Contract Specialist

Summary Serves as a senior Contract Specialist performing senior-level contracting officer duties in support of OPM's Core Human Capital Management (Core HCM) initiative, the agency's initiative to modernize federal HR IT systems. In this position you would plan, negotiate, award, and administer high-dollar, complex acquisitions and serves as expert advisor to program leadership on acquisition strategy for this mission-critical effort. Responsibilities Performs cradle-to-grave contracting for large, complex IT acquisitions supporting Core HCM, including acquisition planning, solicitation, evaluation, negotiation, award, administration, and closeout. Serves as a warranted Contracting Officer (or performs duties supporting warrant issuance) with authority to obligate the government on high-dollar, high-visibility actions. Develops acquisition strategies and pre-award documents (acquisition plans, IGCEs, J&As, determinations and findings) for enterprise software, cloud services, and systems integration requirements. Leads negotiations of contract terms, pricing, and modifications; resolves complex issues such as claims, disputes, protests, and terminations. Administers post-award activities including performance monitoring, exercise of options, incremental funding, and contractor performance evaluations (CPARS). Advises program managers, senior leadership, and stakeholders on acquisition policy, FAR compliance, and innovative contracting approaches (e.g., agile/modular contracting for IT). Serves as a technical expert and resource for other contract specialists; reviews the work of others for legal and regulatory sufficiency. Requirements Conditions of Employment Must be a U.S. Citizen or National Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation May be required to successfully complete a probationary period Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required You will be required to report to an OPM assigned office. This position is not eligible for inclusion in a bargaining unit Qualifications All applicants must meet the Basic Requirement and Specialized Experience described below. You resume must fully support this experience. Basic Requirement: You have at least 4-years experience in contracting or related positions. At least 1 year of that experience is specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the GS-14 grade level, and has provided you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the work of this position. You have also successfully completed 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. (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your official/unofficial transcript to support your response.) Or You currently hold a GS-1102 Contracting Specialist position in the Federal service at the GS-14 grade level or higher and have held this position on or before January 1, 2000. (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 and an SF-50 dated on or before January 1, 2000 to support your response.) Or Plan to obtain a waiver for the above requriements. Specialized Experience Requirement: in addition to meeting the training requirement and the educational requirement above applicants must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-14 grade level (or equivalent) performing all of the following: Planning, soliciting, negotiating, awarding, and administering complex, high-dollar contracts for information technology products or services (such as enterprise software, cloud/SaaS, or systems integration); Developing acquisition strategies and pre-award documentation such as acquisition plans, justifications, and determinations and findings; and Resolving complex post-award issues such as claims, disputes, modifications, or terminations, and advising program officials and senior leadership on procurement regulations and acquisition approaches. 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. Education This position has a basic education requirement listed under the Qualifications section of this announcement. Additional Information This announcement will be used to fill vacancies through OPM-authorized Direct Hire Authority due to Critical Hiring Need/Severe Shortage of Candidates. Veteran preference and traditional rating/raking of applicants do not apply. For more information on OPM's authorization of Direct Hire Authority, please visit: Relocation expenses will not be paid. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional similar vacancies across OPM. If you are unable to apply online and would like to request information about the Alternate Application process, please use the contact information at the bottom of this announcement. Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: - your performance and conduct; - the needs and interests of the agency; - whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and - whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.