Executive Director for Contracts and Acquisitions Management

Summary

The mission of the Office of Finance and Operations (OFO) is to transform the Department of Education (ED) into a high-performance, customer-focused organization by providing services to our customers that help them do a better job of managing their people, processes, and overall strategy. Within OFO, this position is located in the Office of Contracts and Acquisitions Management (CAM). This position may be detailed to another Federal agency.

Duties

• The Executive Director is responsible for the overall management of the Department's procurement functions and provides leadership and coordination to Office of Acquisition Management immediate office staff and to the following components: (1) Program Contracts Group, (2) Operations Contracts Group, (3) Education Science Contracts Group, (4) Simplified Acquisitions Group, and (5) Performance and Logistics Group. Each of the Contracting Groups provides contracting and acquisition support to designated client offices. Additionally, the incumbent serves as the Head of the Contracting Activity for all program components of the Department and all boards, commissions, and councils under management control of the Department with authority to oversee, execute, and sign all contracts and agreements. In carrying out their duties, the Executive Director: Provides executive direction for the planning, coordination, control, and assessment of all contracting functions for the Department and is authorized to make decisions in all functional areas of contracting, with overall responsibility for an approximately $650 million acquisition portfolio; Directs the planning, development, and implementation of actions required to implement and support the agency's acquisition program, which includes information management systems, financial management systems, educational research, program evaluations, and support services to nationwide constituents and clients; Formulates and implements procedures and guidelines for conducting procurement and contracting functions efficiently and economically as well as directs the implementation of acquisition policies to ensure that CAM and the Department's principal offices comply with government-wide acquisition programs and all applicable laws, regulations, and executive direction; Develops, recommends, establishes, implements, and maintains acquisition policies, regulations, procedures, and procurement performance measures for the Department of Education, including Federal Student Aid (FSA), consistent with applicable Federal and Departmental laws, regulations, guidelines, and procedures that impact the ED acquisition system and function; Provides guidance on and interpretation of acquisition related policies issued by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, General Services Administration, Office of Management and Budget, and other authorities; Serves as an advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Acquisitions, Chief Acquisition Officer, Senior Procurement Executive, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Secretary, and other senior Department officials in all matters governing the administration, negotiation, and termination of Department contracts, acquisitions, and agreements; Approves, reviews, and modifies, as necessary, all Department initiated determinations required by statute to be signed by the head of the agency; Directs the implementation of a comprehensive Department-wide management control system that reinforces sound and ethical procurement practices and assures the integrity of the Department's procurement processes; Formulates, develops, and establishes innovative methods, techniques, and procedures to ensure that senior management officials are made aware of any abuses in the system, reinforce the importance of timely corrective action, and assure that the contracting process is void of organizational conflicts of interest; Supports and participates fully with the Chief Acquisition Officer and Senior Procurement Executive in matters of policy interpretation, development, communication, implementation, and oversight; Collaborates with FSA's Head of Contracting Activity, sharing and implementing best practices (managerial, workforce development, and procurement) and leveraging resources to improve the effectiveness of both contracting activities and to support enterprise initiatives internally and externally; and Develops and maintains the procurement career management program to ensure an adequate and professional acquisition workforce at ED.

Qualifications

The application process used to recruit for this position is resume only. Do not submit separate Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Technical Qualifications (TQs) in lieu of resume. To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications and Technical Qualifications related to this position within your resume. Resume should not exceed two (2) pages, with the font size no smaller than 10 points. Resumes over the 2-page limit will not be reviewed beyond page 2. Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualifications. Failure to meet the basic qualification requirement and address all Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Technical Qualifications (TQs) within your resume will result in your application being disqualified. EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): In addition to the Technical Qualification Requirements all new entrants into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment will be assessed for executive competency against the following five mandatory ECQs. If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and TQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position. There are five (5) ECQs: ECQ 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding: This core qualification requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people. ECQ 2: Driving Efficiency: This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades. ECQ 3: Merit and Competence: This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality. ECQ 4: Leading People: This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable. ECQ 5: Achieving Results: This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors. Note: If you are a member of the SES or have been certified through successful participation in an OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), or have SES reinstatement eligibility, you must attach proof (e.g., SF-50 and/or Certification by OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB)) of your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES. TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs) There are two (2) TQs: TQ 1: Demonstrated executive-level knowledge and experience applying Federal procurement laws, regulations, policies, practices, and procedures to lead and oversee a complex acquisition portfolio for a cabinet-level CFO Act agency subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). This includes experience leading or overseeing major multi-million-dollar or high-risk acquisitions; ensuring compliance with the FAR, agency acquisition regulations, appropriations-related requirements, procurement integrity standards, and socioeconomic procurement requirements; and establishing acquisition governance, internal controls, performance measures, and oversight mechanisms to ensure effective contract planning, award, administration, performance, and closeout. TQ 2: Ability to lead, direct, and influence customers, stakeholders, acquisition professionals, and senior agency executives in managing a complex, multi-organizational procurement program. This includes formulating organizational acquisition objectives and priorities; defining, refining, and implementing department-wide acquisition policies, procedures, and governance structures; improving acquisition effectiveness, efficiency, compliance, and accountability; and aligning procurement operations with agency mission requirements, budget priorities, socioeconomic goals, and Federal acquisition policy. EDUCATION This position has an Education requirement, please see the Education Section for specifics. PROOF MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH THE APPLICATION.

Requirements

-One year probationary period, unless excepted by regulation. -U.S. Citizenship -Financial disclosure statement, OGE-278. -Must be able to obtain and maintain the appropriate level of security clearance. -Relocation expenses will NOT be paid. -Registration with the Selective Service (if applicable). Males born after 12-31-1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service. -All initial appointments to an SES position are contingent on approval from OPM's Qualification Review Board. -Completion of all training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to high-level contracting positions as well as possess at least 4-years of experience in contracting or related positions, with at least 1 year of that being specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level of the position.

Education

To qualify, applicants must have completed 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.

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete this application and submit any required documents specified in the Required Documents section and submit by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.