Contracting Liaison

Summary

This position is in the Office of Domestic Operations, Visa Services Office, Bureau of Consular Affairs(CA/VO/DO). CA/VO/DO is responsible for planning and support for a wide range of VO-wide issues, including program planning (e.g., Bureau Strategic Plan), contracting, human resources, budget, training, and special projects.

Duties

• Serves as a Contracting Liaison and as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for CA/VO headquarters and domestic field offices, providing additional administrative and mission-related support to the organization.
• Provides analysis recommendations on contract management across the full contract life cycle, including contract administration, procurement planning, transition management, close-out and other related contracting services.
• Drafts solicitation documents in compliance with laws, regulations, and policies. Defines project requirements and develops statements of work (SOW), performance work statements (PWS), or other procurement specifications.
• Recommends the appropriate contract type or contract method for the product or service being procured. Assists with developing acquisition plans following A/AQM's Formal Acquisition Plan for contracts meeting Formal Acquisition Plan thresholds.
• At the GS-11 and 12 level, the incumbent performs essentially the same duties as outlined above; however, the scope and complexity of assignments are of less responsibility and independence and receives closer supervision than the GS-13 level.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement. Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F. Applicants applying for the GS-11 grade level must meet one of the following requirements: A. Have at least 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service which provided you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience applying knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulations, Department of State Acquisition Regulations, and procurement regulations to support contracting actions throughout the acquisition process; Experience assisting with acquisition planning and preparing procurement documents such as Statements of Work (SOW), evaluation criteria, and cost estimates; Experience reviewing contractor proposals and performance and supporting negotiations; and Experience communicating clearly in writing and orally providing guidance and preparing reports. OR B. Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M. (if related), from an accredited college or university. OR C. Have a combination of graduate level education AND specialized experience (as described above), which is equivalent to the GS- 09 level in the Federal Service. This experience and education together meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position. Combination of Experience and Education: When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement, he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally, 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience and the percentage of graduate study must total at least 100%. If you are qualifying based on education, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript (s) with your application by the closing date of this announcement, and if selected, an official college transcript WILL BE required to verify education prior to employment. If you fail to provide the requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you WILL lose consideration for this position. Applicants to the GS-12 Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience processing purchase requests through government financial systems. Experience applying knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), procurement laws, regulations, and policies, to perform Contract Officer Representative duties. Experience providing analysis, recommendations, and advice on a wide range of contract management function across the full contract life cycle, including planning, execution, and close-out. There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-12 position. Applicants to the GS-13 Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position. Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Experience processing purchase requests utilizing government financial systems. Experience providing analysis, recommendations, and advice on a wide range of contract management across the full contract life cycle, including complex contract administration, procurement planning, transition management, close-out, and other related contracting services in support of organizational programs and operations. Experience applying knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), procurement laws, regulations and policies, to perform Contract Officer Representative duties. Experience performing complex procurement activities such as needs identification, obtaining leadership approvals, pre-award responsibilities, and coordination for contracts, cooperative agreements, and interagency agreements. There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-13 position.

Education

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements. When an applicant has less than one year of specialized experience as described in the announcement, he or she may combine successfully completed graduate-level education with experience to meet the total qualification requirements. Generally, 18 graduate semester hours is equivalent to 1 full-time year of graduate study (your school and department determine what constitutes 1 full time year of graduate study). The percentage of specialized work experience (for example, 6 months equals 50%) and the percentage of graduate study (for example, 9 graduate hours for a GS-07 equals 50% where 18 graduate hours constitute a full time year) must total at least 100%. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For a list of accredited organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials, visit: www.naces.org/members.php.

How to apply

Prepare your application in USAJOBS To start your application, click Apply and we'll walk you through the process to attach a resume and any required documents. During the application process you can review, edit, delete, and update your information. We'll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won't lose any changes. You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process. STEP 1: Select the "Apply" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS. STEP 2: Submit your resume. Please see the Required Documents section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume. STEP 3: Complete the online assessment questions. STEP 4: Submit all required documentation applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section. To learn how to view the status of your submitted supporting documentation and application, visit the Application Instructions section of our agency's Civil Service selection process site. Technical assistance with your on-line application is available through the Help Desk at [email protected] or by calling (866) 656-6830 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET Alternate Application Procedures If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET at least 2 working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. Paper applications and information sent by mail will not be accepted.