Contract Specialist (Senior Contracting Officer)

Duties

The major duties of the position are:

• Serves as a warranted Contracting Officer with unlimited contracting authority to manage a contracting portfolio from cradle-to-grave worth a minimum of $10 million to over $3 billion, with authority to solicit contractual proposals, negotiate, award, execute, administer, and terminate contracts, and exercise oversight in order to preclude instances of fraud, waste, and abuse and take appropriate action if identified.
• Develops acquisition plans, objectives, notifications, correspondence and strategies with regard to competition, market research, price range, contractual vehicle, pricing arrangement, subcontracting plans, and similar considerations. Maintains acquisition plans, milestone charts, related schedules and other applicable pre-award documentation.
• Plans, develops and establishes contractual strategy for assigned contract(s). Exercises leadership in developing a pre-negotiation or post award change negotiation position, determining the type of contracts and negotiation authority to be used, and preparing justifications.
• Provides training/briefings to Agency staff on their administrative responsibilities in the procurement/contract process.
• Represents the Agency at both public and private sector activities and functions that impact contracting.
• As appropriate, prepares and issues terminations, either for the convenience of the Government or for default and negotiates associated settlements related thereto.
• Prepares detailed pre-negotiation and price negotiation memorandums, outlining in writing the details of negotiations with contractors in competitive and noncompetitive negotiations.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Responsible for executing pre- and post-award acquisition management functions using a variety of acquisition vehicles such as firm fixed-price, cost type contracts, time and materials, hybrid contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and interagency agreements. Serves as the focal point for formal source selection procedures. Responsible for making source selection decisions and briefing senior officials.
• Plans, develops, and coordinates the acquisition process. Provides guidance to Agency staff involved in the development of Statements of Work (SOW), Performance Work Statements (PWS), Statements of Objectives (SOO) and/or other documentary requirements and formulates the contracting approach that will best satisfy the requirement and ensure a legally sufficient contract.
• Provides expert technical guidance/mentorship to staff at all levels of the Agency in all areas of contracting/procurement.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

U.S. Citizenship is required.
All qualification requirements must be met by 06/02/2023. Your application package will not be considered if it is missing any of the required documents listed under the "Required Documents" tab. Failure to submit required documentation will impact your eligibility for this position. If you have any concerns or questions regarding required documents, please contact FRTIB Operations (contact information is noted below in this announcement) prior to the closing date of this announcement.
Probationary Period. One-year probationary period may be required.
Selective Service. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law.
The incumbent will be required to submit a confidential financial disclosure statement.
Background Suitability Investigation. Continued employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation and the granting of a federal suitability or security clearance. If selected, you may be offered tentative employment until the background investigation has been fully adjudicated.
If selected for this position, verification of current Contracting certification will be required prior to appointment.

How You Will Be Evaluated

• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
• BenefitsA career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
• Financial suitability

• How to Apply

  You must apply through the USAJOBS online job application system. Complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section, below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 06/02/2023 to receive consideration.
  *To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  *Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
  

  • It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to 06/02/2023.

  
  *To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
  *To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  Note to applicants: To assist us with an expeditious application review process, please do not submit additional documentation from what is being requested in the announcement. The following documents are not required and do not need to be submitted with your application:

  • Diplomas of any type (when education documents are required, you must submit unofficial transcripts, not diplomas)
  • Letters of recommendation, reference, or congratulations, etc.
  • Any documents with a picture of the applicant
  • Awards documentation, including SF-50's for awards
  • Performance appraisals (only ICTAP eligible applicants need to submit their latest performance appraisal)
  • Evaluations of any type

  This and other positions announced by the FRTIB may be filled under Schedule A, 5 CFR 213.3102(u). Schedule A is an excepted service hiring authority used to appoint persons with severe physical, psychiatric, and/or intellectual disabilities. Such individuals may qualify for conversion to permanent status after two years of satisfactory service. Documentation of disability is required, e.g., Schedule A letter. Such documentation is used to verify the individual being hired is indeed a person with a severe physical, psychiatric, and/or intellectual disability. This documentation must be provided to the hiring agency at the time of application, before an individual can be hired. Documentation of eligibility for employment under Schedule A can be obtained from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (e.g., state or private); or any federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. Submission of a VA letter does not automatically qualify as a Schedule A letter. The vacancy announcement you are viewing is a competitive announcement, therefore, any Schedule A documentation submitted will be kept on file, however, noncompetitive hiring authority will not apply.
  This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
  You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted. If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding submission of an alternate application.

  Agency contact information

  HR Operations

  Phone

  202-942-1600

  Email

  [email protected]

  Address

  Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
  Office of the Executive Director
  77 K Street NE
  Washington, DC 20002
  US

  Next steps

  Once your application package is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. If your final rating places you among the top candidates, your application will be referred to the selecting official for further review. If your name is referred to the selecting official, you may be contacted directly by the office for a possible interview. You may also check the status of your application through your USAJOBS profile.
  When the entire vacancy announcement process has been completed you will receive notice via email (or by mail if no email address was provided during the application process). Please allow at least 4-6 weeks after the vacancy has closed to inquire about the status of your application.

• Reasonable accommodation policy
• Evaluations of any type
• Any documents with a picture of the applicant
• Selective Service

• Fair and Transparent

  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Financial suitability
  • Selective Service
  • New employee probationary period
  • Signature and false statements
  • Privacy Act
  • Social security number request
• Letters of recommendation, reference, or congratulations, etc.
• Awards documentation, including SF-50's for awards
• Signature and false statements
• ICTAP documentation. RIF separation notice along with your last performance rating or appraisal.
• Privacy Act
• Diplomas of any type (when education documents are required, you must submit unofficial transcripts, not diplomas)
• Performance appraisals (only ICTAP eligible applicants need to submit their latest performance appraisal)
• It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to 06/02/2023.

• Required Documents

  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

  Please be advised the following documents are required even if you are already a current federal employee or employee of the FRTIB:
  1. Resume (please include on your resume the experience you wish to be considered for the review of your qualifications, the dates of employment with month, day and year, and hours worked per week). Resumes that do not contain all of the necessary information to determine qualifications may be marked as insufficient and applicants may not receive consideration for this position. Your latest resume submission is the one that will be used to determine your qualifications.
  2. Responses to the occupational questionnaire.
  3. You must submit supporting documents verifying your selection priority eligibility along with your application package. Omitting these documents may result in no preference being adjudicated for you. These documents may include, but are not limited to:

  • ICTAP documentation. RIF separation notice along with your last performance rating or appraisal.
  • Schedule A documentation. A qualifying letter from a doctor's or vocational rehabilitation office indicating you are eligible for hire under the Schedule A hiring authority.

  4. College transcripts. Transcripts must be legible and possess the school name imprinted on the transcript or be on school letterhead; you may be asked to submit official transcripts upon selection. Your transcripts must include your Bachelor's degree and any additional transcripts for education received that shows 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. Failure to submit transcripts will result in elimination from further consideration for this position.
  5. Proof of mandatory training certification. You must submit certification showing you have completed the mandatory FAC-C or Department of Defense certification in Contracting at any level, National Contract Management Association (Federal CFCM only).
  6. Exception waiver. If you are qualifying based on the exception waiver, you must submit a SF-50 showing you occupied a position in the 1102 job series at the GS-15 level as of January 1, 2000.

  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

• Schedule A documentation. A qualifying letter from a doctor's or vocational rehabilitation office indicating you are eligible for hire under the Schedule A hiring authority.
• Social security number request
• New employee probationary period

Required Documents

Clarification from the agency

ALL U.S. CITIZENS. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.