Do you want to be a procurement innovator researching, developing, and executing cutting-edge acquisition strategies? Contract Specialists within the Office of Procurement directly support USPTO's dynamic mission and are responsible for acquisition planning, award, and administration of a wide variety of contracts. Join the USPTO, America's Innovation Agency supporting a diverse, nationwide workforce who work every day with innovators to protect their ideas and hard work!

Duties

This position is located in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), Office of Procurement. If you are looking for an exciting opportunity to grow and share your contracting knowledge, WE HAVE AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU! This rewarding opportunity is ideal for you if:

Requirements

• Applications will only be accepted from United States Citizens and Nationals.
• Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related competencies.
• You must meet the definition of specialized experience.
• Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
• Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
• You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
• Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
• Suitable for Federal Employment.
• You may be required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement, OGE-450, Executive Branch Personnel Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of entering the position and annually.
• Applicants currently holding a FAC-C Professional, FAC-C Level II, or DAWIA equivalent certification are considered to have met all mandatory training requirements for this announcement. Proof of certification is required.

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. OPM Qualifications Standards are available at Contracting Series, 1102 (opm.gov). Basic Requirements for GS-5 through GS-12 A. A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field; OR B. 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. Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for all grade levels for which both education and experience are acceptable. 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. Note - For positions at GS-7 through GS-12, applicants who are qualifying based on experience must possess at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level, that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position, in addition to meeting the basic requirements in paragraph A or B, above. 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. Basic Requirements for GS-13 and Above 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 B. 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. C. 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 in order to qualify for promotion to a higher grade, unless granted a waiver under Paragraph D. D. 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 Paragraphs A and B 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 D, 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. In addition to the basic requirements above you must also meet the following Specialized Experience. Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the federal service. GS-12 For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-11. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience executing all aspects of acquisition management planning, award and contract administration in the procurement process related to goods and services. Experience in evaluating cost/price proposals utilizing cost/price analysis techniques, e.g. performing detailed analyses of all elements of cost in contractor proposals. Experience in using Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12 (Acquisition of Commercial Items), Part 13 (Simplified Acquisition Procedures) and Part 15 (Contracting by Negotiation) to award moderately complex contracts and orders during the pre-award phases of the acquisition lifecycle. GS-13 For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-12. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience executing all aspects of acquisition management in the planning, award and contract administration phases in the procurement process related to goods and services. Experience in evaluating cost/price proposals utilizing cost/price analysis techniques, e.g. performing detailed analyses of all elements of cost in contractor proposals. Experience in serving as a technical expert, advising lower-level Contract Specialists on all phases of the acquisition process. Experience in using Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12 (Acquisition of Commercial Items), Part 13 (Simplified Acquisition Procedures) and Part 15 (Contracting by Negotiation) to award moderately complex contracts and orders during the pre-award, and award phases of the acquisition lifecycle. **In addition to meeting the basic requirements and specialized experience, applicants must currently have a FAC-C Professional, FAC-C Level II, or DAWIA equivalent certification in order to be considered for this position. You must submit a copy of your certification with your application package. 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

If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information. You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - US Department of Education. Another listing of services that can perform this evaluation is available at the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) website. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration.

NOTE: Only education and experience acquired before the filing deadline will be considered. Report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Contacts

• Address TMCO-Office of the Chief Financial Officer Office of Human Resources Mail Stop 171 P.O. Box 1450 Alexandria, VA 22313-1450 US
• Name: Crystal Johnson
• Phone: 571-272-3290
• Email: [email protected]