Contract Specialist

US Federal Emergency Management Agency; Bothell (WA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Bothell, WA, seeks a GS-13 contracting professional to manage complex federal acquisitions and advise stakeholders on procurement strategy. The role requires specialized experience, rigorous FAR knowledge, and certification in FAC-C or equivalent.

The incumbent will advise management, prepare solicitations, negotiate with contractors, and administer contracts through to closeout, ensuring compliance and mission-driven outcomes in FEMA Region 10's

Qualifications

• Advising management on Federal Acquisition Regulations and related policies.
• Preparing solicitation documents, analyzing proposals, and negotiating with potential contractors.
• Administering and closing contracts, including progress monitoring and contract modifications.

Responsibilities

• Advise stakeholders on procurement strategy under FAR.
• Prepare pre-award documentation and conduct evaluations.
• Monitor contract performance and execute modifications/closeouts.

Skills

FAR advisory

Contracting pre-award

Contract administration/closeouts

Education

Bachelor's degree with 24 semester hours in relevant fields

Job description

This position is located in FEMA's Region 10 Mission Support Division, Finance Branch in Bothell, WA. The ideal candidate has experience managing complex federal acquisitions, advising stakeholders on procurement strategy, negotiating contracts, and ensuring Federal Acquisition Regulation compliance in mission-driven operations.

Individual Occupational Requirement

Basic Requirements for 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.

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.

• 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 the GS-12. This includes positions at other agencies and promotions only up through grade 12. However, the employee must meet specialized experience requirements when seeking another positions. Exceptions are different for the GS-13 grade level concerning promotions.

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.

In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirement described above, you must also meet the following minimum qualifications below to be considered qualified for the position.

Current Federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band in the Federal service. The qualification requirements listed below must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

To qualify for this position at the GS-13 level, you must possess one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal government, which has equipped you with the skills needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. Experience may be obtained in the federal government, a state or local government, or private sector, and must demonstrate the following:

1. Advising management, customers, or contractors on federal acquisition regulations; and,
2. Preparing contracting pre-award functions (i.e., preparing solicitation documents, analyzing proposals, negotiating with potential contractors, etc.); and,
3. Administering/closing contracts such as monitoring progress, negotiating modifications or closeouts.

In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must meet the following requirement(s) to be considered qualified for the position:

Applicants must obtain a Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Professional or equivalent certification at the time of application. The applicant must upload a copy of certification or equivalent to be considered for the position. The following FAC-C (Professional) equivalent certifications may be accepted to be considered for the GS-1102-13 and above positions:

• FAC-C Professional or Legacy FAC-C Certification (Levels III)
• Legacy Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Contracting Certification (Levels I, II, or III)
• Department of Defense (DoD) Contracting Professional Certification.