What are the responsibilities and job description for the Contract Specialist (IS-1102-12) position at Smithsonian Institution?

Job Description

Description

OPEN DATE : February 26, 2025

CLOSING DATE : March 12, 2025

POSITION TYPE : Trust Fund

APPOINTMENT TYPE : Temporary Not to Exceed Three (3) Years

SCHEDULE : Full Time

DUTY LOCATION : Washington, DC

Position sensitivity and risk : Non-sensitive (NS) / Low Risk

Open to all Qualified Applicants

What are Trust Fund Positions?

Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program, which may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit / Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).

Conditions of Employment

Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated.
Complete a Probationary Period.
Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit / Electronic Transfer.
The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States. Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

OVERVIEW

This position is located organizationally in the Office of Contracting & Personal Property Management (OCon&PPM), Under Secretary for Finance and Administration, Smithsonian Institution (SI).

SI is a museum and research complex dedicated to the increase and diffusion of knowledge. OCon&PPM is responsible for the overall planning, management and execution of SI's contracting, simplified purchasing, personal property and policy programs. The incumbent is responsible for all elements of assigned procurement matters.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Position performs contract planning, soliciting, negotiation, awarding, administration and close-out of information technology (IT) procurements. Projects frequently extend over several years and involve multiple contracts, numerous change orders, claims, disputes and terminations.

Drafts, solicits, negotiates and awards contracts for unique services, often with innovative financial arrangements. Contracts for goods and services. Contracts for IT include systems and services for retail operations, security systems, financial management systems, payroll and personnel systems, database systems and mailing lists.

Chairs pre-procurement meetings with personnel from requisitioning offices to review specifications, determine scope of work, establish project schedules, determine procurement methods and contract type and develop negotiation goals and tactics. Oversees panels, technical evaluations and committees. Serves as advisor to project officials and assists in the preparation of statements of work, evaluation criteria and technical agreements.

Communicates and works with project team to identify items, components, equipment and services to be acquired by contract.

Develops procurement objectives in terms of competition and price range and constructs contractual vehicles including use of pricing arrangements, subcontracting policy and set aside policies.

Prepares and maintains current acquisition plans, milestone charts and related schedules and procurement files.

Coordinates a wide variety of contractors, each having unique functions relating to assigned projects.

Develops and maintains systems to evaluate and monitor contractual performance related to delivery, cost, amounts of progress or advance payments, effective use of SI-furnished property and scheduling. Identifies potential areas of difficulty, cost overruns and the need for future funding requirements. Initiates appropriate remedial actions to avoid or minimize delays.

Serves as overall contract administrator for assigned projects. Establishes and maintains progress and performance records. Provides contracting advice and guidance during contract administration concerning contract change orders, resolving contract claims and disputes and terminations for default and convenience.

Coordinates contractual actions to ensure receipt of work agreed on. Determines reason for difficulties experienced by the contractor in meeting schedules and takes action to alleviate bottlenecks. Discusses with contractor probable cancellations and changes in requirements to determine cost and effect.

Drafts, negotiates and reviews documents related to intellectual property, the creation of electronic media and IT including significant emphasis on confidentiality, internet security and protection of personally identifiable information. Advises offices and units concerning procurement practice and the application of internal policies and the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Prepares contract documents, assuring the inclusion of provisions required by law, regulation and policy, and writes original special clauses such as proposed evaluation criteria, testing requirements, special vested rights, etc. to protect SI interests and accommodate subsequent developments and modifications.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Education

Basic Qualifications :

A. A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field;

B. 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.

For this position, specialized experience is defined as experience applying a wide variety of procurement contracting laws, regulations, policies, processes, and procedures; and contract types applicable to pre and post-award actions .

Experience required for this position is as follows :

Comprehensive knowledge of the FAR, contracting laws, regulations, GAO principles and practices – both federal and commercial – necessary to provide accurate advice and guidance with respect to contracting for complex programs. Expert knowledge and skill in drafting, soliciting, negotiating and awarding federal and commercial contracts in : IT; software and services; technical services.

Comprehensive knowledge of contract administration procedures including change orders, contract terminations and contractor claims or disputes and execution of settlement agreements.

Expert knowledge of a wide variety of contracting methods and contract types to carry out the full range of pre- and post-award actions for contracts that extend over several years.

Knowledge of the principles of acquisition planning for multi-year procurements. Knowledge of contract cost analysis techniques to devise appropriate incentives. Knowledge and skill in negotiation techniques and the ability to lead negotiation teams.

Knowledge and skill in oral and written presentation methods and techniques to prepare reports and present briefings that explain proposals and influence and educate attendees.

Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.

Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.

Join us in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery."

Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week.

What To Expect Next : Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.

Relocation expenses are not paid.

The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact OHRTrustBranch@si.edu. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian’s Accommodation Procedures.

The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer . We believe that a workforce comprising a variety of educational, cultural, and experiential backgrounds support and enhance our daily work life and contribute to the richness of our exhibitions and programs. See Smithsonian EEO program information : https : / / www.si.edu / oeesd.

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Contract Specialist (IS-1102-12)

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