Summary
The position is located in the Office of the Executive Director, Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR/EX), in the U.S. Department of State (DOS).
Open & closing dates: 12/11/2023 to 12/15/2023
Salary: $94,199 – $145,617 per year
Duties
- Administers intelligence-related acquisition projects in the Bureau developing guidance for the important procurement processes and provides interpretations of acquisition regulations, policies, directives, and processes.
- Develops and maintains accurate acquisition data for all issued contracts, participates in procurement program planning and development, and advises program Officials concerning the technical and operational phases of acquisition planning.
- Provides oversight for the Purchase Card program to include reviewing transactions and Purchase Card accounts, ensuring compliance with statutes, regulations, policies, and rules related to the Purchase Card program.
- Serves as liaison to the Office of Acquisition Management (AQM) and private contractors who initiate and execute INR-work with regard to complex intelligence-related acquisitions and develops acquisition strategies for the organization.
- Negotiates with vendors for best values with important consideration given to timeliness and quality of their past performances, reasonableness of prices quoted, and ability to meet exacting standards for specialized products.
- Enters, updates, and retrieves program data from automated databases to track status of products, services, purchases, vendor performance and market trends and sources.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship is required.
- Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
- Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.
- Obtain/maintain eligibility to access Sensitive Compartmented Information
- Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/
Qualifications
Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application.
Applicants applying for the GS-12 grade level must meet one of the following requirements to qualify for this position:
A. Have 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position AND completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree with a major in any field from an accredited college or university.
Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:
- Experience with procurement concepts, principles, methods and practices related to acquisition in business and industry to support the development and implementation of procurement projects.
- Experience with principles of acquisition planning in accordance with procurement regulations to assist in planning, developing, implementing, maintaining, and administering selected aspects of the organization’s acquisition program.
- Experience maintaining acquisition data for assigned contracts.
- Experience advising program officials concerning the technical and operational phases of acquisition planning.
OR
B. Have occupied your position, which is classified in the GS-1102 series, since January 1, 2000 AND have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position as described in paragraph A above under qualifying specialized experience.
OR
C. Have 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position as described in paragraph A above under qualifying specialized experience AND completed 24 semester hours of “undergraduate” study in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.
OR
D. Have 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position as described in paragraph A above under qualifying specialized experience AND completed 24 semester hours of “graduate” level education in one or a combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.
Note: All applicants WILL BE required to submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you will be rated ineligible for this position.
Applicants applying for the GS-13 grade level must meet one of the following requirements to qualify for this position:
IN ADDITION to the requirements below, all applicants must be Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) (Professional) certified, as outlined on the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) website (https://www.fai.gov/certification/fac-c) or Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Contracting (Professional) certified, as outlined on the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) website (https://icatalog.dau.edu/onlinecatalog/CareerCertGuides.aspx?lvl=4&cfld=3). Applicants must also have completed 80 Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) every two years. The 80 CLPs every two years must be from the issuance date of certification and valid through the closing date of the announcement.
Applicants must submit the following documentation:
1. Copy of initial FAC-C (Professional) certification or DAWIA Contracting (Professional) certification.
AND 2. A screen shot from the Federal Acquisition Institute Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD) system (https://www.fai.gov/page/fai-cornerstone-ondemand-csod-faqs#latestInfo) showing the applicant’s certification status as Certified;
OR a screen shot from the Defense Acquisition University’s Virtual Campus showing the applicant’s certification status as Certified.
AND A. In addition to completing the mandatory FAC-C (Professional) or DAWIA Contracting (Professional) training requirements, you must have at least 4 years of experience in contracting or related positions AND at least 1 full year of this experience is specialized and equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service AND completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree with a major in any field from an accredited college or university AND this degree included or was supplemented by 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.
OR B. In addition to completing the mandatory FAC-C (Professional) or DAWIA Contracting (Professional) training requirements, you have occupied your position, which is classified in the GS-1102 series, since January 1, 2000 AND have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position as described in paragraph A above under qualifying specialized experience.
OR C. Have NOT completed the mandatory FAC-C (Professional) or DAWIA Contracting (Professional) training, the 4 year’s experience in contracting or related positions AND/OR a 4year course of study leading to a Bachelor’s degree that included 24 semester hours in the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management, HOWEVER, you have 1 full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position and therefore you MAY qualify for a waiver based upon your demonstrated analytical and decision making capabilities, job performance and qualifying experience.
Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:
- Experience managing intelligence-related acquisition programs and/or projects.
- Experience providing acquisition advisories in support of developing new or revised acquisition regulation, policy or procedures.
- Experience providing liaison services to both internal and external organizational contacts concerning the execution of intelligence-related acquisition strategies of an organization.
- Experience with procurement program negotiations.
Note: All applicants WILL BE required to submit transcripts and/or training certificates as verification of educational requirement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you will be rated ineligible for this position.
Education
See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements.
Additional information
· For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or OAA@state.gov.
· If eligible, telework agreements may be permitted with supervisory approval.
· Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement. If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to similar positions in any Bureau/Office listed on this announcement for approximately 240 days. Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions.
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 window Learn more about federal benefits.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Under the provisions of the Direct-Hire Authority, veterans’ preference and traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply. For this announcement, all applicants will be assessed to determine if they meet the qualifications for this position, specifically the education, specialized experience, and knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) necessary to perform the work of the position. All applications that meet the required qualifications will be referred to the selecting official in the order in which the applications were received.
Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following KSAs and other characteristics that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume:
- Knowledge of contracting laws, regulations, principles, policies and procedures.
- Ability to analyze, evaluate and interpret contract/acquisition regulations and technical materials.
- Ability to determine procurement methods and contract types.
- Ability to conduct acquisitions which are compliant with Federal laws and regulations.
- Ability to negotiate.
- Knowledge of Contract Administration.
Agency and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for selection priority. Candidates are considered well qualified if their knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) exceed the minimum qualifications described in the announcement.
You may preview questions for this vacancy.
Required Documents
All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
1. Resume showing relevant work/volunteer experience, education and training. Include the start and end dates (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours per week worked/volunteered. Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must support your answers to the completed online assessment questions.
2. Transcripts, if applicable and you are qualifying based on education. See the Qualification and Education sections of this announcement for more information. If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.
3. Other Qualification Documentation (e.g. certificates, certifications, etc.), if applicable. See the Qualification section of this announcement for more information.
4. Veterans’ Preference Documentation, if applicable. Veterans’ preference does not apply to this vacancy. Any supporting documentation received from veterans will be retained to document veteran’s status for appointment purposes, if selected.
- To claim 5-point preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.
- To claim 10-point preference, submit all required documentation outlined on the SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference)to support your claim (e.g., DD-214, official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs, etc.). If we cannot verify your 10-point preference claim, your application will be reviewed for 5-point preference.
- To claim 10-point derived preference (i.e., spouses, widows, widowers or mothers of veterans), submit a completed SF-15 and all required documentation listed on the SF-15 to support your claim.
- To claim 0-point Sole Survivorship preference, submit a copy of your DD-214 or another form of official documentation showing that your discharge or release from active duty occurred on or after August 29, 2008 and was based on a sole survivorship discharge.
-
For all preference claims:
- DD-214 Member 4 copies are preferred and must show the dates of service, type of discharge, and any qualifying service campaign medals.
- For more veterans’ preference information, visit the USAJOBS Help Center.
5. ICTAP/CTAP documentation, if applicable. Visit our agency’s ICTAPand CTAP sites for required documentation.
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 mgshelp@monster.com 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.
Next steps
Once the online application package is received, you will be notified through USAJOBS of your qualification status and referral or non-referral to the hiring official for further consideration. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. If a tentative job offer is made, the Department of State will conduct a suitability and/or security background investigation.
You will be notified up to four times during the hiring process:
1. Upon receipt of your application.
2. Upon minimum qualification determinations.
3. After the list of eligibles is issued.
4. After final selection is made.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
- Reasonable accommodation policy
- Financial suitability
- Selective Service
- New employee probationary period
- Signature and false statements
- Privacy Act
- Social security number request
Overview
Open & closing dates: 12/11/2023 to 12/15/2023
- Salary: $94,199 – $145,617 per year
- Pay scale & grade: GS 12 – 13
- Location: District of Columbia
- Remote job: No
- Telework eligible: Yes—Situational Telework may be authorized.
- Travel Required: Not required
- Relocation expenses reimbursed: No
- Appointment type: Permanent –
- Work schedule: Full-time –
- Service: Competitive
- Promotion potential: 13
- Job family (Series): 1102 Contracting
- Supervisory status: No
- Security clearance: Top Secret
- Drug test: Yes
- Position sensitivity and risk: Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
- Trust determination process: Credentialing, Suitability/Fitness, National security
- Announcement number: HRSC-INR-2024-0003
- Control number: 765040600
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.
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.