Direct Hire Authority: This position will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority. The "Rule of Three", Category Rating and Veterans Preference will not apply to this vacancy.

Duties

**Please see the REQUIREMENTS section for full telework information.** This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, Procurement Innovation Lab, Washington, District of Columbia. The primary purpose of this position is is to provide support, resources and encouragement to procurement teams supporting some of the most complex and priority acquisitions across DHS component agencies and strategic Department-wide acquisitions, as they implement innovative procurement techniques designed to: 1) lower entry barriers for small, innovative, and non-traditional contractors; 2) shorten time to award, so contracts are awarded at the speed of relevance; 3) encourage competition; and 4) increase the likelihood of successful mission outcomes. Examples of innovative procurement techniques to be coached include On-the-Spot Consensus, Confidence Ratings, Oral Presentations, Advisory Down-selects and additional techniques found at https://www.fai.gov/periodic-table. This is a *NON-OPERATIONAL* Contract Specialist position which means you will not be directly administering or awarding contracts. Duties performed: Serve as a senior procurement innovation coach to procurement teams by advising and training them on the use of innovative procurement techniques during the pre-solicitation, solicitation, evaluation, award, and post-award phases of complex contracts that span multiple years, support complex requirements (many of which are unique to the organization), support locations nationwide, and utilize multiple types of funding. Provide authoritative expert advice, resources, and encouragement to lower-graded procurement innovation coaches, contracting officers, contract specialists, program offices, attorney advisors, and leadership regarding non-traditional procurement models, such as rapid phased prototyping using other transaction authority, prizes and challenges, and FAR-based flexibilities which include innovative, cutting-edge procurement models already in use at DHS and other federal agencies. Responsible for developing new procurement concepts, practices and procedures required to take advantage of regulation changes; resolve problems, barriers, and issues in both pre-award and post-award functions; streamline the procurement function; promote efficiency and effectiveness of procurements via creative and innovative methods; and lead strategic process improvement initiatives. Support the organizational learning culture by collecting and sharing outcomes of the innovative procurement techniques tested by procurement teams and developing and delivering training in a variety of settings and platforms. This includes both virtual and in-person formats ranging from small groups to large audiences in excess of 200 people. Facilitate collaborative discussions with procurement teams about the "art-of-the-possible" in federal procurement, be focused on customer and mission outcomes, and promote managed risk-taking to improve efficiencies in the procurement process.

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirements, Specialized Experience, AND Selective Placement Factor requirements as noted below. Basic Requirement for the GS-1102 Contracting Series for the GS-14 grade level. You must meet one of the items listed below: A. 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. (Must include a copy of transcripts with application). -OR- B. Exception: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy as of 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 under Paragraph C. (This exception only applies if you held a GS-1102 position prior to January 1, 2000. If you have not held a GS-1102 position prior to this date, this exception does not apply to you. This exception only allows you to apply for positions at the grade level you held as of January 1, 2000. In order to be promoted to a higher grade level, you must meet the Basic requirement above. You must provide an appropriate SF-50 to verify your grade level if you are a federal employee and applying for this exception). -OR- C. 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 Paragraph A 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 C, 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. (Please note: If you are applying under the Exception or Waiver, you must indicate that by making the appropriate selection on the assessment questionnaire). -AND- To qualify at the GS-14 grade level you must also meet the following Specialized Experience: Specialized Experience: GS-14: Applicant must demonstrate one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-13 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing the following duties: 1) Providing technical guidance on acquisition or contracting laws, regulations or directives; 2) Developing and performing contract methods and terms and conditions in the solicitation and negotiation of major acquisitions; and 3) Developing or implementing innovative contract methods. NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Only the first five pages of your resume will be used to make this determination. To qualify at the GS-15 grade level you must also meet the following Specialized Experience: Specialized Experience: GS-15: Applicant must demonstrate one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-14 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing the following duties: 1) Applying acquisition policies and/or guidance to the acquisition of complex and major supplies and services; 2) Providing technical guidance to management on acquisition or contracting laws, regulations or directives; and 3) Coaching, training, and/or providing guidance acquisition professionals on innovative procurement concepts, practices and procedures. Selective Placement Factor(s): Selective placement factors are applied in the same manner as minimum qualification requirements. Relevant selective placement factor experience must be well documented in your resume. Failure to meet a selective placement factor will result in you not receiving further consideration. In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must meet the following selective placement factor(s): Applicants must hold an active Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Level III or FAC-C (Professional) or DAWIA equivalent unless waiver is in place. For Department of Defense applicants seeking to meet the certification requirements for FAC-C Level III through an equivalency determination, the incumbent must possess the following and provide the required verification documents: Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Contracting Level III Certification, or Acquisition Career Record Brief (ACRB) showing proof of a DAWIA Level III certificate, or Department of Defense Contracting Professional/Foundational Certification along with your DAU transcript. Note: You must attach a copy of your certification to your application or else you will be found ineligible. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification. NOTE: 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.

Education

This position requires specific coursework and/or a degree to meet the basic education requirement. You must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Your transcript(s) must clearly demonstrate the course(s) listed in the qualification requirement section. If the transcript(s) does not clearly demonstrate this you must submit a copy of the course description and/or other documentation demonstrating that the courses are equivalent.

If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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 an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Department of Homeland Security Headquarters OCHCO/HRMS/MS #0170 6595 Springfield Center Drive Springfield, VA 20598-0170 US
• Name: Philadelphia Services Branch
• Email: [email protected]