Contract Specialist

The Contracts Specialist (multiple) job openings are in the Bureau for Management, Office of Acquisition and Assistance (M/OAA) in the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The Office of Acquisition and Assistance (M/OAA) enables USAID’s mission by creating, awarding and administering the Agency’s financial assistance through grants, cooperative agreements, contracts and other mechanisms.

Duties

• Perform a full range of complex procurement activities for contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements in support of USAID’s Bureau for Global Health (GH).
• Perform a full range of complex procurement activities for contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements in support of USAID’s Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization/Office of Transition Initiatives (CPS/OTI)’s programs worldwide.
• Manage procurement planning activities such as preparing and maintaining current acquisition plans, appropriate milestone charts, and related schedules.
• Participate in strategy and planning phases, evaluation of offers, negotiations, contract award, and contract administration.
• Negotiate procurement of products and services under a variety of contract/assistance mechanism such as preparing and maintaining current acquisition plans, appropriate milestone charts, and related schedules.

Basic Requirements:

The first step in the evaluation process requires meeting Basic Requirements, Specialized Experience, and Selective Placement Factor stated below. Please refer to the “How You Will Be Evaluated” section for further details. Ensure that all relevant experience is clearly stated in your resume and unofficial transcripts are submitted to verify your education level.

Basic Requirement GS-9 / GS-11 / GS-12:

A) A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree with a major in any field;

OR

B) 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.

Basic Requirement GS-13:

A) Completion of all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to GS-13 or higher level contracting positions, including at least 4-years experience in contracting or related positions. At least 1 year of that experience must have been specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level of the position, and must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position.

AND

B) 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.

C) Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. This also applies to positions at the same grade in the same agency or other agencies if the specialized experience requirements are met. However, they will have to meet the basic requirements and specialized experience requirements in order to qualify for promotion to a higher grade, unless granted a waiver under Paragraph D.

D) Waiver: When filling a specific vacant position, the senior procurement executive of the selecting agency, at his or her discretion, may waive any or all of the requirements of Paragraphs A and B above if the senior procurement executive certifies that the applicant possesses significant potential for advancement to levels of greater responsibility and authority, based on demonstrated analytical and decision making capabilities, job performance, and qualifying experience. With respect to each waiver granted under this Paragraph D, the senior procurement executive must document for the record the basis of the waiver. If an individual is placed in a position in an agency on the basis of a waiver, the agency may later reassign that individual to another position at the same grade within that agency without additional waiver action.

Specialized Experience:

GS-13: You need at least one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience refers to full-time work, while part-time roles are considered on a prorated basis. Qualifying specialized experience includes: a) leading a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP),a competitive Request for Application (RFA)/Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), or an equivalent/similar process; b) participating in strategy and planning phases, evaluation of offers, negotiations, contract award, and contract administration; and c) providing expert procurement advice to senior officials on all acquisition matters, ensuring actions are executed in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, accounting standards, pricing practices and current business methods.

GS-12: You need at least one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience refers to full-time work, while part-time roles are considered on a prorated basis. Qualifying specialized experience includes: (a) awarding and administering a variety of contract types using acquisition regulations; (b) analyzing and evaluating cost and pricing data for proposed and ongoing procurements; and (c) leading a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP), a competitive Request for Application (RFA)/Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), or an equivalent/similar process.

GS-11: You need at least one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience refers to full-time work, while part-time roles are considered on a prorated basis. Qualifying specialized experience includes: (a) leading a new award from solicitation through completion; (b) conducting relevant research and analysis to correctly apply regulations and policies; (c) analyzing and evaluating cost and pricing data for proposed and ongoing procurements

OR

Education GS-11 : Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M. in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.

Combination of Education and Experience GS-11 : A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:

Please note that qualifying specialized work experience may have been gained through a variety of activities, including residence, study, teaching, business or commercial activities, military service, newspaper work, military or civil government activities, missionary or international relief work, or other foreign work experience. Make sure to document your experience thoroughly in your resume.

GS-09: You need at least one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience refers to full-time work, while part-time roles are considered on a prorated basis. Qualifying specialized experience includes: Completing administrative modifications, incremental funding, or COR letters

Education GS-09 : 2 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or masters or equivalent graduate degree .

Combination of Education and Experience GS-11 : A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:

Please note that qualifying specialized work experience may have been gained through a variety of activities, including residence, study, teaching, business or commercial activities, military service, newspaper work, military or civil government activities, missionary or international relief work, or other foreign work experience. Make sure to document your experience thoroughly in your resume.