Contract Specialist

Full Job Description

This position is located within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Acquisition and Grants Office (AGO), Corporate Services Acquisition Division (CSAD), with one vacancy in Silver Spring, MD.

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards.

This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/ BASIC REQUIREMENTS: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience OR substitution of education for experience OR combination (if applicable) in order to be found minimally qualified.

Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements: To qualify for the 1102 series: EDUCATION: 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.

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.

AND SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service.

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

This experience need not have been in the federal government.

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.

To qualify at the GS-11 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 in the Federal service.

Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Performing independent contracting assignments in the award, administration and closeout of contracts for goods or services.

OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: 3 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or Ph.D.

or equivalent doctoral degree in one or a combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.

OR COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: A combination of education and experience equivalent to that described above.

Note: Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-11.

To qualify at the GS-12 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service.

Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Performing independent contracting assignments in the solicitation, negotiation, award, administration, and closeout of a variety of complex contracts for goods or services.

Major Duties:

As a Contract Specialist, you will perform the following duties: Procure supplies and services with the most complex and difficult requirements.

Advise technical personnel on the development of statements of work.

Administer contracts and formulate contracting approach to secure supplies, services or construction through use of both formally advertised and negotiated procurements.

Plan and conduct detailed contract price/cost analyses and review procurement actions to determine cost effectiveness.

Review procurement actions to determine compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

NOTE: These duties are described at the full performance level of the GS-12; The GS-11 is developmental leading to such performance.