This position is being filled under the memorandum from the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (USD(P&R)) "Expansion of Direct Hire Authority for Certain Personnel of the Department of Defense," dated October 15, 2021. This position is part of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency

Duties

As a CONTRACT SPECIALIST at the GS-1102-13 some of your typical work assignments may include: Contract Planning Plans the overall approach to meet contracting program objectives for procuring a variety of complex requirements involving highly specialized procurements of significant importance to the Agency. Performs market research/analysis to determine availability of the requirement; analyzes market trends, commercial practices, conditions, and technological advances, and selects appropriate contracting techniques and procedures to solve any acquisition problems. Analyzes difficult contracting issues and determines recommended course of action, which often departs from previous approaches. Provides business advice and assistance to technical personnel involved in development of the statement of work or data requirements. Reviews procurement requests for adequacy and compliance with administrative, regulatory, and procedural requirements and consistency with current market practices and conditions. Reviews and evaluates procurement requests for which previous experience and cost data are less directly applicable, such as applied research, the development of prototype equipment, competitive sourcing, or complex services. Reviews procurement requests to determine whether, based on market analysis, the requirement can be performed by small businesses. Actively solicits Small Business/Small Disadvantaged Business (SB/SDB) participation and obtains subcontracting plans. If appropriate, initiates action to have all or part of a procurement set-aside exclusively for small business performance. Develops evaluation criteria to use in determining source selection and "best value" request for proposal which include utilization of past performance data and technical qualifications for awards other than lowest price. Procurements usually involve a variety of complexities such as socioeconomic considerations, development cost for minority/disadvantaged Small Business/Small Disadvantaged Business (SB/SDB) contractors, difficult to define scopes of work, legal conditions, rigid deadlines, or incentive arrangements causing additional complications. Resolves problems that limit competition and modifies clauses that discourage potential bidders. Serves as the point of contact for assigned procurements. Contract Execution Procures more complex and/or diversified commodities, services, and/or research and development. Determines appropriate method of procurement, e.g., sealed bidding or negotiation using a wide range of contracting methods and contract types. Contracts assigned contain a variety of complexities such as: special handling provisions or other specialized terms and conditions, unfavorable market conditions, and limited competition or sole source due to urgency or quantity. For negotiated agreements, meets with potential offerors to develop/modify requirement statements. Determines the competitive range. Conducts any necessary conferences to discuss, develop, or revise offer received; performs price or cost analysis; plans and conducts negotiations on price, technical requirements, terms, and conditions of the contract; develops and effects persuasive acquisition strategies so as to convince those initially opposed to agree to contractual positions. Recommends award and prepares final contract to include appropriate standard clauses and special provisions and incentives, such as cost and performance incentives. Secures all regulatory clearances. Documents reason for decisions and justifies basis for award.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Occasional Travel
• Work Schedule: Full-time
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
• Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
• Overtime: Occasionally
• Tour of Duty: Flexible
• Recruitment Incentives: Maybe Authorized
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
• Financial Disclosure: Required
• Telework Eligibility: This position is telework eligible
• This is an Acquisition Workforce position in the Contracting functional area. The incumbent will be required to become certified in the Professional tier within 1 year.
• Must be able to obtain/maintain a Secret security clearance.
• This is a drug testing designated position.

Qualifications

You may qualify at the GS GS-13, if you fulfill the following qualifications: A. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service as listed below: Applicant must demonstrate a wide range of contracting methods and contract types sufficient to perform pre-award, post-award, and price/cost analysis functions; experience developing approaches for procurements lacking precedent, accommodating technological changes, and resolving major differences in the interpretation of the statement of working during discussions and negotiations. 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. 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. 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. 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

*Substitution of education may not be used in lieu of specialized experience for this grade level.

You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims.

All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.


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. For further information, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

Contacts

• Address Defense Threat Reduction Agency 8725 JOHN J KINGMAN ROAD MSC 6201 FT BELVOIR, VA 22060-6201 US
• Name: DTRA Servicing Team
• Phone: 614-692-0259
• Email: [email protected]