What are the responsibilities and job description for the Contract Specialist - Direct Hire position at US International Boundary and Water Commission:...?
Duties
The initial cut-off date for first consideration is 11:59 pm, ET, Monday December 16, 2024; applications received by this date will have the first opportunity for review. Applications received after this date will be given consideration only if there is a need for further review.
- Oversees acquisitions and contracting for the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant.
- Ensures that the organization's strategic plan, mission, vision, and values are communicated and integrated into the team's strategies, goals, objectives, work plans and work products and services.
- Maintains program and administrative reference materials, project files and relevant background documents.
- Issues solicitations, evaluates proposals/bids/quotes, contract negotiations, execution, and administration for simplified acquisitions and complex and technical services, supplies, construction, A/E, and special programs.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen or Naturalized U.S. Citizen.
- You must obtain and maintain a favorable background investigation.
- You may be required to serve a one year probationary period.
- You must possess a current Federal Acquisition Certificate in contracting (FAC-C) Professional Certificate and Construction Contracting Credential (or a Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) equivalent.
- You must apply for up to a Level III Contracting Officer Warrant, accept the Contracting Officer Warrant, and provide the signatory authority for contracts within their warrant authority.
- You must complete and submit the required confidential financial disclosure report upon entrance on duty and annually thereafter.
- You must be able to lift and carry items weighing up to 15 pounds unassisted such as office items and supplies; and sustain period of bending, stooping, and reaching.
- You must complete and successfully pass the DHS required E-Verify employment verification check.
- You must maintain direct deposit of your Federal pay.
- You may be required to work overtime.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualification Requirement: In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience.
Basic Requirements for GS/GG-05 through GS/GG-12:
A 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.
Basic Requirements for GS-13 and Above:
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 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.
Exception: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. This also applies to positions at the same grade in the same agency or other agencies if the specialized experience requirements are met. However, they will have to meet the basic requirements and specialized experience requirements in order to qualify for promotion to a higher grade, unless granted a waiver under Paragraph D.
Specialized Experience: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade or pay band in the Federal service GG/GS-11 (for the GG-12 grade level) and one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GG/GS-12 (for the GG-13 grade level) or equivalent experience in the private or public sector, which provide you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position.
Grade Differential: Both grade levels perform a wide range of tasks similar in nature to those described in the examples of specialized experience.
Examples of Specialized Experience include: evaluating proposals, bids, and quotes; negotiating and executing simplified acquisitions and complex and technical services, supplies, construction, and A/E; performing all pre-award contracting functions requiring the use of fixed-price, cost-reimbursement to procure simplified acquisitions; determining method of procurement, milestones, acquisition plan and type of contract; developing procurement packages by obtaining and/or developing Determination of Findings, memorandums and justifications; developing source files of responsible contractors by analyzing technical and financial ability to satisfy requirements; performing detailed analysis of bids, proposals, quotes received, and recommending award; evaluating contractor's fiscal soundness, production capacity, quality control, and present commitments; coordinating actions with customers, legal counsel, technical, and financial specialists; requesting or performing price/cost analysis; analyzing and evaluating audit findings and supporting recommendations of each cost element; conducting extensive negotiations during all phases of the procurement process; providing agency acquisition regulatory interpretation and direction; overseeing all contracting, simplified acquisitions, and government purchase cards; performing acquisition program management and administrative duties; managing the use of memorandums of understanding/agreement (MOUs/MOAs) for work to be performed with other governmental entities; making final decisions on contracting matters, including the most appropriate procurement method an contractual arrangement; and making decisions on protests, disputes, appeals, bid openings, negotiations, procurement integrity monitoring and claims review,
Part-Time or Unpaid Experience: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid work on the same basis as for paid experience. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. To receive credit for such experience you must indicate clearly the nature of the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the number of hours per week spent in such employment.
Education
This position has a positive education requirement described below:
Basic Requirements for GS/GG-05 through GS/GG-12:
A 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.
Basic requirement for GS/GG-13 and above:
- A 4-year course of study leading to 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.
Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html.
Foreign Education: 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 and such education has been 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:
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .
Additional information
- If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (member-4 copy preferred) or other proof of eligibility that shows the dates you were on active duty and your character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are claiming Disabled Veterans' preference you must also submit documentation of disability (i.e. VA Disability Verification Letter) and the SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference." For more information on veterans' preference see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/
- Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see www.sss.gov ).
- The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be rated in well-qualified by scoring 85 or higher on the assessment for this vacancy. Additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/
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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Once the announcement has closed, a qualifications review will be conducted. Resumes and supporting documents will be reviewed to verify eligibility and determine qualifications. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
Your rating will be based on the responses to the assessment questionnaire and the information provided in your resume. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities. This could cause you to lose consideration for this position.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on your entire application and the extent to which you demonstrate the following competencies and/or knowledge, skills, and abilities:
- Acquisitions
- Contracting/Procurement
- Oral and Written Communications
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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Required Documents
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
All applicants are required to submit the following documents:
- Resume: Your resume MUST state complete information for each job entry (beginning and ending dates of employment stated as MM/YYYY; and total hours worked per week). If your resume does not provide enough information regarding your work history for us to make a creditable qualification determination, your application package will be rendered disqualified, and you will no longer be considered for this position.
- Completed on-line occupational questionnaire.
- College transcripts: This position has a basic education requirement, if you do not submit a copy of your transcript(s), your application package will be rendered disqualified, and you will no longer be considered for this position.
- Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C): You must submit a current Federal Acquisition Certificate in contracting (FAC-C) Professional Certificate and Construction Contracting Credential (or a Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) equivalent;if you do not submit a copy of your certificate, your application package will be rendered disqualified, and you will no longer be considered for this position.
- All Veterans: DD-214 (Member 4 copy is preferred), which includes character of service, or for active duty service Members a certification which includes service dates, type of separation, and character of service. A "certification" is a written document from the Armed Forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted.
- Disabled Veterans (if applicable): VA Disability Letter (with percentage of disability) OR document of disability determination from a branch of the armed forces which reflects a compensable service-connected disability rating.
- Derived Preference (if applicable): The spouse, widow/widower, or mother of a veteran may be eligible to claim veterans' preference when the veteran is unable to use it. To do so, you must submit an SF-15 www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf and the documentation required by that form. Veterans' Preference: For more information and/or to determine if you are eligible for Veterans' Preference, please visit www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx (for veterans) or www.fedshirevets.gov/job/familypref/index.aspx (for family members). Below is a website for veterans to gain access to their DD-214 online: www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/ and the documentation required by that form.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
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.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM, ET, on December 16, 2024, to receive first consideration.- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package.
- It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
- To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12628011~
Agency contact information
USIBWC HROEmailHRO-Recruitment_Classification@ibwc.govAddressUnited States Section, International Boundary and Water Commission
4191 N. Mesa Street
El Paso, TX 79902
USNext steps
Once the online questionnaire is received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. Based upon your score, you may be referred to the hiring official. If your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly by that office for a possible interview.
You will receive status notifications through Application Manager or via email within 4-6 weeks.Fair and Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
- Criminal history inquiries
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
- Financial suitability
- New employee probationary period
- Privacy Act
- Reasonable accommodation policy
- Selective Service
- Signature and false statements
- Social security number request
Required Documents
All applicants are required to submit the following documents:
- Resume: Your resume MUST state complete information for each job entry (beginning and ending dates of employment stated as MM/YYYY; and total hours worked per week). If your resume does not provide enough information regarding your work history for us to make a creditable qualification determination, your application package will be rendered disqualified, and you will no longer be considered for this position.
- Completed on-line occupational questionnaire.
- College transcripts: This position has a basic education requirement, if you do not submit a copy of your transcript(s), your application package will be rendered disqualified, and you will no longer be considered for this position.
- Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C): You must submit a current Federal Acquisition Certificate in contracting (FAC-C) Professional Certificate and Construction Contracting Credential (or a Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) equivalent;if you do not submit a copy of your certificate, your application package will be rendered disqualified, and you will no longer be considered for this position.
- All Veterans: DD-214 (Member 4 copy is preferred), which includes character of service, or for active duty service Members a certification which includes service dates, type of separation, and character of service. A "certification" is a written document from the Armed Forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted.
- Disabled Veterans (if applicable): VA Disability Letter (with percentage of disability) OR document of disability determination from a branch of the armed forces which reflects a compensable service-connected disability rating.
- Derived Preference (if applicable): The spouse, widow/widower, or mother of a veteran may be eligible to claim veterans' preference when the veteran is unable to use it. To do so, you must submit an SF-15 www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf15.pdf and the documentation required by that form. Veterans' Preference: For more information and/or to determine if you are eligible for Veterans' Preference, please visit www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx (for veterans) or www.fedshirevets.gov/job/familypref/index.aspx (for family members). Below is a website for veterans to gain access to their DD-214 online: www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/ and the documentation required by that form.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
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.
This job is open to
- The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
- Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
Clarification from the agency
Career Transition CTAP/ICTAP and the public.