The Office of Research and Development is seeking a full-time Program Specialist to serve as Contracting Officer Representative for the VA Boston Healthcare System research program. This is a TEMPORARY (Term) position, not to exceed 3 years.

Duties

The Program Specialist will function as the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for the VA Central Biorepository (VACB) located in the VA Boston Healthcare System. These duties incorporate all of the delegated COR functions and tasks associated with the planning, implementation, and oversight of services performed by a contractor. The VACB submits more than 15 contracts per year for new equipment, service contracts on the equipment, and supply contracts. Typical duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Incumbent must meet and continue to maintain appropriate training requirements required to be delegated as COR. Determines best procurement pathway to acquiring needed materials or services. Utilizes knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and VA procurement procedures to initiate and submit procurement orders and contracts to acquire goods and services in a timely manner. Keeps track of monthly orders for budget reporting. Initiates action to resolve procurement issues and makes recommendations to improve current procurement practices within the program. Provides technical oversight of contracts, tracking work performed by contractors and coordinating effective communication between contractors and VA staff. Maintains an inventory of all contracts and leads the process to ensure timely renewal or consideration of alternative options. Provides ongoing reports to VACB leadership on all aspects of contract management. Collaborates with the facility Contracting Officer/designee in the development of planning documents; market research; development of Statements of Work; and completion of solicitation requirements. Assists in all aspects of property (equipment) management, to include acquisitions, training, maintenance, inventory, and disposal of equipment. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm 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. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD33466A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required. NOTIFICATIONS: This position is in the AFGE bargaining unit. This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/20/2024. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: A selective placement factor (SPF) is a particular knowledge, skill, or ability required in order to successfully perform the duties of the position. The SPF for this position is: Knowledge, understanding and/or expertise in federal procurement procedures. Evidence of the SPF must be found in your resume in order for you to be considered for this position. Applicants meeting the Selective Placement Factor may qualify based on experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-7) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of qualifying specialized experience for this position include, but are not limited to: initiating and managing contracts for supplies, equipment, or services; coordinating contract administration and property management activities for an office or program; tracking orders for budget reporting; preparing all required procurement documents; and providing reports to leadership on all aspects of contract management. (NOTE: Experience must be documented in resume in order to qualify).. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Master's or equivalent degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.B. or J.D., if related. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a Bachelor's degree. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: CommunicationsContract AdministrationContracting/Procurement 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary and usually accomplished while seated at a desk. May involve occasional trips to the Biorepository space. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Boston ORD VISN 1 JFK Federal Building, 15 New Sudbury St Boston, MA 02203-9928 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]