Contract Specialist

Summary

The successful candidate will serve as a Contract Specialist in the Administrative Division.

As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

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Duties

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If selected, you will serve as a Contract Specialist in the Administrative Division of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Duties include:

• Reviews requisitions and determines appropriate contract type, competition requirements, and FAR authorities.
• Review market conditions, specifications, technical requirements, and conduct market research.
• Develop procurement plans for the district.
• Prepare all solicitation documents necessary for a variety of contract actions.
• Evaluates offers, performs detailed analysis of offers, and prepares necessary documentation for the contract file.
• Performs complex post-award functions to include resolving protests, issuing final decisions, and processing terminations for convenience or default/cause.
• Review and analyze settlement proposals.
• Negotiate settlements for changes and approve contract payments.
• Analyze contract fund status reports and review expenditures.
• Process travel authorizations, foreign travel packages, and travel vouchers/claims.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
• Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
• You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.

Qualifications

To be qualified for this position, you must meet BOTH the Basic Requirements AND the Minimum Qualifications.

Basic Requirements :

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.

-or-

You occupy and have occupied a GS-1102, Contract Specialist position in the Federal Government on January 1, 2000, in one of the following grade levels GS-5, GS-7, GS-9, GS-11 or GS-12.

Minimum Qualifications :

GS-11 : To be eligible at the GS-11 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions, as defined below : Specialized Experience, Education, OR a combination of Education and Experience.

Specialized Experience : One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level in federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience providing acquisition guidance and assistance regarding procurement requirements, contracting procedures, and acquisition planning, conducting market research, preparing solicitations, requests for quotations, and requests for proposals, reviewing and analyzing audit reports, negotiating with contractors, and reviewing completed official contracts.

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.

Combining Education and Experience : Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. In order to qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of the first two years.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) :The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at

Education

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see

OR

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Additional information

Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized.

The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.

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. See

Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here:

Political Appointees (Current or Former ): The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A 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.

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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.