Summary
The NASA Office of Procurement seeks
Supervisory Contract Specialists to plan, direct and supervise office activities including all pre and post award aspects of the acquisition program. These positions will be responsible for leading assigned activities at one of the listed NASA locations. Provides strategic direction for a diverse group of contracts and agreements for commercial and non-commercial goods and services, while maintaining strong communications and high quality products.
Duties
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- Serves as a supervisor responsible for procurement, administration and close-out of a diverse group of major service, Research and Development (R and D), and/or spaceflight hardware contracts.
- Provides administrative and technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the unit, identifies strategic objectives, and defines technical work requirements and milestones.
- Participates as a key member of the organization and Agency procurement management team including organization strategy and assessment and succession planning.
- Presents programs of significant interest to high ranking representatives and professionally defend the Center and Program Manager(s) in controversial contractual actions.
- Provides authoritative and expert advice to Center/Agency stakeholders regarding business and industry practices, requirements characteristics for complex contracts and unprecedented contracting issues involving national interests.
- Perform a full range of supervisory duties which includes assigning and evaluating work; recommending personnel actions; taking disciplinary actions; and identifying training needs and developing employees.
Requirements
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Conditions of employment
- This position is open to U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
- You must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
- Financial Disclosure, Drug Testing, and/or the Travel Requirements for this position may differ and be required based on the duty location/NASA Center requirements.
- Position subject to pre-employment background investigation or higher-level clearance. Investigation/Clearance may differ and be required based on the duty location/NASA Center requirements.
- Selectee will have a designated "Home Center, but may be assigned to support programs or projects at any NASA Center using virtual tools and capabilities. Selectee(s) will be required to work ON-SITE at the duty location selected.
- Duty location will be determined upon selection. This position is not designated as remote; however, may be authorized to perform work from an approved duty location based on mission needs and supervisory approval, consistent with Agency policy.
- This position may require a one-year probationary period. If selected, the requirement to serve such period will be determined by Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 11. **See Additional Information section*
- This position may require a one-year supervisory probationary period.
Qualifications
You must meet all three requirements listed below; unless you are covered by an exception:
- The mandatory Basic Requirement shown in the Education section below;
- Specialized experience and/or directly related education, as shown below, which has equipped you with the particular competencies needed to successfully perform the duties of this position; and
- Certification/Training requirements.
To qualify for GS-15, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level:
- Leading and/or managing a team of contract specialists regarding acquisitions and pre/post award issues;
- Making authoritative decisions, providing expert technical guidance and consultation on procurement matters involving various large dollar contracts;
- Utilizing business acumen in advising senior leadership and contracting officers on matters pertaining to unprecedented contracting issues, contracting procedures and policy interpretations in day-to-day contact and through sole source negotiations, formal discussions and documentation.
Certification/Training for GS-15
You must meet
one of the following requirements to be considered for this position:
Possess a valid level III Federal Acquisition Certification-Contracting (FAC-C) or FAC-C (Professional) or level III Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification or DAWIA Professional.
OR
Completion of all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for level III Federal Acquisition Certification-Contracting (FAC-C) (NASA-FAC-C-Curriculum-Table.pdf), and at least 4 years of experience in contracting or related positions. At least one 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.
To be hired for this position, you must possess a valid level III Federal Acquisition Certification-Contracting (FAC-C) or FAC-C (Professional) or level III Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification or DAWIA Professional or must have already completed all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for level III FAC-C and/or FAC-C Professional. If you are currently certified, you may be asked to provide evidence of continuous learning to verify your existing certification. If you are not currently certified, you must apply for certification within 30 days after your start date in this position.
List your FAC-C or DAWIA certification level and date of certification. If you are not currently certified, but have completed the mandatory procurement training, list the training that you have completed to date.
Your resume must include a clear and detailed narrative description, in your own words, of how you meet the required specialized experience. Experience statements copied from a position description, vacancy announcement or other reference material constitutes plagiarism and may result in disqualification and losing consideration for the job.
Please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Super-Intelligence to review NASA's guidance on the use of super intelligent (SI) or SI-assisted tools during the application process.
Waiver:
For this position, applicants that possess the specialized experience outlined above but do not currently meet the education or training requirements may be eligible to receive the required FAC-C certification. The education or training requirements above may be waived if the NASA Senior Procurement Executive certifies that an 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. If you are hired for this position, you will have up to two years from your start date to obtain FAC-C Level III and/or FAC-C Professional certification, as applicable, under a waiver of the education requirement or up to eighteen months from your start date to meet the training requirement and receive FAC-C Level III certification and/or FAC-C Professional certification, as applicable. If you do not meet the education or training requirements before the period expires, you will be demoted or removed from this position.
The ideal candidate has experience recommending, developing, and implementing policies and procedures to procure supplies, services, for construction or research and development projects using formal advertising or negotiation procedures to evaluate contract price proposals and policies.
Education
Basic Requirement:
- 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
- A 4-year course of study leading to a minimum of 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.
NOTE: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the basic education requirements for positions they occupied on January 1, 2000; only including positions at the same grade.
U.S. degrees must have been awarded from colleges or universities that are accredited by recognized accrediting organizations. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, go to http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.
If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs. These education credentials must be deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
All degrees must have been received in the year of, or any year subsequent to the original date of accreditation.
Additional information
In the Announcement Questionnaire, you will be prompted to select the location, select up to 3 locations you wish to be considered for.
Additional selections may be made for similar positions across NASA within the local commuting area(s) of the location(s) identified in this announcement
. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) within NASA. CTAP/ICTAP will be cleared for any additional selection from this announcement.
For purposes of Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) selection priority, well-qualified is defined as possessing knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies which clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position, as determined through SME review of the resume/application. If you have special priority selection rights under ICTAP, you must:
- Indicate your eligibility when applying for a position.
- Exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position.
- Submit proof that you meet the requirements for ICTAP as indicated in "Required Documents."
For additional information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, click here - https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/#ictap.
Any applicant that received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) from the federal governmentwithin the last five years based of the closing date of this announcement, if selected, may be required to repay the full amount prior to establishing a start date. For additional information on the VSIP repayment requirement, click here - https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/voluntary-separation-incentive-payments/
Per Executive Order 14343, this position is not part of a bargaining unit.
Probationary Period
You
may be required to serve a one-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. If selected, the requirement to serve such period will be determined by Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 11.
In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Supervisory probationary periods are not subject to the above process, although, if a standard probationary period is required. You are subject to the conditions of both a standard probationary period and the supervisory probationary period.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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