Contract Specialist

This Contract Specialist position is with Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (Department of Homeland Security) in Phoenix, AZ. This announcement is issued under the Direct Hire Authority (DHA) to recruit for positions for which there is a critical hiring need. Selectee(s) will receive a career or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service and may be required to serve a one year probationary period. Key duties: • Typical work assignments at the full performance level include, but are not limited to: Independently plans, leads, and administers highly complex, high-dollar-value, sensitive, or critical acquisitions for supplies and services. Serves as the business acquisition advisor to program officials, developing acquisition strategies, determining contract types, and drafting complex or nonstandard solicitation terms and conditions. Develops and executes complex solicitations and negotiated acquisitions in accordance with the FAR, agency policies, and applicable statutes and regulations. Leads proposal evaluations; performs comprehensive cost or price analyses; and prepares documentation supporting source selection and award decisions. Administers contracts throughout the lifecycle by monitoring performance, negotiating significant modifications, resolving claims and disputes, issuing termination actions when warranted, and completing contract closeouts. Qualifications: Do NOT copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. Your resume must describe your work and experience, in your own words. To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required education and/or experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying. Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirements AND Minimum Qualification requirements as listed below. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: A. Degree: I have a bachelor's degree (or completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree) from an accredited institution with a major in any field; OR I have completed at least 24 semester hours (or 36 quarter 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: You must submit a legible copy of your unofficial transcript(s) to support your educational claims). OR B. I meet the exception criteria to the basic requirement specified in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standard for the Contracting Series, GS-1102, because I am a Federal civilian employee who occupied a GS-1102 position on January 1, 2000, at any grade level from GS-5 through GS-12. (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing the 1102 occupational series and grade level to support your exception claim.) IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS ABOVE, YOU MUST ALSO MEET THE FOLLOWING MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: You qualify at the GS-11 grade level, if you have:EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-09 grade level (or equivalent) performing all the following duties: Developing negotiation positions, executing negotiations, and ensuring compliance with regulations; Executing of contracts of variety contract types, acquisition strategies, and source selection methods; and Serving as a business advisor to requiring offices and providing guidance on acquisition planning. (NOTE: To be qualified for this position, the contents of your resume must fully support this statement.) OR A. EDUCATION: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or three (3) full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, from an accredited institution in one or a combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. (NOTE: You must submit a legible copy of your unofficial transcript(s) to support your educational claims). OR B. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Combination of education and experience I have less than one (1) year of specialized experience as described in statement A above and I have at least two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree as described in statement B above. Only graduate education beyond the second year (determined by the institution) or 36 semester hours (or 54 quarter hours) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. (NOTE: To be qualified for this position, the contents of your resume must fully support this statement, and you must submit a legible copy of your unofficial transcript(s) to support your educational claims.) You qualify at the GS-12 grade level, if you have:EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-11 grade level (or equivalent) performing all the following duties: Developing negotiation positions, executing negotiations, and ensuring compliance with regulations; Executing of contracts of variety contract types, acquisition strategies, and source selection methods; Serving as a business advisor to requiring offices and providing guidance on acquisition planning; and Performing contract administration activities; independently conducting cost or price analysis; and serving as lead negotiator for contract modifications. (NOTE: To be qualified for this position, the contents of your resume must fully support this statement.) 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. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. View the full announcement and apply on USAJOBS.gov.