The purpose of this position is to serve as a Contract Specialist for the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with responsibility for performing professional work involving the procurement of supplies and services using procedures outlined in the Federal Acquisition Regulations, VA Acquisition Regulations, Public Laws, and agency policy. The employee must meet all eligibility requirements to receive and maintain a Level I FACC certification within 12 months upon appointment.

Duties

This announcement is for 2 vacancies that may be filled at one or more of the duty locations listed in the announcement. Candidates may be referred to the selecting official based off the number of applicants. The first 100 applicants to apply will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. If more than 100 applications are received in one day, everyone who applied on or before the day 100 applicants was reached will be referred. Only those candidates selected for further review by the hiring manager and/or their designees(s) will have their application package reviewed for qualifications prior to the issuance of the certificate of eligibles. Based on hiring needs, additional groups of the next 100 applicants to apply to this vacancy may be reviewed for minimum qualifications and be referred to the hiring manager. ***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION. YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION.*** This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-9. At the GS-7 grade level, performs assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-9. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds. Major Duties and Responsibilities includes, but is not limited to: Assists the requiring activities by serving as a member of acquisition planning teams. Aids requiring activities in performing market research, reviewing specifications and statements of work, and approving acquisition milestone plans. The employee will ensure that specifications and statements of work are prepared in a manner which adequately describes the Government's requirements without restricting competition. Advises technical personnel as to inadequate, ambiguous or vague specifications to avoid Government liability. Performs a complete review of recommended sole source requirements and conducts necessary market analyses to test the noncompetitive assumptions of requisitions. Serves as contract administrator on awarded contracts. Conducts post award conferences with Contractor and Government personnel to provide information and to clarify standard and special contractual provisions of the contract. Negotiates required changes to contract conditions to protect the agency. Resolves problems of delivery, production, quality, inspection, and other pertinent matters. Performs cost/price analysis on change order proposals and analysis of delivery requirements. Negotiates prices and/or additional time required for performance and consideration on behalf of the Government. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Position Description Title/PD#: Contract Specialist/PD11002A Telework: 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 (up to 80% per pay period) upon supervisory approval. If selected, applicants must be located within the commuting area of the duty location. Eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. (Virtual refers to work performed on full-time basis using VA-leased space or at a VA facility other than the facility that hired the employee.) Financial Disclosure: Selected applicants will be required to complete a financial disclosure within 30 days from their start date. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary in nature. There are no special physical requirements. The work is performed primarily in office areas or conference rooms and similar environments. However, it may require some traveling and visits to Government and/or contractor's facilities and other contract-related performance sites.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Basic Requirement: Completion of at least a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field. (Transcripts Required) -OR- Possession of 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. (Transcripts Required) -OR- Occupation of a GS-1102, Contract Specialist position in the Federal Government on January 1, 2000, in one of the following grade levels GS-5, GS-7, GS-9, GS-11 or GS-12. (SF-50 Required) -AND- In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also meet one of the following: Superior Academic Achievement: Superior Academic Achievement at the GS-7 level: (SAA) at the baccalaureate level in the coursework detailed above is fully qualifying. Applicants who wish to apply under this provision must submit proof from their educational institution that they meet one of the criteria listed below. To qualify for SAA, applicants must have completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled and meet one of the following: 1. Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university or major subdivision. 2. A grade-point average of "B" (a GPA of 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study. 3. A grade point average of "B+" (a GPA of 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study. 4. Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. For a list of recognized honor societies please visit http://www.achsnatl.org/quick_link.asp. For more information regarding SAA please visit http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/SEC-II/s2-e5.asp#e4f. Transcripts must show that a degree was conferred in order to qualify on SAA. -OR- Specialized Experience at the GS-7: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 level in federal service. Specialized experience for this position is experience in: acquisition regulations, contract law, and procedures applicable to acquisition and contract administration; various types of contracts and contract methods; negotiation techniques sufficient to negotiate prices, terms, and conditions of contracts; business practices to identify sources, analyze cost and pricing data; and experience monitoring contractor performance and compliance with all terms and conditions of the contract. -OR- Substitution of Graduate Education for Specialized Experience: One full academic year of graduate education or law school. 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. (Transcripts Required) -OR- Combination of Graduate Education and Specialized Experience: An equivalent combination of graduate level education and specialized experience as described above to meet the qualification requirements for this position. (Transcripts Required) Please note: If selected for this position, you must meet all eligibility requirements to receive and maintain a Level I FAC-C certification within 12 months upon appointment into the position. When requested by the supervisor, you must apply for up to a Level 1 Contracting Officer Warrant, accept contracting officer warrant, and provide the signatory authority for contracts within their warrant authority. Warrants will be granted based on workload, needs of the agency, and upon recommendation of the supervisor. 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.

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.

Contacts

• Address VHA Service Center - 2 6100 Oak Tree Blvd Independence, OH 44131 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]