Vacancy Announcement

Lead Contract Specialist (Contracting Officer), GS-1102-14

Institute of Museum and Library Services
Office of the Director
Washington, DC

NOTE: THE FULL PERFORMANCE LEVEL OF THIS POSITION IS GS-14

DUTIES

This is the position of Lead Contract Specialist, Office of the Director (OD). The incumbent serves as the Contracting Officer and is responsible for soliciting, evaluating, negotiating, and awarding contracts with commercial organizations, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and State, local or foreign governments for furnishing products, services, construction or research and development to the agency. Administers contracts by assuring compliance with the terms and conditions of contracts, including resolution of problems concerning the obligations of the parties. Plans, establishes, or reviews contracts, programs, policies, and procedures. Provides staff advisory services to agency managers in the full range of the contracting specializations. Serves as contracting officer with unlimited signatory authority for agency contracts. Maintains complete authority and responsibility for all contractual actions and phases of the contracting program. Plans, develops, and establishes the contractual strategy for the agency’s overall acquisition program. Maintains knowledge of the legislation, regulations, and methods used in contracting. Functions as lead negotiator during contract negotiations. Oversees the full range of contract administration actions required for the acquisition of program and mission support. Serves as principal contracting and procurement advisor to senior management as well as program offices, and represents the agency as the contractual authority at conferences and meetings. Lead contracting specialist and perform the normal range of lead functions.

QUALIFICATIONS STANDARDS

For the GS-14 level: Candidates must have one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to the GS-13 level. Specialized experience is that which would have provided the candidate with experience in procurement regulations and contracting priciples.

Candidates will be further evaluated in terms of the following knowledge, skills and abilities, which must be documented in narrative form. The information contained in your application will be reviewed to determine the degree to which you meet the basic qualification requirements, and possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA’s) that are essential for successful job performance. Credit may be given for paid experience or volunteer work such as community, cultural, social service and professional association activities, education, training, awards, hobbies, or any other job related activities. Applicants who wish to receive full consideration for this position should address each knowledge, skill and abilities in a narrative format:

Candidates will be further evaluated in terms of the following quality ranking factors, which must be addressed separately to ensure full consideration:

1. Mastery of procurement regulations and contracting principles including the latest procedures and techniques, e.g., sophisticated pricing arrangements, cost accounting, and life cycle cost sufficient to plan, develop, implement, maintain, and administer all contractual aspects of a systems acquisition program.
2. Skill in managerial and coordinative activities sufficient to contract a variety of contractual actions occurring concurrently, in an overlapping fashion, or sequentially and to control several simultaneous interrelated contracts with different contractors.
3. Skill in negotiation techniques that will enable the candidate to serve as the lead negotiator as well as to develop pre-negotiation strategy, the conducting of negotiations for the acquisition of a system, and in directing or performing post-award negotiations involving contract changes or modifications.
4. Knowledge of related disciplines and functions involved in the systems acquisition process, such as design or systems engineering, integrated logistics support, financial management, and their interrelationships with contracting.

HOW TO APPLY

Candidates must submit a written application in the format of a resume, Optional Application for Federal Employment (OF-612), or any other written format that describes job-related qualifications.  The application must contain the following information:  Full name, mailing address, day and evening telephone numbers, social security number, citizenship, and the vacancy announcement number.  The supplemental statement should address each of the KSAs individually.  Current Federal employees or applicants possessing reinstatement eligibility must also submit a copy of their most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) and performance appraisal or a statement explaining why it is not included.  If you do not provide all the information requested, you may lose consideration for this position.  Materials submitted as part of your application will not be returned.  In addition, candidates must submit a supplemental statement describing experience in terms of quality ranking factors listed above.  Submission of this supplemental statement is required.  The supplemental statement should address each of the quality ranking factors individually.  

IMPORTANT NOTE:  If you do not provide all the information requested, you may lose consideration for this position.  Materials submitted as part of your application will not be returned.

WHERE TO SEND YOUR APPLICATION:
Send your application citing vacancy announcement to:  Institute of Museum and Library Services, Office of Human Resources, 1800 M Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington, DC  20036. (ATTN:  A. Dotson)

You may also forward applications via fax to (202) 653-4615; or hand deliver to 1800 M Street, NW, 9th Floor. Any extra documents requested in the application instructions must still be part of your submission. 

NOTE:  Faxed applications must be received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on the closing date of the announcement.  Failure of fax machines to send or receive applications will not be a basis for extending the due date.

OTHER INFORMATION

This position is a permanent full-time position and includes eligibility for Federal benefits such as health and life insurance, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), retirement benefits, transit subsidy up to $115 per month, annual and sick leave, flexible work schedules, etc. Employees may also apply for long-term care insurance and flexible spending accounts.

Eligible applicants must be U.S. citizens or nationals in accordance with Executive Order 11935.

All applicants will be required to complete an OF-306, “Declaration for Federal Employment,” before being hired in order to certify the accuracy of the written application and provide information necessary to determine suitability for Federal employment. A background security investigation will be required for all new hires.

Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must certify that they have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under Selective Service law, if selected.

Veterans’ Preference: If claiming 5-point veterans’ preference, a DD-214 must be submitted. If claiming 10-point veterans’ preference, both a DD-214 and completed SF-15 must be submitted.

Relocation/moving expenses will not be paid.

This position may require completion of a 1-year probationary period.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

For more information on the IMLS, visit our web site at www.imls.gov.

For displaced Federal employees: If you are a current or former Federal employee who has received a specific Reduction-in-Force (RIF) separation notice, or a notice of proposed removal for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function outside of the local commuting area and wish to receive special selection priority consideration through the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), in addition to the above-required information, you must submit a copy of your RIF separation notice or notice of proposed removal for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function to another commuting area; your last performance rating of record; a copy of your separation SF-50 (or most recent SF-50 which reflects your status); documentation which reflects the promotion potential of the position from which you have been or are being separated; and a supplemental statement addressing the quality ranking factors listed above in order to show evidence of possession of the required factors.

Eligible Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) applicants who are found well qualified will receive special selection priority consideration as provided by regulation. In order to be determined “well qualified”, candidates must meet basic qualification standards and eligibility requirements satisfying all medical, physical, suitability, education, experience, selective placement factors, and quality ranking factors for the vacant position.

For additional information pertaining to career transition resources, see OPM’s web site at http://www.opm.gov/ctap.

Applications must be received in this office by the closing date in order to receive consideration. Call (202) 653-4728 for additional information.

See “WHERE TO SEND YOUR APPLICATION” above regarding delivery options.

Address required application materials to:
Antoine Dotson, Senior Human Resources Specialist
Institute of Museums and Library Services
Office of Human Resources
1800 M Street NW, 9th Floor
Washington, DC  20036

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer.