Contract Specialist

Contracting Specialist

If selected for this position, you will serve as a Contracting Specialist for the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois. Typical work duties include the following:

• Providing administrative support in the areas of contracting, purchasing, and budget
• Reviewing requisitions and determining appropriate method of procurement
• Preparing Statement of Work (SOW)
• Evaluating proposals and other bidder documents
• Prepares contract solicitation and award documents

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

To be qualified for this position, you must meet one of the following basic requirements and the minimum qualifications.

Basic Requirements

1. A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field.

OR

2. 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.

You must submit your transcripts (unofficial or official) to be considered for this position. Failure to submit your transcripts may result in disqualification for this position.

Minimum Qualifications

GS-09: To be eligible at the GS-09 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions:

• Specialized Experience: You must have at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as reviewing requisitions and determining appropriate method of procurement; purchasing supplies/services/construction as a purchasing agent, preparing contract solicitation and award documentation; preparing contract documents that include specifications, packing and shipping requirements, inspection instruction and contract clauses.
• OR Education: Have one of the following types of education: A Master's Degree or equivalent graduate degree such as an LL.B. or J.D. in a related field (e.g., Accounting, Business, Finance, Law, Contracts, Purchasing, Economics, Industrial Management, Marketing, Quantitative Methods, or Organization & Management); OR 2 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree.
• OR Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. In order to qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of one full year.

GS-11: To be eligible at the GS-11 level, you must meet at least ONE of the following conditions:

• Specialized Experience: You must have at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience in preparing statements of work or statements of objectives, and other documents necessary prior to a formal solicitation process; preparing a variety of reports concerning the status of funds, expenses, and obligations; drafting final contract documents to include specifications of bids and proposals; interpreting procurement policies and procedures; participating in the preparation of contract modifications, cost analysis, and acquiring services and supplies.
• OR Education: Have one of the following types of education: A Ph.D. or equivalent Doctoral Degree. in a related field (e.g., Accounting, Business, Finance, Law, Contracts, Purchasing, Economics, Industrial Management, Marketing, Quantitative Methods, or Organization & Management); OR 3 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree.
• OR Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. Only graduate education in excess of the first two years may be used to meet total qualification requirements.

Must be able to attain and retain at least a level 1 (one) Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) as a federal contracting professional. FAC-C has specific training requirements with some courses online as well as classroom courses. To maintain a FAC-C, contract professionals are required to meet the continuous training requirement.

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) - The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) - The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy.

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) -VEOA allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce. To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service.

Special Employment Consideration - Persons with disabilities, veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more, certain other veterans, spouses of certain members of the armed forces, and returning Peace Corps volunteers are examples of individuals who are potentially eligible for non-competitive appointments. For further information, click on the links provided below.

You must specify in your online questionnaire under what authority you wish to be considered and submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities Links: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/competitive-hiring/#url=Types-of-Appointments

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see http://www.ed.gov

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above 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 timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Additional Information Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized. The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.

You must specify in your online questionnaire under what authority you wish to be considered and submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities Links: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/competitive-hiring/#url=Types-of-Appointments

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/.

Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

EEO Statement: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor.

Political Appointees (Current or Former): The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could