Contract Specialist

Duties

Duties described below are at the full-performance level. Duties assigned at a lower grade level will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity; duties will be commensurate with the grade of selected employee.
Assists with all aspects of the contracting transactions from initiation to recommendation of award to procuring items or services where standard contracting procedures may need to be modified.
Assists with pre-award functions such as preparing solicitations and adding provisions. Also analyzing proposals for conformance; obtaining required pre-award surveys to establish contractor responsibility, and to develop negotiation strategy.
Performs contracting work through use of negotiation techniques. Prepares Request for Quotation (RFQ) or Request for Proposal (RFP) ensuring that technical descriptions and appropriate contract clauses are included.
Performs analysis of responses to solicitations, including price reasonableness, adequacy of competition, compliance with solicitation, and probability of meeting requirements.
Coordinates the contracts reflecting agreement between the agency and the vendor.
Monitors contract performance and negotiates necessary standard contract modifications such as extensions of delivery schedules, price adjustments, option exercises etc. to ensure satisfactory progress and completion of contract activities.
Negotiates modifications to contracts with standard and nonstandard terms and conditions.
Prepares correspondence; provides advice, guidance, training, and assistance to technical or program personnel, or contractors whenever information is needed or issues need to be resolved.
Prepares determinations and findings of fact relative issues or actions. Coordinates requests for deviations with requesting activities, and makes recommendations.
Foster a culture of engagement, diversity, inclusiveness, excellence and innovation. Champion NASA's commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility to create an environment that promotes a commitment to safety, integrity, and teamwork.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

This position is open to U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Financial Disclosure, Drug Testing, and/or the Travel Requirements for this position may differ and be required based on the duty location/NASA Center requirements.
Position subject to pre-employment background investigation or higher level clearance. Investigation/Clearance may differ and be required based on the duties/location-NASA Center requirements.
You must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
This position may require a one year trial period.
Duty location will be determined upon selection and will be at one of the locations listed on the announcement. Selectee(s) will be required to work onsite at the duty location selected.
Selectee will have a designated "Home Center", but may be assigned to support programs or projects at any NASA Center using virtual tools and capabilities.

Qualifications

You must meet all of the requirements listed below:

The mandatory Basic Requirement shown in the Education section below; and
Specialized experience and/or directly related education, as shown below, which has equipped you with the particular competencies needed to successfully perform the duties of this position.

To qualify for GS-07, you must have:
a) One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level:

Applying knowledge of principles and practices for contract, procurement, finance for business requirements; AND
Assisting with preparing reports related to funds, expenses or similar.

OR
b) Completed 1 full academic year of graduate study in an appropriate field
OR
c) Completed 1 full academic year of law school
OR
d) Completed a bachelor's degree in a field listed above or a related field and meet Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) criteria: (1) I was in the upper third of my graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision; or (2) I have a 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 GPA as recorded on my 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) I have a 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 GPA 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; or (4) I was elected to membership in a national scholastic honor society
OR
e) Have an equivalent combination of experience and graduate study in an appropriate field

To qualify for GS-09, you must have:
a) One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level:

Applying principles and practices regulations for contract, procurement, finance for commercial or industrial business requirements for analyzing cost and pricing data; AND
Assisting with pre-award or post-award contracting procedures; OR
Assisting in generating financial reports to analyze cost, expenses, and obligations.

OR
b) Completed all requirements for a master's or equivalent graduate degree in an appropriate field
OR
c) Completed 2 full academic years of graduate education in an appropriate field, or LL.B. or J.D.
OR
d) Have an equivalent combination of experience and graduate study as discussed in a), b) and c) above

To qualify for GS-11, you must have:
a) One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level:

Interpreting and applying principles and practices regulations for contract, procurement, finance for commercial and industrial business requirements to identify sources, analyze cost and pricing data; AND
Preparing pre-award or post-award contract administration; OR
Preparing a variety of reports concerning the status of funds, expenses, and obligations

OR
b) Completed all requirements for a doctoral degree (i.e., Ph.D. or equivalent) in an appropriate field
OR
c) Completed 3 full academic years of graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree in an appropriate field
OR
d) Have an equivalent combination of experience and graduate study as discussed in a), b) and c) above

Preferred majors include, but are not limited to accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, supply chain management or organization and management.

Certification/Training for GS-07/09:
Federal Acquisition Certification-Contracting (FAC-C) Level I or FAC-C Professional or Level I Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification or DAWIA Professional certification is preferred, but not required.

Certification/Training for GS-11:
Federal Acquisition Certification-Contracting (FAC-C) Level II or FAC-C Professional, or Level II Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification or DAWIA Professional certification is preferred, but not required.

If you have earned certification, state your FAC-C or DAWIA certification level and date of certification.

Your resume must include a clear and detailed narrative description, in your own words, of how you meet the required specialized experience. Experience statements copied from a position description, vacancy announcement or other reference material constitutes plagiarism and may result in disqualification and losing consideration for the job.

The ideal candidate is organized, customer-oriented, with information technology skills and a solid background in public sector procurement principles, processes and practices.

Education

Basic Requirement:

1. A 4-year course of study leading to a minimum of a bachelor's degree with a major in any field.

2. 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: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the basic education requirements for positions they occupied on January 1, 2000, for other GS-1102 positions up to and including the GS-12 level.

U.S. degrees must have been awarded from colleges or universities that are accredited by recognized accrediting organizations. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, go to http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs. These education credentials must be deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

All degrees must have been received in the year of, or any year subsequent to the original date of accreditation.

Additional information

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across NASA within the local commuting area(s) of the location(s) identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) within NASA. CTAP/ICTAP will be cleared for any additional selection from this announcement.

This appointment may be extended beyond the initial appointment date, for a period not to exceed a total of six years.

Current Federal civilian employees may apply for this position. If selected, a break in service of at least 4 calendar days may be required prior to appointment to this position.

If you have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must:
- Indicate your eligibility when applying for a position. The questionnaire asks you to identify your ICTAP/CTAP eligibility.
- Meet the minimum qualifications requirements for the position
- Submit proof that you meet the requirements for CTAP/ICTAP as indicated in 'Required Documents'

For additional information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, click here - https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/#ictap.

Depending on position assignment, position may or may not be in a bargaining unit. To learn more about bargaining units at NASA please click here NASA Unions (Bargaining Units) | NASA.

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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Direct Hire Authority: These positions will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority. Category rating and veterans' preference will not be considered in evaluating applicants. For more information on Direct Hire Authority, please see: OPM Direct Hire Fact Sheet.

Veterans: Under the provisions of Direct Hire Authority, veterans' preference does not apply. However, applicants who are eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their application and submit supporting documentation (i.e., DD-214, or other substantiating documents). For more information please see: Veterans' Preference information on the FedsHireVets website.

You will be evaluated for this position based on how well you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements listed in this vacancy announcement. To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

You will be assessed on the following competencies:

Acquisition Planning
Contract Management
Contracting/Procurement
Creative Thinking
Written Communication

NASA considers 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.