Contract Specialist
What you'd do
The mission of the Antitrust Division is to promote competition by enforcing the antitrust laws to protect economic freedom and opportunity on behalf of the American people. The Antitrust Division has openings for Contract Specialists to join its dedicated team and gain invaluable experience working in the public interest to protect the competitive process. Are you ready to contribute to matters of national importance that promote a competitive and productive American economy?
Major duties
This position is located in the Acquisitions Management Section (AMS) of the Executive Office (EXO) within the Antitrust Division (ATR). EXO is a very dynamic and fast-paced office, delivering professional management services that power ATR's people and mission. Within EXO, AMS is responsible for providing Division services, guidance, and responsible stewardship of resources, by complying with all Federal regulations, along with Department and Division policies that govern acquisition. As a Contract Specialist, you will: Complex Information Technology Acquisitions - Analyze sources for the products or services to be procured. Procure products and services using negotiation techniques. Professional Services, Expert Witness, and Litigation Support Acquisitions - Monitor outstanding contracts to ensure satisfactory progress, to assure compliance with the terms and conditions of the contract, and to identify problems that threaten contractor performance. Strategic Acquisition Planning and Customer Engagement - Provide procurement advice and assistance to program managers, technical and financial specialists, co-workers, and/or others on contract or procurement policies, problems, or issues. Conducts pre-proposal conference(s) with prospective contractor(s) to arrive at a clear understanding of what is required under the proposed contract. End-to-End Contracting and Acquisition Leadership - Perform work related to the review, analysis, and/or interpretation of procurement policy, concepts, guidance, or procedures for use in the solution of problems or the accomplishment of projects or programs. Solicit, evaluate, negotiate, administer, award, analyze, advise on, and/or terminate contracts for the procurement of supplies and services. Please note: Additional selections may be made beyond the total number of vacancies specified using this vacancy announcement. Further selections may also be made for additional organizational divisions and/or units within the duty location(s) listed above.
What you need to qualify
In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the Basic Educational Requirements AND Specialized Experience Requirements. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Qualifications Standard for the Contracting Series, 1102 GS-12: A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field; OR 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. GS-13: 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. The incumbent must possess a current Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting, FAC-C (Professional). SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Specialized experience is experience that has provided you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position as described above, and that is typically in or related to this position being filled. GS-12: To qualify for this position at the GS-12 level, your resume must reflect at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level performing all of the following: Planning, awarding, and administering complex federal acquisitions for information technology (IT) products (such as cloud services, software licensing, cybersecurity, systems integration, or enterprise IT solutions) and services; and procuring professional services (such as expert witnesses, economic consultants, litigation support services, technical subject matter experts, or other specialized professional services) in support of mission-critical operations; Advising customers on procurement strategies and contract vehicles, identifying acquisition risks, developing milestone schedules, and recommending innovative, compliant acquisition solutions that improve procurement outcomes while balancing cost, schedule, and performance considerations in accordance with federal acquisition regulations; and Managing a portfolio of acquisitions from acquisition planning through contract closeout including negotiations contract terms and modifications, resolving contractual issues and monitoring performance and compliance. GS-13: To qualify for this position at the GS-13 level, your resume must reflect at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level performing all of the following: Planning, awarding, and administering complex federal acquisitions for information technology (IT) products (such as cloud services, software licensing, cybersecurity, systems integration, or enterprise IT solutions) and services; and procuring complex professional services (such as expert witnesses, economic consultants, litigation support services, technical subject matter experts, or other specialized professional services) in support of mission-critical operations; Providing expert-level guidance to customers on procurement strategies and contract vehicles, identifying acquisition risks, developing milestone schedules, and recommending innovative, compliant acquisition solutions that improve procurement outcomes while balancing cost, schedule, and performance considerations in accordance with federal acquisition regulations; Independently managing a portfolio of complex acquisitions from acquisition planning through contract closeout including leading negotiations contract terms and modifications, resolving contractual issues and monitoring performance and compliance. Demonstrating mastery of contracting methods and contract types, qualitative and quantitative assessments of contract effectiveness. IMPORTANT: A full year of work is 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited based on time spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 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.
Before you apply
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