This position is located in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Acquisition and Contract Management (OCFO/ACM) of the Peace Corps. The incumbent serves as a Senior Contract Specialist or Contracting Officer with up to unlimited signatory authority for a variety of requirements and acquisition and assistance vehicles (including contracts, Interagency Agreements and Cooperative Agreements) for Peace Corps programs.

The Contract Specialist performs the following major duties:

• Manage all aspects of the functional area of contract management, including contract formation, drafting and issuing solicitations, negotiations, cost and price analyst, award, contract administration, termination and close-out of various contract vehicles (including indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contracts, purchase orders, interagency agreements, blanket order agreements, etc.)
• Examines and evaluates the contractor's prospective cost estimates or price proposals to determine the necessity, fairness, and reasonableness of proposed contract costs.
• Serves as the lead negotiator, planning the negotiation strategy, coordinating strategy with the negotiation team and leading the negotiation conducted with contractors, negotiate with prospective contractors on pricing, performance, technical terms, and other provisions.
• Negotiates contract modifications and the terms and costs of contract changes.
• Monitors outstanding contracts to ensure satisfactory progress, to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of the contract, and to identify problems that threaten contractor performance.
• Reviews past performance reports and conducts reference checks to determine the financial and technical capability of award candidates for the purpose of assessing risk to the government for the successful attainment of program goals and to determine if the award candidate has an acceptable level of integrity and is financially and technically responsible.
• Advises and assists program officials in the drafting of proposal analysis reports documenting the technical evaluation process for selecting sources.
• Provides contract/procurement advice and assistance to program managers, technical and financial specialists, co-workers, and/or others on contract or procurement policies, problems, or issues.
• Responsible for executing all procurement phases of the acquisition process.

Travel Required

Not required

Qualifications

Education

Basic Requirements for GS-13 and Above

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.
   

   and

2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

Additional information

How You Will Be Evaluated

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package. This includes: a detailed resume, a completed electronic self-assessment questionnaire, an SF-50 (for current and former Federal employees, including internal employees), and the submission of any required documents. All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

Resume: Include relevant work experience including job title, duties and accomplishments, employer name and address, supervisor name and phone number, start and end dates, hours per week & salary. If you are a current Federal employee or previous Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09).

Veterans Documents: If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must attach all required documentation; including a DD-214 reflecting the type of discharge, the SF-15 and a VA Letter if applicable. For more information regarding veterans' preference, please review the .

Federal Employees: If you are a current or former Federal employee, please provide a copy of your most recent SF-50.

Certificate: Federal Acquisition Certification Contracting (FAC-C) Level III certification or equivalent.

Qualifications Based on Education or a Combination of Education and Experience: If you are qualifying based on education or a combination of education and experience, you must submit a copy of your transcript(s) or an appropriate course listing with a diploma. Education must be accredited by an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be used towards qualifications. Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by recognized institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following .

Note: All applicants (including internal) are required to submit the applicable documents listed above as verification of eligibility. If you fail to provide the information requested, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you may lose consideration for these problems.

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. .

Peace Corps employees receive the same benefits as other Federal employees. This includes health insurance plans, a retirement system with investment options, paid holidays, paid sick and annual (vacation) leave, life insurance, incentive systems and training and development opportunities.

Employees located in the United States may also receive subsidized transportation, flexible work schedules, and family work life programs.

1. Click 'Apply Online' to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account.
2. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and upload required documents.
3. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application.
4. Applications must be received by the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
5. Check your application status by logging into your USAJOBS account. Return to an incomplete application by clicking Apply Online in the vacancy announcement and re-selecting your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account.

If you experience any technical difficulties as you complete your application within the CareerConnector system, please e-mail . Please only direct system-related technical errors to this mailbox. If your question is in regards to your application status, please contact the e-mail.

Agency contact information Human Resources

The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) for federal employees & job applicants

Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process should follow the instructions in the job opportunity announcement. For any part of the remaining hiring process, applicants should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits.

Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when:

• An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job.
• An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace.
• An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events.

You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application or hiring process or while on the job. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.

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