Contract Specialist

Smithsonian; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Smithsonian Institution, located in Washington, DC, seeks a Senior Contract Specialist within the Architect/Engineering and Construction division of the Office of Contracting and Personal Property Management (OCon & PPM). The role focuses on procurement and administration of architectural and engineering service contracts supporting building projects.

Candidates must have 4+ years in contracting, with at least 1 year at the GS-13 level, and a relevant bachelor's degree.

Qualifications

• 4 years of contracting or related experience; at least 1 year at the next lower level.
• Bachelor's degree with 24 semester hours in accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, or related fields.
• Waiver authority may apply; documentation required for waivers.
• Specialized experience includes guidance and technical expertise in procurement of A/E service contracts.

Responsibilities

• Provide guidance, oversight, and technical expertise in the procurement and administration of architectural and engineering service contracts.
• Support construction, restoration, renovation, and rehabilitation of buildings and facilities.
• Ensure qualifications and experience align with responsibilities and agency requirements.

Skills

Specialized experience

Procurement

Contract administration

A/E contracts

Education

Bachelor's degree with 24 credit hours in related fields

Job description

The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is located within the Architect/Engineering and Construction division of the Office of Contracting and Personal Property Management (OCon & PPM). OCon & PPM is responsible for the overall planning, management and execution of SI’s contracting, acquisition and procurement, privacy, personal property and travel programs.

Basic Qualification Requirements:

1. 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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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 meeting the basic requirements above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the specialized experience requirements listed below:

Experience:

You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal Service.

For this position, specialized experience is defined as providing guidance, oversight, and technical expertise in the procurement and administration of architectural and engineering (A/E) service contracts that support the construction, restoration, renovation, and rehabilitation of buildings and facilities.

Your resume must be no more than two (2) pages and should clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and specialized experience required for this position. Do not copy language directly from the vacancy announcement, as you will be deemed ineligible for consideration. Instead, provide detailed, descriptive information about your actual 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.

Part-time and/or unpaid experience related to this position will be considered to determine the total number of years and months of experience. Be sure to note the number of paid or unpaid hours worked each week.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education:

If you are qualifying by education and/or you have education completed in a foreign college/university described above, it is your responsibility to provide transcripts and proof of U.S. accreditation for foreign study.