Contract Specialist

Contract Specialist

This position is being filled under AcqDemo Direct Hiring Authority (DHA). As a Contract Specialist at the NH-1102-3 some of your typical work assignments may include:

• Performs preaward functions for procurements and assistance awards involving complex requirements of highly specialized, extensive, new or innovative research, related materials and services of significant importance to the agency.
• Ensures appropriate funding and required waivers, certifications, approvals and compliances have been obtained for purchase requests. Coordinates with responsible officials to obtain funding, waivers, certifications and approvals that are lacking.
• Selects appropriate award mechanisms, contract types, methods of solicitation and options. Determines, options, milestones, and sources to be solicited. Develops and issues solicitations with appropriate provisions and well-defined statements of work, broad agency announcements, research announcements and structures appropriate award factors.
• Evaluates responses to solicitations, including price reasonableness, adequacy of competition, compliance with solicitations, and probability of meeting requirements. Negotiates prices, terms, and conditions.
• Performs cost and price analyses and prepares price negotiation memoranda. Makes awards consistent with established award factors. Prepares award documentation, including delineation of responsibilities of Government officials (CORs, ACO, etc).
• Provides guidance and assistance to peers and lower level employees. Serves as point of contact for assigned procurements. Serves as Contracting Officer when applicable. Promotes teamwork and total quality customer services on a continuing basis.
• Develops alternatives to produce best value supplies and services, as well as manage all aspects of the life cycle of a contract or other vehicle (e.g. orders, basic ordering agreements etc.) Administers long-term, complex contracts and assistance awards for procurements of extensive, highly specialized new or innovative research, and related materials and services affecting major agency programs and having significant impact on recipients' operations and on local geographic areas.
• Develops systems for evaluating and monitoring performance of contractors. Develops plans with milestones for administration of each assigned contract. Monitors contractors' performance for compliance with terms and conditions of contracts. Issues delivery orders as provided in contracts. Determines extent to which subcontracting plans comply with regulatory guidelines.
• Monitor subcontracting for compliance with plans. Issues consents to subcontract. Requests and evaluates proposals. Performs cost and price analyses. Assures compliance with cost accounting standards. Identifies potential funding and production problems and initiates remedial or corrective actions. Resolves and dispositions contract audit recommendations in a timely manner, while fully protecting the Government's interest. Negotiate settlements of disputes. Negotiates proposals and executes modifications.
• Analyzes and evaluates cost and pricing data to determine price reasonableness when relevant historical data and pricing precedents are generally not available or require extensive adaptation. Develops cost/pricing data, proposals and counter-proposals for use in negotiations. Analyzes contractor proposals to determine reasonableness, allowability, and allocability of costs. Determines appropriateness and reasonableness of proposed labor and overhead rates and labor escalation factors based on audit reports or other available sources. Documents results of cost and price analyses and market surveys.
• Resolves and dispositions contract audit recommendations in a timely manner, while fully protecting the Government's interest. Negotiates cost, price, and related factors. Presents price information and proposals at negotiation sessions. Develops data for use in pricing trends analyses. Promotes teamwork and total quality customer services on a continuing basis.