Contract Specialist (GS-11/12)

Summary

We are the nation's art museum, home to a renowned collection of over 160,000 works of art from antiquity to today. Millions of people come through our doors each year—with even more online—making us one of the most visited art museums in the world. Located on the National Mall, admission to the West and East Buildings, Sculpture Garden, special exhibitions, and public programs is always free.

Duties

The Office of Administration-Procurement and Contracts (APC) provides pre-and post-award functions for a variety of supply, service and construction contracts. Duties for this position include: Negotiating contract modifications and the terms and costs of contract changes. In addition, negotiating the termination settlement with the contractor which may include equitable adjustments, change orders, change proposals, costs, profit, or other related matters. Reviewing termination notices for extent of action (partial or complete), and for compliance with the terms and conditions of the contract. Providing acquisition services by planning and negotiating complex purchases in supplies, information technology systems, services, equipment, and/or construction. Preparing acquisition plans, which may include Statement of Work, risks, source selection strategy, inherently governmental functions, budgeting and funding, competition, socio-economic considerations, contract type, contract vehicle, appropriate milestone charts, related schedules and/or other relevant elements of acquisition planning. Serving as a liaison to program officials in acquisition planning. Providing guidance to a technical evaluation team concerning the proper evaluation techniques pertinent to the respective acquisition. Evaluating contractor claims, supporting the writing of the Contracting Officer determinations, and resolving contractor disputes when necessary. Interpreting contract provisions for contractors and for Gallery officials and providing appropriate advice and guidance.

Qualifications

Individual Occupational Requirements Basic Requirements for GS-5 through 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. Applicants who meet the criteria for Superior Academic Achievement qualify for positions at the GS-7 level. Specialized Experience Statement for GS-11: Candidates must possess at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent in responsibility to the GS-09 level in the Federal service or private sector, assisting with administering contracts using formal advertising/negotiation procedures; conducting price/cost analysis; reviewing the soundness of proposals submitted by vendors; applying knowledge of statutory/regulatory requirements when making procurement decisions; AND developing materials using Microsoft Office Suite to support conferences, seminars, and meetings for pre-award/post-award acquisition matters. Specialized Experience Statement for GS-12: Candidates must possess at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent in responsibility to the GS-11 level in the Federal service or private sector, administering contracts using formal advertising/negotiation procedures; conducting price/cost analysis techniques for procurement actions; identifying, analyzing the soundness of proposals submitted by vendors; applying knowledge of statutory/regulatory requirements when making procurement decisions; AND developing materials using Microsoft Office Suite to support meetings, presentations and seminars for pre-award/post-award acquisition matters. You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows at the GS-11 level. Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or a LL.M., if related; your education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. -OR- Combination of education and experience as described above. Less than one year of specialized experience may be combined with graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level (i.e., credit hours beyond the first two years of full-time study may be credited). One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours the graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. If the graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study is not available, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) is used. When crediting education that requires specific course work the number of hours of related courses required, as a proportion of the total education, is prorated. Other Relevant Eligibility Criteria: Applicants must possess or be eligible for a FAC-C (Professional) certification in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) FAC-C Certification Standards or equivalent Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification standards or can achieve certification according to FAI or DAWIA standards within twelve months from the date of appointment to this position. Please indicate in your resume your level and source (FAI, DAWIA) of certification or eligibility for consideration.

Requirements

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. For information on qualification requirements, see Qualification Standards Handbook for General Schedule Positions viewable on OPM Website. It is your responsibility to ensure that you submit appropriate documentation prior to the closing date. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant experience as it relates to this job announcement. Be clear and specific when describing your work history since human resources cannot make assumptions regarding your experience. 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). Your resume must include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week.

Key requirements

You must be a United States Citizen. This employer participates in the e-Verify program. Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service. Pass Pre-employment Background Investigation. Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation. May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.

Education

This position does have an education requirement. Equivalent combination of education and experience are qualifying for all grade levels for which both education and experience are acceptable. Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.

How you will be evaluated

Your resume will be used to evaluate your experience, education, and/or training that address the competencies below: Knowledge of various types of contracts, techniques or requirements. Knowledge of the principles and methods for developing an integrated acquisition management plan that describes the business, technical, and support strategies. Skill in expressing information to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information. Skill in writing in a clear, concise, organized and convincing manner for the intended audience. Skill in identifying problems; determining accuracy and relevance of information; using sound judgement to generate and evaluate alternatives, and making recommendations. A Subject Matter Expert (SME) will conduct a quality review of your application and supporting documentation to determine if your qualifications meet the criteria for referral to the selecting official. Note: Applicants who are referred to the hiring office for selection consideration may be required to submit writing and/or work samples as part of the interview/selection process. If the hiring office decides to request a writing and/or work sample as part of its selection process, the vacancy contact will reach out to you by email to: (1) inform you of this requirement; and (2) provide further instructions. You may preview questions for this vacancy.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The application process is as follows: Click on the "Apply Online" button on the upper right side of the page. You must have a USAJOBS account and be logged in. You must have a completed resume no more than 2 pages. (You may use the Resume Builder in USAJOBS) You must respond to all applicant assessment questions, carefully following all instructions provided. You will be able to upload additional supporting documentation, which may include, but not limited to transcripts, notification of personnel actions (SF-50), certifications and verification of veterans status (SF-15, DD-214) The complete application package, including any additional supporting documents required for this position is due in the National Gallery of Art Personnel Office on the closing date of the announcement by 11:59 PM Eastern Time. NOTE: Applicants who cannot apply on-line must request a hard copy application packet from the Agency Contact listed in the vacancy announcement. Resumes and/or supporting documentation alone will not be considered without the inclusion of a hard copy application packet. The complete package is due no later than 5:30 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of this announcement. The National Gallery of Art receives many applications for each job. Each application is reviewed carefully which may take a few weeks. You may also check your application status by logging into www.usajobs.gov and selecting the tab "My USAJOBS".

Other information

The National Gallery of Art fosters a fair workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The EEO policy is found at: http://www.nga.gov/employment-opportunities/equal-employment-opportunity More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement. This position is not included in the bargaining unit. Relocation expenses will not be paid. 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. Reasonable Accommodation Policy: http://help.usajobs.gov/reasonable-accommodation Veterans Information: http://help.usajobs.gov/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/ Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, the veteran must be a preference eligible or a veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions. Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities: For more information on noncompetitive appointment authority eligibility requirements visit the following websites: Persons with Disabilities-Schedule A Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans Special Hiring Authority for Certain Military Spouses Other Special Appointment Authorities Reasonable Accommodation Requests: The National Gallery of Art provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need an accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the contact person listed in this announcement.