To meet Minimum Qualifications for this Contract Specialist position you must demonstrate:
(1) the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for the federal GS-1102 series AND
(2) at least 52 weeks of *Specialized Experience
For GS-11 ONLY: you may substitute a Ph.D. (or equivalent doctoral degree) OR at least 3 academic years of successfully completed progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. (or equivalent doctoral degree) in a course of study that directly reflects the job-related competencies for this position for Specialized Experience. (See GS-11 requirements below.)
(1) INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR) (All Applicants)
A. Successful completion of a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field
OR
B. Successful completion of 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
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.
AND
(2) SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE (by grade)
FOR GS-11: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE must have been gained in a federal position at or above GS-09 OR (if your position is on another federal pay scale OR outside of federal service) by performing duties at a level of responsibility and difficulty equivalent to GS-09 or above.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is work that primarily consists of performing pre- and post-award contract functions, including procurement planning, negotiation strategies and contract administration.
**If you have this experience, your resume must describe, in your own words, the specific duties you perform that demonstrate it. If your experience was gained in the federal government, you must upload an SF-50 documenting your grade at the time experience was gained.**
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE can be demonstrated by:
- Soliciting and evaluating competitive proposals, including reviewing prices and costs;
- Managing contract administration functions such as partial/progress payments, deliverables management, contract modifications, and contract closeouts;
- Planning and carrying out pre-award and post-award contract functions;
- Applying federal and agency acquisition regulations, procedures, and precedent decisions to ensure compliance;
- Negotiating prices, terms and conditions, and contract modifications;
- Awarding cost reimbursement and performance-based contracts for materials, systems, services, or equipment.
In lieu of Specialized Experience, you may qualify for GS-11 with a Ph.D. in a course of study that directly reflects the job-related competencies necessary for this position. This education must be separate from and in addition to education used to support the IOR.
In lieu of Specialized Experience or a Ph.D. you may qualify for GS-11 with at least 3 academic years of successfully completed progressively higher-level graduate education
leading to a Ph.D. (or equivalent degree) in a course of study that directly reflects the job-related competencies for this position. This education must be separate from and in addition to education used to support the IOR.
In lieu of the full amount of Specialized Experience or the full amount of Optional Education, you may qualify for GS-11 with a portion of each that can be combined to meet the full requirement. Only successfully completed education beyond the second year of graduate studies can be used for this option and it must be separate from and in addition to the education used to meet the IOR. Experience used in combination with education must also be in addition to the experience used in IOR Option B. (HR will determine if the combination of experience and education is sufficient to meet the requirements.)
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FOR GS-12: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE must have been gained in a federal position at or above GS-11 OR (if your position is on another federal pay scale OR outside of federal service) by performing duties at a level of responsibility and difficulty equivalent to GS-11 or above.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is work that primarily consists of performing pre- and post-award contract functions for complex or high-value procurements, including procurement planning, negotiation strategies and contract administration, with responsibility for independently managing the full acquisition lifecycle and resolving complex contracting issues.
**If you have this experience, your resume must describe, in your own words, the specific duties you perform that demonstrate it. If your experience was gained in the federal government, you must upload an SF-50 documenting your grade at the time experience was gained.**
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE can be demonstrated by:
- Planning and carrying out pre-award and post-award contract functions for a variety of acquisitions;
- Reviewing acquisition requests and recommending contracting strategies to meet program needs and ensure cost effectiveness;
- Applying federal and agency acquisition regulations, procedures, and precedent decisions to ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements;
- Negotiating prices, terms and conditions, and contract modifications for moderately complex contracts;
- Administering contracts, including managing payments, deliverables, modifications, and contract closeouts;
- Awarding cost reimbursement, performance-based, or fixed-price contracts for materials, systems, services, or equipment
Education cannot be substituted for Specialized Experience at this grade.
Since Specialized Experience also has a time component, it must be evident that the duties you describe are at the required level for at least 52 weeks.
Reviewers cannot assume you perform duties you don't describe.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (IOR and Specialized Experience for GS-12 / IOR and Specialized Experience and/or Optional Education for GS-11) must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
SEE EDUCATION AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Information on this job series can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1100/contracting-series-1102/
This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) that must be met and demonstrated by all applicants (see QUALIFICATIONS).
To satisfy the IOR, submit a copy of your full transcript(s), even if you already hold a federal 1102 series position.
Your transcript(s) must show your name, the name of the school, the program in which you were enrolled and your degree (or completion of *creditable courses). If you attended more than one college or university, submit transcripts for all schools attended.
*Since course titles do not always indicate that a course pertains to a creditable curriculum you are advised to highlight qualifying courses on your transcript to ensure that consideration is given.*
Transcripts that do not show that a Degree was conferred cannot be considered to have resulted in a Degree. Check your transcript to be sure this information is shown.
Unofficial transcripts or screenshots of electronic/web transcripts with the required information will be accepted at the time of application. CHECK YOUR UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT TO CONFIRM IT SHOWS THE REQUIRED INFORMATION. You must upload your transcripts as part of your application. Documents will not be accepted via email or regular mail.
APPLICANTS FOR GS-11: Note that education used in lieu of (or in addition to) Specialized Experience must be separate from and in addition to education used to support the IOR. (See QUALIFICATIONS)
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.
One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours the school has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours will be considered an academic year of graduate study.
Foreign Education: If your transcripts show education completed in foreign colleges or universities, you must also provide documentation 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 a conventional/accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.
If selected, you may be required to provide your official college transcripts prior to the effective date of your appointment.
