Contract Specialist

SummaryTour of Duty: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.Position Description Title/PD#: Contract Specialist/PD 11002ACompressed/Flexible Schedules: May be authorizedTelework: Yes, after 6 months with supervisor approval employees are authorized telework 80% of a work weekVirtual Position: NoThis recruitment is for one position with VHA Regional Procurement Office Central, Network Contracting Office 23 located in Saint Paul, MN. Learn more about this agency ResponsibilitiesContract Specialist/ PD# 11002-AThe Contract Specialist is responsible for performing professional work involving the procurement of supplies and services using procedures outlined in the Federal Acquisitions Regulations, VA Acquisition Regulations, Public Laws, and Agency policy. Major duties and responsibilities include performing market research, reviewing specification and statement of work, and approving acquisition milestone plans. Performs a complete review of recommended sole-source requirements and conducts necessary market analyses to test the noncompetitive assumptions of requisitions. Responsible for recommending the appropriate method of procurement i.e. simplified acquisition procedures, sealed-bidding, negotiations. Conducts public bid openings, reviews bids, and determines responsiveness and responsibility of low bidder in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements. Conducts cost and/or price analysis of offerors' proposals, reviews auditors' reports for adequacy of analysis and conclusions, and considers all information in developing an overall pricing negotiation strategy. Serves as contract administrator on awarded contracts. Conducts post-award conferences with Contractor and Government personnel to provide information and to clarify standard and special contractual provisions of the contract. Negotiates prices and/or additional time required for performance and consideration on behalf of the Government. Fully utilize contract writing system (i.e., Electronic Contract Management System), contract reporting system (i.e., Federal Procurement Data System), financial management system (i.e., Integrated Funds Distribution, Control Point Activity, Accounting, and Procurement), and prosthetics application suite (i.e., Graphical User Interface) in accordance with Agency policies. Performs other related duties as assigned. Travel Required Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.Supervisory status No Promotion Potential 9 Job family (Series) 1102 Contracting Help Requirements Conditions of Employment Conditions of Employment:You must be a US Citizen to apply for this job.Subject to a background/suitability investigation.Selective Service Registration is required for all males born after 12/31/1959.Position requires filing a Financial Disclosure Report.Selected applicant will be required to complete an online onboarding process.Physical Requirements: The work may require some physical effort such as standing, walking, bending or sitting. There are no special physical demands.Administrative Careers with Americans (ACWA) Written Test: Upon selection, selectees must complete the (ACWA) written test. The tests consist of two major components:The ACWA Ability TestThe Individual Achievement Record (Test 975)The ACWA Ability test score is made up of two parts:Part A: Verbal-vocabulary and reading itemsPart B: Mathematical Reasoning- tabular completions and word problemsNOTE: The math and verbal parts are combined to create an overall score on the ability test. The Individual Achievement Record (IAR) is a biodata instrument. A biodata instrument is a test that consist of items that ask about past events and behaviors which reflect personality attributes, experiences, interests, and other characteristics related to a person's possible overall performance for a given occupation. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/24/2021.Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks as a GS-05. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials.Basic Requirements: A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field;ORAt 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. Employees who occupy GS-1102 positions at grades 5 through 12 will be considered to meet the basic requirements for other GS-1102 positions up to and including those classified at GS-12. This includes positions at other agencies and promotions up through grade 12. However, employees must meet specialized experience requirements when seeking another position.Note: The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) does not grant Academic degrees; therefore courses completed at the DAU are not creditable towards meeting the 24 semester hour requirement, in the fields identified above, unless the coursework has been evaluated by an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and appears on a college or university transcript.Specialized Experience GS-07: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-05) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience includes experience with: Acquisition regulations, contract law, and procedures applicable to acquisition and contract administration; ing including change orders, supplemental agreements, terminations, claims, and close out of contracts; Various types of contracts including firm-fixed price, firm-fixed price with economic price adjustments, and cost reimbursement, and contract methods; to include simplified acquisitions, sealed bidding, negotiations, cost sharing, multiple awards, commercial items and special provisions; Negotiation techniques sufficient to negotiate prices, terms, and conditions, of contracts; contract modifications and settlements; commercial and industrial Business practices to identify sources, analyze cost and pricing data; contract administration principles and practices sufficient to Monitoring contractor performance and compliance with all terms and conditions of the contract.OR1 full academic year of graduate education or law school, or superior academic achievement.ORA combination of education and experience.Graduate Education: To qualify for GS-1102 positions on the basis of graduate education or superior academic achievement, education in one or a combination of the following fields is required: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.Superior Academic Achievement: To qualify for Superior Academic Achievement, you must have completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. You can qualify for Superior Academic Achievement by one of the following three ways: 1) Class standing Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; 2) Grade-point average (G.P.A.) Applicants must have a grade-point average of: 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; 3) Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in a qualifying national scholastic honor societies, as determined by the Office of Personnel Management.Additional information on the qualification requirements are outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on OPM's website at Education APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). Therefore, applicants must report attendance and/or degrees from only these schools. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following websites: and Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs..... click apply for full job details