Contract Specialist.

Defense Logistics Agency; Battle Creek (MI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Defense Logistics Agency is seeking a Contract Specialist to perform cradle-to-grave contracting actions, including planning, solicitation, evaluation, negotiation, and contract award. Duties cover pre/post-award work for complex procurements and contractor performance reviews.

The position requires knowledge of federal contracting policies and may involve training others. DoD acquisition certification and related requirements are noted in the eligibility information.

Qualifications

• Basic Contracting Requirement: bachelor's degree or equivalent combined with DoD eligibility.
• Specialized experience required for GS-11/12 levels as described in the announcement.

Responsibilities

• Perform cradle-to-grave contracting actions including planning, solicitation, evaluation, negotiation, award, and closeouts.
• Conduct market research, identify vendors, evaluate offers, and recommends contract awards.
• Negotiate settlements, adjustments, and supplemental agreements for delivery or performance changes.
• Provide guidance or training to lower grades or new hires as necessary.

Skills

Contracting principles

Negotiation

Written communications

Vendor coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Education substituted by DoD 1102 qualifications

Job description

Duties

• If selected at the GS-11 level, duties below will be performed in a developmental capacity.
• Performs cradle-to-grave contracting actions including: acquisition planning, solicitation, evaluation and cost/price analyses, negotiations, contract award, modifications/amendments, terminations, closeouts, and contractor performance reviews.
• Performs Pre- and Post-Award functions for a wide variety of highly complex procurements and contracts that are unusual, unique, non-routine or otherwise difficult to accomplish.
• Performs market research, identifies potential vendors, evaluates offers, performs comparative price analysis for reasonableness, and recommends award of contracts.
• Negotiates settlements for contractual changes. Negotiates equitable adjustments and supplemental agreements to delivery or performance time and prices, and execution of supplemental agreements for reduced or additional requirements.
• Provides guidance or training to lower grades, new hires or others as necessary.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Tour of Duty: Set Schedule
• Security Requirements: Non-Critical Sensitive
• Appointment is subject to the completion of a favorable suitability or fitness determination, where reciprocity cannot be applied; unfavorably adjudicated background checks will be grounds for removal.
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): GS-11 Non-Exempt / GS-12 Exempt
• Selective Service Requirement: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service.
• Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
• Bargaining Unit Status: No
• Selectees are required to have a REAL ID or other acceptable identification documents to access certain federal facilities. See https://www.tsa.gov/real-id for more information.
• Financial Disclosure Requirement: Required
• Acquisition Workforce Position: Defense Acquisition Workforce Position. Must complete DoD certification and other requirements. See Addtl Info.

Qualifications

To qualify for a Contract Specialist, your resume and supporting documentation must support:

• Basic Contracting Requirement: A.) A bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees OR B.) a current civilian employee in DoD or member of the Armed Forces, who occupied an 1102 position, contracting officer position, or comparable military contracting position with authority to award or administer contracts above the simplified acquisition threshold on or before September 30, 2000, are excluded from the requirements of "A)" above.

B. Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position and is directly in or related to this position. In addition to meeting the Basic Education Requirement above, to qualify for the GS-11 grade level, specialized experience must be at the GS-09 grade level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military or private sector. To qualify for the GS-12 grade level, specialized experience must be at the GS-11 grade level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military or private sector. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements including time-in-grade (General Schedule (GS) positions only), time-after-competitive appointment, minimum qualifications, and any other regulatory requirements by the cut-off/closing date of the announcement. Creditable specialized experience includes:

GS-11

• Assisting with the applying contracting principles, laws, statutes, regulations and procedures applicable to procurement/contracting actions sufficient to procure and administer contracts for a variety of goods and services.
• Familiarity with federal contract methods and contract types which requires specialized knowledge of federal contract administration policy, procedures, techniques, and evaluation/control methods sufficient to coordinate prime and subcontractor performance on complex, long term contracts.
• Assisting with negotiation techniques to meet and deal with representatives of private sector and with government experts or managers in order to procure assigned products/services and/or modify/terminate assigned products and contracts.
• Communicating through written communications and discussions with vendors/customers.

GS-12

• Applying contracting principles, laws, statutes, regulations and procedures applicable to procurement/contracting actions sufficient to procure and administer contracts for a variety of goods and services.
• Familiarity with federal contract methods and contract types which requires specialized knowledge of federal contract administration policy, procedures, techniques, and evaluation/control methods sufficient to coordinate prime and subcontractor performance on complex, long term contracts.
• Using negotiation techniques to meet and deal with representatives of private sector and with government experts or managers in order to procure assigned products/services and/or modify/terminate assigned products and contracts.
• Communicating through written communications and discussions with vendors/customers.
• Education Substitution: Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Education must be from a college or university accredited by an organization approved by the U.S. Department of Education. See http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx. If using education to meet basic qualifications, YOU MUST SUBMIT A TRANSCRIPT as supplemental documentation. To qualify based on education in lieu of specialized experience, you must possess:

Gs-11

• Three full academic years of progressively higher level graduate or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.

GS-12

• Applicants may not qualify for this position based on education in lieu of specialized 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). 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.

Education Are you using your education to qualify? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: Unofficial transcripts are acceptable at time of application.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: 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 and such education has been 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.

Additional information Position requires DoD Acquisition - Contracting, Level 2 certification within required timeframes. Selectee must also achieve 80 hours of Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) every 2-years. Click

As required by 5 C.F.R.

• 302.106, DLA will provide Section 508 conformant ICT to employees with disabilities. All ICT interfaces with the public related to vacancy announcements and career transition opportunities must conform to the applicable requirements in the current ICT Standards and Guidelines (36 C.F.R. 1194).
• 1194).

For Important General Applicant Information And Definitions Go To

Reemployed Annuitants:

This position does not meet criteria for appointment of Reemployed Annuitants. The DoD criteria for hiring Reemployed Annuitants can be found at:

Information For Veterans

Drug-Free Workplace Policy

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is committed to maintaining a safe, drug-free workplace. All DLA employees are required to refrain from illegal drug use on and off duty. DLA conducts pre-employment, reasonable suspicion, post-accident, and random drug testing.

Applicants tentatively selected for employment in testing designated positions will undergo a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Refusal to undergo testing or testing positive for illegal drugs will result in withdrawal of the tentative job offer and a six-month denial of employment with DLA from the date of the drug test. Employees in drug testing designated positions are subject to random drug testing. A negative drug test result must be received by HR within 30 calendar days after the EOD (i.e., start date). The selectee's inability successfully pass; or refusal to conduct the test may result in: 1) the tentative or FJO being withdrawn during the recruitment process; or 2) subsequently being removed from Federal service for failure to meet a condition of employment. You may be required to sign a "Drug Test Statement of Understanding" if you are selected for this position.

The DLA drug testing panel tests for the following substances: marijuana, cocaine, opiates, heroin, phencyclidine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, fentanyl, norfentanyl, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), and opioids.

ADVISORY: Use of cannabidiol (CBD) products may result in a positive drug test for marijuana. DLA employees are subject to Federal law and under Federal law, Marijuana is illegal.

Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at:

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.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

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.