Contract Specialist

Full Job Description

Consistently ranked as among the best places to work in the Department of the Interior (DOI), and the top 10% of all agency subcomponents, the Office of Inspector General is an independent and objective unit within DOI working to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness and to prevent and detect waste, fraud and abuse within the DOI.

We offer exceptional work-life benefits, including flexible work schedules, ample training opportunities, and a comprehensive employee recognition program.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. We will only review your resume to determine whether minimum experience requirement(s) have been met.

Merit Promotion candidates (Federal employees) must meet time-in-grade requirements by the announcement closing date. Individual Occupational Requirement: 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 meeting the Individual Occupational Requirement of the 1102 series, you must also meet the experience listed below: Minimum Qualifications: To qualify for this position, you must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service performing all of the following: Independently performing procurement operations, including developing acquisition and implementation plans, written justifications, and solicitations for complex or high-value acquisitions; Managing all phases of the contract life cycle for complex acquisitions with minimal supervision to include conducting cost and price analysis, developing solicitations, leading negotiations, overseeing pre-award and post-award activities, monitoring contractor performance, and executing contract close-out; Providing authoritative contract and procurement advisory services to program officials and stakeholders to include interpreting and applying acquisition regulations to complex procurement scenarios; AND Analyzing and applying contract and procurement program policies to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations (e.g., FAR) including resolving complex acquisition issues and recommending appropriate courses of 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. Major Duties:

This position is with the Office of Inspector General, Office of Management - Facilities and Operations Services Division in Herndon, Virginia.

This office is responsible for providing and facilitating contract and procurement support and related activities to the OIG.

As a Contract Specialist you will serve as a senior contracting advisor, independently leading acquisition planning, execution, and oversight for OIG procurement actions.

You will support the design, development, and documentation of OIG-wide procurement strategy and serve as the primary OIG representative to the OIG's acquisitions shared services provider.

Major duties include: Provide procurement and contracting advice and technical support to a variety of functional analysts and specialists in various OIG offices, such as audit offices, investigative offices, and the Financial Management Division, in order to prepare the OIG position and conduct negotiations with contractors.

Oversee a comprehensive procurement support program through the direction of new/changing policies.

Recommend new or modified OIG contract and procurement program policies, ensuring that they are current and responsive to fluctuating regulatory requirements.

Work with the OIG Contracting Officer Representatives (CORs), ensures their training is up-to-date and provides guidance for the COR staff. Maintains a list of CORs and their associated contracts.

Maintain current knowledge of all changes to the Government Integrated Charge Card program. Maintains awareness of the training available in the use of the Government Integrated Charge Card.

Manage and enter into inter- and intra-agency agreements for assisted acquisitions up to the maximum limit of the Certificate of Authority (COA).

This position requires someone with a FAC-C Certification and a warrant with signature authority (or the qualifications to obtain a warrant with signature authority).

OIG will determine the level of warrant that is needed to meet the agency's mission for the acquisition of a wide variety of contracts involving the full range of the contract life-cycle, from cradle to grave (pre-awards, post-awards and close-out).