Overview
Contract Specialist FSA
- Open & closing dates
07/10/2023 to 10/31/2023 - Location
11 vacancies in the following location: Location Negotiable After Selection
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Summary
Contract Specialist FSA 1102-GS-07/09/11/12 (MP), Department of Education.
This position is located in the Department of Education, Federal Student Aid (FSA) with 11 vacancies with location negotiable after selection.
This position is also announced under vacancy number FSA/ACQ-2023-0008, which is open to all US Citizens or Nationals. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.
This job is open to
- Individuals with disabilities
- Federal employees – Competitive service
Current or former competitive service federal employees.
- Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees who meet the definition of a “surplus” or “displaced” employee
- Land & base management
Certain current or former term or temporary federal employees of a land or base management agency.
- Military spouses
- National Guard & reserves
Current members, those who want to join or transitioning military members.
- Special authorities
Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed above, but defined in the federal hiring regulations
- Veterans
Clarification from the agency
Open to Status Applicants, i.e., current federal civilian employees in the competitive service on permanent career or career-conditional appointments; former federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; current federal employees eligible under Interchange Agreements; eligible under special hiring authorities (Schedule A, etc.) and VEOA may apply
Duties for FSA Contract specialist
These positions are located in Federal Student Aid (FSA) Acquisitions, and may be assigned to any of the divisions within that office.
This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT. Announcement will remain open through September 29, 2023 or until all vacancies are filled. The next cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be July 29, 2023, with subsequent cut-off dates for referral on the 1st of each month. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. Vacancies may be filled at any grade level.
As a Contract Specialist, GS-07, you will perform the following duties:
Carrying out recurring procurement tasks to support the programs administered by one or more business units. In addition, participate in more complex assignments under the direction of a senior Contract Specialist or supervisor.
Assisting staff by gathering facts from standardized and readily available sources such as databases, program staff and historical records.
Analyzing information obtained and recommends solutions to issues that can be resolved by applying well-established guidelines
Performing pre-and post-award contracting functions including, but not limited to: preparation of solicitation packages, preliminary evaluation of bids and quotations, and monitoring contractor performance, applying well-established guidelines to address routine issues.
Reviewing requests for procurement of standard and specialized goods and services.
As a Contract Specialist, GS-09, you will perform the following duties:
Carrying out moderately complex assignments intended to provide services that support the programs administered by the various business units. In addition, participates in more complex assignments under the direction of a senior Contract Specialist or supervisor.
Assisting staff by gathering facts from a variety of sources such as databases, program staff, and historical records.
Analyzing information obtained and recommends solutions to issues that can be resolved by applying well-established guidelines.
Performing pre- and post-award contracting functions including, but not limited to: preparation and issuance of solicitation packages, evaluation of bids and quotations, recommending award of the contract, and monitoring the contractor’s performance for the life of the contract.
As a Contract Specialist, GS-11/GS-12, you will perform the following duties:
Performing pre- and post-award contracting functions including, but not limited to: cost/price analysis, negotiation, and administration for supplies and or services associated with the execution of FSA and the Department’s mission. A large portion of the work includes procurement of complex and diversified supplies and or services.
Reviewing requests for procurement of complex supplies and/or services.
Analyzing requirements, recommends revisions of statement of work or specifications, and decides on the type of contract, milestones, and procurement plan.
Reviewing justifications for sole source and other required clearances and prepares documentation.
Requirements contract Specialists FSA
Conditions of Employment
- U. S. Citizenship
- Background investigation and fingerprint check (if available)
- Males 18 and over must be registered with the Selective Service.
- You may be subject to serve a one-year probationary period.
- Relocation will not be paid.
Other requirements:
You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy announcement. 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. We will consider all qualifying experience, including any volunteer experience.
Qualifications for FSA Contract specialist
Basic Requirements for GS-5 through GS-12
- A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree with a major in any field.
- 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.
- Applicants who meet the criteria for Superior Academic Achievement qualify for positions at the GS-7 level.
- Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for all grade levels for which both education and experience are acceptable.
Graduate Education; To qualify for GS-1102 positions on the basis of graduate education, graduate education in one or a combination of the following fields is required: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.
Note – For positions at GS-7 through GS-12, applicants who are qualifying based on experience must possess at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level, that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position, in addition to meeting the basic requirements.
Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. Employees who occupy GS-1102 positions at grades 5 through 12 will be considered to meet the basic requirements for other GS-1102 positions up to and including those classified at GS-12. This includes positions at other agencies and promotions up through grade 12. However, employees must meet specialized experience requirements when seeking another position.
Preferred requirements are available on the following FAC link:
Minimum Qualification Requirements
US Office of Personal Management
Specialized Experience for the GS-07
One year of experience equivalent to the contract specialist FSA (GS-05) performing at least two (2) of the following three (3) duties or work assignments:
- Experience analyzing and evaluating information, comparing cost, price, and technical information, and recommending selection of the most appropriate vendor; and applying established contracting guidelines to address routine issues.
- Experience assisting staff by gathering facts from standardized and readily available sources such as databases, program staff, and historical records.
- Experience performing pre-and post-award contracting functions including preparation of solicitation packages, preliminary evaluation of bids and quotations, and monitoring contractor performance, applying well-established guideline to address routine issues.
Combination of Education and Experience:
Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for which both education and experience are acceptable.
Specialized Experience for the GS-09
One year of experience equivalent to the GS-07 performing at least two (2) of the following three (3) duties or work assignments:
- Experience analyzing requirements, proposes revisions to statements of work or specifications and recommends the type of contract, milestones and procurement plan.
- Experience preparing solicitation documents and solicits proposals from prospective vendors.
- Experience negotiating contract modifications to accommodate changing requirements.
Education: 2 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or masters or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B. or J.D.
Combination of Education and Experience:
Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for which both education and experience are acceptable.
Specialized Experience for the GS-11
One year of experience equivalent to the GS-09 performing at least two (2) of the following three (3) duties or work assignments:
- Experience analyzing requirements, recommends revisions to statements of work or specifications, and decides on the type of contract, milestones, and procurement plan.
- Experience performing cost/price analysis based on prevailing labor and material cost.
- Experience awarding contracts within delegated contracting officer authority or recommends award to the contracting officer on contracts outside delegated authority.
Education: 3 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
Combination of Education and Experience:
Combination of Education and Experience: Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for which both education and experience are acceptable.
Specialized Experience for the GS-12
One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 performing at least two (2) of the following three (3) duties or work assignments:
- Experience analyzing requirements, recommends revisions to statements of work or specifications, and decides on the type of contract, milestones, and procurement plan.
- Experience performing cost/price analysis based on prevailing labor and material costs.
- Experience awarding contracts within delegated contracting officer authority or recommends award to the contracting officer on contracts outside delegated authority.
Education
Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the above requirements. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States.
For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit:
OPM Foreign Education Evaluation
College Transcript: Submit a copy of your college transcript that lists college courses detailing each course by the number and department (i.e., bio 101, math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours and grade earned. You must submit evidence that any education completed in a foreign institution is equivalent to U.S. education standards with your resume. You may submit an unofficial copy of the transcript at the initial phase of the application process. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken.
Additional information for Contract Specialist:
Equal Employment Opportunity:
We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a parent, marital status, or political affiliation.
People with Disabilities:
- We are committed to expanding access to employment by hiring people with disabilities; providing reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities; and, identifying and removing barriers to work.
- Persons with disabilities, including disabled veterans, may apply for jobs filled either competitively (where qualified individuals compete with one another through a structured process), non-competitively (where a qualified individual may be selected based on a special hiring authority), or through an excepted appointing authority for people with disabilities (i.e., Schedule A).
- If you require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact us. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation is made on a case-by-case basis.
For more information, please visit: http://opm.gov/disability/PeopleWithDisabilities.asp
Veterans’ Career Counseling: If you are a veteran interested in receiving tips on preparing a Federal resume and/or how to prepare for an interview, you may email Iwork@ed.gov to schedule a session with a career counselor (“Veterans Counseling Session” should be placed in the subject line of the email).
Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after 12/31/1959, you must have registered for the Selective Service.
For more information, please visit:
GOV. REGESTRATION
Student Loan Default: If selected for this position, we will verify that you have not defaulted on any loan funded or guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are found to be in default, we will contact you to make arrangements for repayment prior to making an official offer of employment.
Suitability and Investigation: If selected for this position, you will be required to complete the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for federal employment and subject to a pre-appointment investigation/background check.
Level of Risk and Sensitivity: Level of this position is low risk public trust.
Probationary Period: If selected for this position, you may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period.
Essential/Non-Essential: This position is considered non-essential for purposes of reporting to work during federal government closures.
Telework: This position is telework eligible.
Bargaining Unit: This position is bargaining unit.
If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the interview process, please inform the selecting official at the time of scheduling
Candidates who are current Federal employees serving on a non-temporary competitive appointment must have served at least 90 days in that appointment before the agency can promote, transfer, reinstate, or detail an employee to a different position or different geographical area. When moving employees is consistent with open competition principles, OPM may waive the restriction against movement to a different geographical area upon written request from an agency.
Benefits
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.
FSA is a great place to work. We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including paid vacation and sick leave, federal holidays, health and life insurance, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), including the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). For more information about the many benefits available to Federal employees, please visit: HELP CENTER OF FSA
As an FSA employee, you will also benefit from our family-friendly work environment. As part of our commitment to maintain a productive balance between work and home, we offer excused leave for Parent/Teacher Conferences (3 hours); excused leave for annual health screenings (4 hours); and matching leave for community volunteer service. Other flexibilities that may be available to you, may include teleworking and alternative work schedules.
Student Loan Repayment may be paid if negotiated and approved prior to appointment.
There are many other benefit programs that make the Federal Government a model employer and a top ranking career choice. The following is a list of additional programs offered by many of the agencies including ED:
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
We use a multi-step process to review and evaluate applicants:
- Eligibility and Minimum Qualifications: Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will review your submitted resume and documents to determine if you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, including any required education, experience, and/or selective placement factors. You will be rated as ineligible if you are outside of the area of consideration (i.e., who may apply) or your application is missing any required documents. You will be rated as not qualified if you do not possess the minimum qualification requirements.
- Rating and Ranking: If you are found to meet both the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements, we will assess the quality of your experience and the extent to which you possess the required KSAs by comparing your submitted resume and documents against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. Your application may be referred to a subject matter expert or panel of subject matter experts for further evaluation.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) for GS-7/9
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- Working knowledge of Federal contract laws and regulations, policies, and protocols applicable to the acquisition and contract administration of standard and specialized supplies and/or services
- Knowledge of business practice and market conditions applicable to program and technical requirements sufficient to evaluate bid responsiveness, contractor responsibility, and contractor performance
- Knowledge of business practices sufficient to identify supply sources, analyze cost and pricing data, evaluate contract proposals, and evaluate offerors for responsibility Ability to communicate effectively, both orally, and in writing.
- Ability to communicate effectively, both orally, and in writing.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) for GS-11/12
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- Knowledge of Federal contract laws, regulations, and procedures applicable to the acquisition and contract administration of routine or unique supplies and/or services.
- Knowledge of budget and finance laws and related Federal regulations. Knowledge of various types of contracts, methods of contracting, and selection procedures for complex procurements
- Knowledge of program objectives, technical terminology, and uses of supplies and/or services procured sufficient to participate in contract planning, negotiation, and administration
- Ability to communicate effectively, both orally, and in writing.
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Referral and Selection
If you are found to be among the most highly qualified applicants, you will be referred to the selecting official. As part of the assessment and selection process, the selecting official may invite you to participate in a structured interview, check your references, and/or request that you submit a writing sample or complete a written assessment or exercise to further evaluate your qualifications for this position.
If your responses to the occupational questionnaire are not substantiated by your submitted resume, you may be eliminated from receiving further consideration.
Required Documents
A complete application package includes a resume, required documents and completion of the vacancy announcement questionnaire.
Please see this guidance: What to include in your resume
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
- Reasonable accommodation policy
- Financial suitability
- Selective Service
- New employee probationary period
- Signature and false statements
- Privacy Act
- Social security number request
How to Apply
Step 1: Create a USAJOBS account (if you do not already have one) at www.usajobs.gov.
Step 2: Create a resume using the USAJOBS resume builder or upload a resume into your USAJOBS account. Ensure that your resume demonstrates your education, experience, training, and accomplishments as it relates to the qualifications for this position and substantiates your responses to the occupational questionnaire.
Step 3: Upload any required documents into your USAJOBS account (must be less than 3MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, or Word (DOC or DOCX).
Step 4: Click “Apply Online” and follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire and attach any required documents. Verify that uploaded documents from USAJOBS transfer into the agency’s hiring system. You will have the opportunity to upload any additional required documents in the agency’s hiring system. Click “Finish” to submit your application.
NOTE: You may update your application or required documents at any time while the announcement is open by logging into your USAJOBS account, clicking on “Application Status,” clicking on the position title, clicking “Update Application,” and following the prompts.
In order to receive consideration for this position, you must submit your complete application, including all required documents, by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. If the vacancy announcement has an application limit, we recommend that you submit your complete application at the time of initial application. We will not accept any required documentation after the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
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Next steps
As an applicant, you may check your application status through your USAJOBS account at any time. We will also notify you via email of your application status at three key stages in the recruitment process.
1. Once the vacancy announcement closes, we will inform you that your application has been received.
2. After we review your submitted resume and supporting documentation, we will inform you if you are eligible and qualified, if your application was referred to a subject matter expert or panel of subject matter experts for further evaluation, and if you were amongst the most highly qualified candidates referred to the selecting official.
3. Finally, we will inform you if and when a selection is made.
This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Contract Specialist 1102-GS-07/09/11/12 positions throughout FSA. The position must be alike (e.g.: within the same geographic locations, same grade and requires the same qualifications and specialized experience as indicated in this vacancy announcement).
See Also:
City Manager at City of Sedona
Federal Student Aid
FSA is the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation, providing billions each year in grants, loans, and work-study funds to students attending college or career schools.
If you join us, you will be among a team of experts responsible for helping millions of students achieve their goals. Every part of our team, including operations, student aid delivery and servicing, vendor and contract management, and budgeting and cost control, plays an essential role in achieving our mission.
Agency contact information
Human Capital Group
Phone
202-377-4806
Fax
202-275-4574
fsahractions@ed.gov
Address
Education-OFC of Fedral Students AID, 830 First street NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20002
United States
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