Summary You are encouraged to read the entire announcement before you submit your application package. The United States Agency for International Development Office of Inspector General (USAID OIG) is seeking a highly qualified applicant to fill a Contract Specialist position located in the Office of Management (M), Administrative and Overseas Operations Division (AOO), Contracting Team in Washington, D.C. Responsibilities The successful candidate is responsible for providing excellent customer service in contracting and procurement by resolving complex contracting issues, creating innovative solutions for customers, and working well with customers from all OIG components. You will be responsible for the following duties: Solicit, negotiate, award and serve as a technical expert in the preparation and negotiation of the more difficult and complex acquisition actions. Exercise independent judgment in planning, organizing and directing the acquisition and contractual aspect of assigned programs for the USAID/OIG. Monitor and evaluate performance, manage resources, develop plans and take actions to achieve goals. Review, analyze and implement acquisition policies and procedures. Serve as a warranted Contracting Officer with limited authority to obligate the Government. Terminate contract(s) by analyzing, negotiating and settling claims and proposals. Serve as contract administrator, conducting the full range of contract administration actions from award to contract close-out, to include kick off meetings and preparing modifications. Serve as the point of contact concerning contractual matters. Build and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders to negotiate points of view and resolve conflicts. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Applicants currently holding a DAWIA/FAC-C Level III or equivalent certification are considered to have met all mandatory acquisition training requirements for this announcement. You MUST submit your certification with your application package in order to be considered for the position. Basic Education Requirement: Contracting Series, 1102 (opm.gov) 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. In addition to the mandatory basic requirements/education requirements specified in this announcement, applicants must have specialized experience and/or directly related education in the increments shown below: Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-13: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade/level (GS-12) such as: (1) applying a thorough knowledge of federal statutes, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Federal Appropriations Law, Anti Deficiency Act, and the Prompt Payment Act (2) Experience in acquisition planning; writing performance work statements; soliciting, evaluating, and negotiating contracts; awarding and terminating contracts; performing contract administration and management functions, and (3) experience working with multiple contract types and arrangements. Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent. Applicants must meet basic eligibility requirements such as minimum qualifications, and other regulatory requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Please refer to the OPM Qualification Standards for specific Education/Experience requirements for this position located at: www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/index-Standards.asp. SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: Selective Placement Factors (SPFs) are knowledge, skills, abilities, or special qualifications that are in addition to the minimum requirements in a qualification standard, but are determined to be essential to perform the duties and responsibilities of a particular position. Applicants who do not meet a selective factor are ineligible for further consideration.**This position has one (1) selective placement factor, which applicants must meet in order to be eligible for this position: Applicants must be an active Federal Acquisition Certified in Contracting (FAC-C)/ Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Level III (or federal / quasi-federal equivalent) certified Warranted Contracting Officer. (You must provide proof of Level III certification with application.) 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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience relevant to the position's duties to be filled, including volunteer experience. Career Transition Program: This program applies to Federal workers whose positions have been deemed 'surplus' or no longer needed, or an employee has been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service. For information on how to apply and what documents to submit as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible, go to: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee\_guides/career\_transition.asp. CTAP/ICTAP candidates will be referred to the selecting official if they are found well qualified. Well-qualified means an eligible employee who possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities that clearly exceed the position's minimum requirements. A well-qualified employee must meet the qualification and eligibility requirements of the position, including any medical qualifications, suitability, and minimum education and experience requirements, meet all selective factors (where applicable); meet quality ranking factors and are assigned a score of 85 or higher; be physically qualified with reasonable accommodation to perform the essential duties of the position; meet any special qualifying U.S. OPM-approved conditions; AND be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry without additional training. A well-qualified candidate will not necessarily meet the definition of highly or best qualified when evaluated against other candidates who apply for a particular position. Selecting officials will document the job-related reason(s) for qualification determinations in the absence of selective and quality ranking factors. Education Submit copies of certifications and copies of transcripts listing courses with credit hours, major(s), and grade point average if you are qualifying on the basis of education. You can receive credit for education received outside the United States if you provide evidence that it is comparable to an accredited educational institution in the United States when you apply. Additional Information Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date. This means that you must have served at least 52 weeks at the next grade level (or equivalent) below the grade advertised on this vacancy announcement. USAID is an independent Federal Government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. With headquarters in the District of Columbia, we operate in more than 100 countries worldwide, playing an active and critical role in the promotion of U.S. foreign policy interests. When crisis strikes, when rights are repressed, when hunger, disease, and poverty rob people of opportunity, USAID acts on behalf of the American people to help expand the reach of prosperity and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people. USAID employees and contractors must commit to maintaining a workplace free of sexual misconduct, including harassment, exploitation, and abuse, and adhere to USAID's Counter-Trafficking in Persons Code of Conduct. For information on the effort to counter all forms of human trafficking, including the procurement of commercial sex acts and the use of forced labor, visit http://www.state.gov/g/tip. For more information about USAID, visit http://www.usaid.gov. This position is eligible for fully remote work anywhere in the United States. The official duty station is the authorized telework location (typically your home address, locality pay is subsequently adjusted appropriately). If required the physical worksite for this position is located in Washington, District of Columbia. This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. These are Testing Designated Positions (TDP's) under the Agency's approved Drug-Free Work Place Program. All applicants selected for this position will be subject to random drug testing once they begin working for the Agency. Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer is required. Moving and relocation expenses are not authorized. Mythbuster on Federal Hiring Policies: https://hru.gov/Studio\_Recruitment/tools/Mythbuster\_on\_Federal\_Hiring\_Policies.pdf. EEO Policy: EEO Policy Statement. Reasonable Accommodation Policy: Reasonable Accommodation Policy Statement. Veterans' Information: Veterans Information. Telework: https://www.telework.gov/. Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/.