Contract Specialist, GS-1102-09/11

Basic Education Requirement: 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field; OR 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: The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) does not grant Academic degrees; therefore courses completed at the DAU are not creditable towards meeting the 24 semester hour requirement, in the fields identified above, unless the coursework has been evaluated by an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and appears on a college or university transcript.

In addition to above Basic Requirements: At the GS-09 level: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level (in the Federal sector). Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work. Examples of specialized experience includes: Analyzing procurement requests to determine requirements, recommending changes to statements of work or specifications, and determining appropriate type of contract and procurement plan; conducting pre-bid/proposal conferences and negotiations; analyzing bids/proposals, cost and pricing data and contractor responsibility, and recommending award; and, carrying out post-award functions (i.e., monitoring contract, evaluating performance, interpreting provisions, providing advice/guidance, negotiating contract modifications, processing terminations, conducting close-outs).

OR at least one of the following if using education to qualify at this grade level:

(A) Have a master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR

(B) 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education, if related; OR

(C) A law degree such as an LL.B. or J.D, if related; OR

(D) A combination of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in or related to the work of this position AND some graduate level education that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position and experience. Experience and education combinations are computed by first determining the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the total of qualifying education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at that grade level.

In addition to the above basic requirements: At the GS-11-level: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level (in the Federal sector). Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work.   Examples of specialized experience includes: Negotiating, administering and terminating complex projects; developing pre-negotiation positions; conducting pre-proposal and pre-bid conferences; resolving and/or recommending solutions; developing solicitation packages, which include Request for Proposal and Invitations for Bids; and examining specifications to match requirements to various options available, determining the read and draft exceptions and/or changes to standard contract provisions and boilerplate.

OR at least one of the following if using education to qualify at this grade level:

(A) a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR

(B) 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related.

(C) A combination of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in or related to the work of this position AND education graduate level education that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position and experience. Experience and education combinations are computed by first determining the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the total of qualifying education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at that grade level.

Selectee must meet position requirements for Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Professional certification4 within 36 months as of entrance on duty.

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.