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Summary This position will be filled through use of TSA's Direct Hire Authority pursuant to TSA MD 1100.30-26. Under the Direct-Hire Authority, category grouping and Veterans' Preference does not apply. Securing Travel, Protecting People - At the Transportation Security Administration, you will serve in a high-stakes environment to safeguard the American way of life. Responsibilities This Contract Specialist position is located Enterprise Support (ES) Contracting & Procurement (C&P), Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Duties include but are not limited to: Independently plans, negotiates, leads, and/or administers complex contracts/procurements of goods, systems or services with specialized, state-of-the-art, critical, or scarce requirements. These are characterized by a lack of any previous cost data, use of a wide variety of cost and fixed-price contracts, multi-year contracts and extensive use of subcontractors, frequent changes in terms conditions or funding arrangements, and similar difficulties. Resolves most problems and work issues without the assistance of others. Develops and/or reviews complex contractual pricing arrangements and incentives characterized by multiple incentives requiring sophisticated contracting techniques and sharing arrangements such as cost-plus-incentive-fees or fixed-price-incentive-fees, where the agency and the contractor share cost risk, or economic price adjustment clauses for adjusting labor and material costs where price cannot be reasonably predicted at the time of negotiation. Established policies/procedures provide guidance for most assignments, but allow considerable discretion for employee to select the most appropriate approach(es) or develop new approaches. Manages all contractual aspects of a major program requiring long-range procurement planning and administers complex contracts which require day-to-day negotiations of significant contract changes, monitoring numerous special provisions, coordinating extensive subcontracting involvement, and observing rigid time frames. Audits or reviews major acquisitions of similar complexity and presents findings, recommends corrective actions as well as policy or procedure improvements. Contacts are internal and external; however, the incumbent may act as a point of contact to provide advice and guidance on the applications of policies and procedures. Monitors contractor performance and a large number of subcontractors while negotiating forward pricing rates and claims, complex changes, and terminations or contract close outs. Serves as termination contracting officer in connection with a major project in which several years of work have been expended. Reviews, advises on, develops and recommends operating unit-wide or agency-wide procurement processes and systems, procedures and policies, or equivalent assignments. Work is reviewed rarely, typically though status reports and at project completion, to ensure policy compliance and alignment with the requirements of projects and/or other work activities. TSA is seeking highly motivated and experienced Contract Specialists to join our team at the I-Band (GS-13 equivalent) level. In this role at the full Contract Specialist performance level, you will perform the following duties: Pre-award, solicitation, administration, and termination of contract awards; Acquiring a wide variety of supplies such as systems, IT equipment, commodities, credentials and human capital solutions; Purchasing and/or managing a variety of service contracts such as IT support services, financial management services, security equipment services, human capital services, and credential services; Developing, implementing and reviewing contracting plans for pre-award, post-award, price/cost analysis and a wide variety of procurement activities; Providing technical advice, guidance and legal interpretation in all areas of contracting. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National. You must have reached the minimum age (18) at the time of application. You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI). Selective Service registration is required. Financial Disclosure required. You must comply with education and training requirements for this position. See additional "Conditions of Employment" and "Other Information" section. Conditions of Employment (If applicable): You must comply with education and training requirements for this position see below: For all 1102 positions at I and Above: Applicants seeking to meet the training requirements for GS-13 and above in accordance with the OPM 1102 Hiring Qualifications are required to provide the following required documents: FAC-C (Professional) certification or equivalent. FAC-C (Professional) Requirements: DHS is adopting a single level of certification with foundational training and an examination, Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Professional. New hires without certification shall follow the FAC-C (Professional) requirements. Detailed information on core curricula courses is available at Contracting Certification Course Web Series - Defense Acquisition University (dau.edu). Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officer's Representative (FAC-COR): A valid, current FAC-C (Professional) is considered to have met the FAC-COR requirements for all levels, however, an individual with FAC-COR certification does not meet the requirements for the FAC-C (Professional). DoD Contracting Professional Certification: A valid, current DoD Contracting Professional Certification is equivalent to a FAC-C (Professional). Current federal employees certified at Levels I, II, or III of the legacy FAC-C programs will automatically be certified in the FAC-C (Professional). If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing any of the scheduled appointments, the hiring agency may rescind their tentative offer of employment. Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change. Qualifications Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for TSA to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions. In addition to the Basic Education Requirements, to qualify for the SV-I Pay Band (equivalent to GS-13), you must have four years of progressively more responsible experience in contracting or related positions. At least 1 year of that experience must have been specialized experience equivalent to at least the SV-H Pay Band or GS-12 Pay Band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position to be filled. Specialist experience is defined as: Performing a range of contract specializations such as negotiation, cost and price analysis, and administration; and Demonstrated experience in contracting principles, techniques, and a knowledge of a variety of contract types; and Experience in soliciting, awarding and administering contracts with multiple instances. Exceptions to Qualification Requirements (Applicable to Internal or Status Applicants Only): As of January 1, 2000, all GS-1102 employees who had continuously encumbered GS-1102 positions are considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. Employees who occupy GS-1102 positions at grades GS-5 through GS-12 or equivalent will be considered to meet the basic requirements for other GS-1102 positions up to and including those classified at GS- 12 or SV-H. This includes positions at other agencies and promotions up through grade GS-12 or SV-H. However, employees must meet specialized experience requirements when seeking another position. SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR for the SV-I: Must possess a Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting Professional (FAC-C). Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime. National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer 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. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Resumes must include the following: Narrative description of duties with start and end dates (including the month and year) for work experience. State the number of hours worked in a position (i.e. full-time or part-time). If part-time, state the total number of hours worked per week. Performance level (i.e. band or grade) Utilizing the USAJOBS Resume Builder and completing all available fields is strongly encouraged. You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement. Education In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must meet the following requirement(s) to be considered qualified for the position: You must meet all requirements listed below (A, B, C and D), unless you are covered by an exception or an individual training waiver is necessary: A. Experience: Completion of all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to GS-13 equivalent (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. (see section D for specifics). B. Education: 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. Training Requirements: Applicants seeking to meet the training requirements for GS-13 and Above in accordance with the OPM 1102 Hiring Qualifications are required to provide the following required verification documents: FAC-C (Professional) certification or equivalent. D. Specialized Experience: Is defined as experience which provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. For positions requiring positive education requirements, or if you are using education to meet all or part of the qualification requirements, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or an itemized list of college courses from an accredited college or university, which includes equivalent information from the transcript (course title, semester/quarter hours, and grade/degree earned) in your resume. The information must be provided with the application by the closing date of the announcement. If selected, the applicant must supply a transcript or certification of degree. Additional Information This position will be filled through use of TSA's Direct-Hire Authority pursuant to TSA MD 1100.30-26. Under the Direct-Hire Authority, category grouping and Veterans' Preference does not apply. Eligibility to apply for other Federal positions: TSA is an Excepted Service agency exempt from most of Title 5 United States Code, including regulations which apply to displaced Federal employees (CTAP/ICTAP) of other agencies, and employment with TSA does not confer "Competitive Status" that generally results from selection and service in Competitive Service agencies. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has established an Interchange Agreement, which allows most permanent TSA employees to apply and be considered for vacancies in Competitive Service agencies. Information from OPM on this or other Interchange Agreements is available at: www.opm.gov/ To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation as a condition of placement into this position. DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities. If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. TSA employees who are absent for the purpose of performing military duty may apply for any vacancies announced in their absence. More than one position may be filled from this announcement. If you are entering TSA employment on an appointment without time limitations, you must serve a basic trial period unless you have already met the requirement. DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more. Employees who transfer to TSA from an agency that allows employees to maintain an annual leave balance higher than the maximum accumulation for the appointed position will have their leave ceiling set to the maximum accumulation for the appointed position (e.g., United States duty location - 240 hours, foreign duty location - 360 hours, or TSES position - 720 hours). TSA will not make a monetary payment for any leave forfeited under these circumstances.