with the workload of the office.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the position to be filled.

EDUCATION: There is no education substitute for the GS-13 grade.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Merit Promotion candidates must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the announcement closing date.

Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (title 25, USC Section 472).

Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur in the same location within 90 days from the closing date.

Education

If you are qualifying based on your education, you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

If You Are Using Education Completed In Foreign Colleges Or Universities To Meet The Qualification Requirements, You Must Send a Certificate Of Foreign Equivalency With Your Transcript In Order To Receive Credit For That Education Which Shows 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 An Accredited U.S. Education Program; Or Full Credit Has Been Given For The Courses At a U.S. Accredited College Or University. For Further Information, Visit:

Additional information

All new hires earn the beginning salary of their pay grade (Step 1). See

This is a Bargaining Unit position, for more information see

The full performance level of this position is GS-13.

TELEWORK: Indian Affairs has determined that the duties of the position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

As a incidental motor vehicle operator position, you may be required to operate a government-owned or leased motor vehicle in the performance of duties; therefore, a valid driver's license is required and be able to meet the safe driving requirements of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (

Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit:

Certain candidates may be eligible to apply under a special hiring authority including those for disabled individuals, Peace Corps employees, Foreign Service employees, veterans, etc. For more information, visit the following OPM websites: USAJOBS Information Center:

Former Federal Employees are required to indicate whether they received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) buyout in their previous employment with the Federal government, and are required to submit a copy of the applicable Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) regarding the VSIP. Most individuals who accept reemployment with the Federal government within 5 years of receiving the VSIP amount, must repay the gross amount of the separation pay prior to reemployment.

• 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.
  
  

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.