THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WILL CLOSE AFTER 250 APPLICATIONS ARE RECEIVED, WHICH MAY BE SOONER THAN THE LISTED CLOSING DATE. A USAHIRE ASSESSMENT is required as part of your application (see How To Apply). This is a mid-level developmental position leading to GS-12. See RESPONSIBILITIES for information about training and the duties of a Contract Specialist. See CONDITIONS for information about the position.

Duties

This is a mid-level developmental position leading to the GS-12 full performance level. Assignments in this position are developmental in nature. Management devises structured training and development activities to provide experience and technical competence in the methods, procedures, principles and techniques of the full performance level. Trainees perform a variety of functions in support of higher graded specialists and consult with those analysts to identify problems and methods of approach, but is expected to perform standard, routine duties independently. Management defines the objectives, priorities and deadlines for projects or assignments and is available for consultation and to assist trainees with unusual situations, problems or studies that do not have clear precedents. Management evaluates reports and other completed work for technical soundness, appropriateness of conclusions or recommendations, consistency and relevance. During this period of training, management broadens assignments to enable the incumbent to eventually perform all the duties of the next higher grade. *Duties at the full performance level include: Plans, solicits, negotiates, awards, administers and closes out the most complex and difficult acquisitions of materials, systems, services and equipment in support of agency goals and initiatives. Formulates contracting strategies and secures commodities through negotiated and sole-source acquisitions using a variety of acquisition methods and contract types. Performs cost and price analyses on contractor proposals to ensure fair and reasonable pricing and negotiates for lower pricing when appropriate. Reviews acquisition actions to determine cost effectiveness and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship required Selective Service Registration, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
• Fingerprinting and background and/or security investigation may be required, Job offers are contingent on fingerprinting and background / security investigation results
• Selectees may be required to serve a 1 year probationary period
• Relocation expenses will not be paid
• Complete the initial online assessment and USA Hire Assessment, if required
• All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement
• Position is on a full-time, flex-time schedule; Alternate Work Schedules (AWS) may be authorized; eligible for telework after all conditions for telework have been met.
• This position is not authorized to be filled virtually or through outstationing. One or more vacancies may be filled at any of the listed Official Duty Stations (ODS). You must reside within a 2-hour commute to the selected ODS.
• Consideration for promotion is at the discretion of management and is based on the existence of higher-level work, your ability to perform that work, administrative requirements and current agency and/or organizational restrictions.
• New hires may be required to attend training. Dates for training will be determined by the hiring office at the appropriate time.
• The training curriculum is designed to assist OAG in determining if new hires possess the requisite aptitude and skillsets to succeed as contract specialists (see QUALIFICATIONS).
• Successful performance in this position will be assessed during the 1-year probationary period that may be served by new appointees (e.g., new to SSA and/or new to this series).
• You must complete and pass the USAHire Assessment as part of the application process (See How To Apply).
• See Additional Information section for other conditions specific to this position.

Qualifications

This announcement will close after 250 applications are received, which may be significantly sooner than the listed closing date. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS To qualify for this GS-07 Contract Specialist position you must demonstrate: (1) a passing score on the USAHire Assessment (see How To Apply) AND (2) the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for the federal 1102 series AND (3) at least 52 weeks of Specialized Experience -- OR -- (4) Optional Education (separate from the education required for the IOR) -- OR -- (5) Combination of Specialized Experience and Optional Education (1) USAHIRE ASSESSMENT - Look for a notification pertaining to the USAHire Assessment after you submit your initial application -- see How To Apply section for more information. (2) INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR): A. a bachelor's degree with a major in any field OR B. successful completion of at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields: (1) accounting (2) business (3) finance (4) law (5) contracts (6) purchasing (7) economics (8) industrial management (9) marketing (10) quantitative methods or (11) organization and management Applicants who don't meet the requirements of this IOR will be ineligible. (3) SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE must have been gained in a federal position at or above GS-05 OR (if your position and/or experience is in another federal pay scale OR outside of federal service) by performing duties at a level equivalent to GS-05 or above. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is work that primarily consists of performing functions related to the purchase of supplies or services, including conducting market research, determining appropriate sources, negotiating or evaluating prices and selecting a supplier or service provider. If you perform this kind of work, it must be specifically described in your resume. Reviewers cannot assume you perform duties you don't describe. An affirmative response to the online questionnaire is not sufficient to demonstrate experience. Since Specialized Experience also has a time component, it must be evident that the duties you describe are at the required level for at least 52 weeks. Your resume must show complete dates (month/day/year) for each position described (and if your position is or was federal, your grade at the time experience was gained). Resumes that don't include this information may not satisfy the requirement to demonstrate 52 weeks performing specific work at the required level. If your experience includes a federal career-ladder position, separate your description of experience by grade so your qualifying experience (e.g., required grade, dates and duties) is clearly evident. Career-ladder positions described as a single position may not satisfy the requirement to demonstrate 52 weeks performing specific work at the required level TYPICAL DUTIES THAT DEMONSTRATE SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE INCLUDE: (a) purchasing goods or services; (b) requesting quotations for goods or services; (c) researching prices for goods or services; (d) negotiating prices or terms and conditions in a professional setting; and (e) making written recommendations in a professional setting. SEE RESUME REQUIREMENTS BELOW. (4) OPTIONAL EDUCATION: Applicants without Specialized Experience can meet Minimum Qualifications with: A. a bachelor's degree that demonstrates Superior Academic Achievement (SAA)* OR B. a bachelor's degree followed by at least one full year of graduate education or law school (see below). To be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for this position. Graduate Education: To qualify for GS-1102 positions on the basis of graduate education, graduate education in one or a combination of the following fields is required: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods or organization and management. *See EDUCATION for information on SAA. (5) COMBINATION: Applicants without the full amount of Specialized Experience or the full amount of Optional Education can meet Minimum Qualifications with a portion of each that can be combined to meet the full requirement: A. Except for the 52-week requirement, Specialized Experience must be as described above. B. Only graduate education, as described above, can be considered. HR will determine if the combination of experience and graduate education is sufficient to meet Minimum Qualifications. NOTE -- you must submit transcripts to substantiate all claimed education. Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. Employees who occupy GS-1102 positions at grades 5 through 12 will be considered to meet the basic requirements for other GS-1102 positions up to and including those classified at GS-12. This includes positions at other agencies and promotions up through grade 12. However, employees must meet specialized experience requirements when seeking another position. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (e.g., USAHire Assessment, IOR and Specialized Experience [and/or Optional Education]) must be met by the closing date of this announcement. See Education and Required Documents for more information on demonstrating your eligibility and qualifications. *The hiring office (OAG) may have a formal training program for new hires. *The curriculum is designed to assist OAG in determining if the new hires possess the requisite aptitude and skillsets necessary to succeed as contract specialists. RESUME REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICANTS WITH SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Since Specialized Experience has a time component, it must be evident that the duties you describe are at the required level for at least 52 weeks. Duties shown above should be typical of your everyday work. If you perform this kind of work, your resume must provide details of the actual duties you perform that demonstrate those requirements. Reviewers cannot assume you perform duties you don't describe. Include employer name, job title, work-schedule (full-time or number of hours per week), full start/stop dates (month/day/year) for each position and (if your position is or was federal) your federal pay scale and grade. RESUME REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICANTS WITHOUT SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: It's expected that some applicants may qualify on education alone and may not have relevant work experience, but you must still submit a resume that: (1) shows your name and contact information, (2) describes how you meet the IOR AND (3) describes how you meet the optional education requirement.. If you have work experience you want to include (even if not related to this position), show your employer name, job title, work-schedule (full-time or number of hours per week), full start/stop dates (month/day/year) for each position, your pay scale and grade (if your position is or was federal) and a brief description of the duties you perform. If you are a federal contractor, do not identify yourself as a federal employee. Information on this job series can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1100/contracting-series-1102/ Position is assigned to: Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Budget, Finance and Management (DCBFM) Office of Acquisition and Grants (OAG)

Education

This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) that must be met and demonstrated by all applicants.

Additionally, applicants without Specialized Experience can meet Minimum Qualifications with certain education, but it must be in addition to the education used to meet the IOR.

For example, a bachelor's degree meets the IOR. If your degree demonstrates *Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) or is followed by at least one full year of graduate education, it also meets the Optional Education portion of Minimum Qualifications and eliminates the requirement for 52 weeks of Specialized Experience. (18 semester hours will be considered as satisfying 1 full year of graduate education.) Your must submit the transcript for your bachelor's degree and the transcript for your graduate education.

Superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for this position.

If you have a portion of Specialized Experience and a portion of graduate education, submit the transcript for your bachelor's degree (to support the IOR) and the transcript for your graduate education, in addition to a resume which demonstrates a portion of the Specialized Experience. HR will determine if the full requirement is met.


TRANSCRIPTS -- For application purposes, you may submit unofficial transcripts but all transcripts must show your name, the name of the school, the program in which you were enrolled, the degree earned (or successful completion of 24 credits in any of the 11 creditable fields) and your GPA. Transcripts that do not show that a degree was conferred cannot be considered to have resulted in a bachelor's degree.

*Since course titles do not always indicate that a course pertains to a creditable field, highlight qualifying courses to ensure they are given consideration. This may require you to print a copy of your transcript, highlight the qualifying courses and upload the highlighted copy of your transcript.

If you completed your qualifying education in more than one school, you must submit full transcripts for all schools you attended.

TRANSCRIPTS MUST BE LEGIBLE or you may not receive credit for completed courses.

DO NOT SUBMIT A DIPLOMA IN LIEU OF A FULL TRANSCRIPT THAT SHOWS THE REQUIRED INFORMATION.

If selected, you may be required to provide your official college transcripts prior to the effective date of your appointment.

*Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) can be demonstrated by

1. Class standing -- must be in the upper third of graduating class in the college, university or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.

2. GPA (no more than 10 percent of total credit based on pass/fail or similar systems) -- must have a GPA of:

(a) at least 3.0 out of 4.0 as recorded on official transcript or as computed on 4 years of education or as computed on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or

(b) at least 3.5 out of 4.0 based on the required courses in the major or the required courses in the major completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.

3. Election to qualifying National Honor Society: National Honor Societies Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision.

You must provide appropriate documents to support your claim.

Foreign Education: If your transcripts show education completed in foreign colleges or universities, you must also provide, as part of your application, documentation that 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 a conventional/accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Contacts

• Address DCBFM - OAG 6401 Security Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21235 US
• Name: OPE Staffing DCBFM
• Phone: 410-965-1234
• Email: [email protected]