Summary

Contract Specialist

Washington, DC

Are you ready to enhance your skills and build your career in a rapidly evolving business climate? Are you looking for a career where professional development is embedded in your employer’s core culture? If so, Chenega Military, Intelligence & Operations Support (MIOS) could be the place for you! Join our team of professionals who support large scale government operations by leveraging cutting-edge technology and take your career to the next level!

In this important role, you will support the US Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID is the world's premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. USAID's work advancesU.S. national security and economic prosperity, demonstratesAmerican generosity, and promotes a path torecipient self-reliance and resilience.

Chenega Worldwide Support (CWS) is a premier provider of Architecture and Engineering support services to federal customers around the world. Founded in 2016 to support federal operations OCONUS, CWS holds true to its mission that no matter the location, we are there to get the job done.

The USAID Contract Specialist in the Management Bureau/Office of Acquisition and Assistance (M/OAA) is responsible for all pre-award and post-award functions involving highly complex negotiated procurements of significant importance to the Agency. Requirements of the contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and inter-agency agreements are typically highly specialized and involve complex systems or sensitive international programs.

Responsibilities

Work you’ll do

As an Contract Specialist within our USAID team, you will:

The Contract Specialists at this advanced level maintain a depth and breadth of knowledge and experience. The Contract Specialist serves as a resource and mentor to others. The Contract Specialist performs assignments independently, drawing advice from the supervisor on an as-needed basis. The Contract Specialist provides on-the-job training to junior employees.

Additionally, the incumbent leads competitive RFA or competitive RFP independently through completion and manages a client portfolio.

Contract Compliance Review – 30%

• Conduct reviews of highly specialized contracts and contracting plans.
• Monitor all acquisition strategies and documents and instruments for a variety of highly specialized, complex, and unique contracts for a variety of programs that involve a broad spectrum of systems.
• Advise technical office counterparts and contractors on their administration responsibilities contained in the contract.
• Terminate contracts for the convenience of the government or default by the contractor.
• Negotiate termination claims.
• Respond to protests by researching and developing necessary analysis, documentation, and history.
• Work with the GC in preparing the Agency's position and Contracting Officer reports supporting the government's defense on protests to the GAO.

Monitors Contractor's Performance – 20%

• Coordinate contract administration activities for long-term, extensive technical service contracts and/or cost-type contracts. Contract types vary with the complexity of the acquisition and the best interests of the government, ranging from Firm-Fixed-Price through Fixed-Price-Incentive and Fixed-Price-Economic-Price-Adjustment.
• Monitor status of contract performance, approval of progress payments, review and provide recommendations on contractor proposals resulting from change orders, scheduling, problems that have arisen and proposed solutions, verification of deliveries, and similar activities.
• Interpret contract provisions for contractors and officials of the agency and provide appropriate advice and guidance.

Procurement Program Planning Work – 20%

• Develop and implement new plans, schedules, or methods to accommodate changing program requirements.
• Develop objectives for the program in terms of competition and price range, and construct the contractual or assistance vehicle, which includes the use of pricing arrangements, subcontracting policy, set-aside policies, and similar considerations.
• Prepare and maintain current acquisition plans, appropriate milestone charts, and related schedules and keeps M/OAA management informed of anticipated workload demands.
• Anticipates problems and provides advice to project personnel on effective implementation and time frames required.
• Serve on the project review committee.
• Advise program officials of the procurement instruments to be used and assist in the preparation of statements of work.
• Counsel and train new project/technical staff on USAID regulations and FAR requirements.

Analyzes Sources for the Items/Services Procured – 10%

• Survey the market to locate new procurement sources and determine the availability of items or services with specialized requirements.
• Prepare solicitation documents.
• Conduct detailed analyses of all elements of cost in contractor proposals.
• Determine the competitive range and prepare defensible justifications when required.
• Conduct pre-proposal conferences with prospective contractors to arrive at a clear understanding of what is required under the proposed contract.
• Issue necessary modifications to clarify questions concerning such topics as specification changes, language ambiguities, or clarification of contract clauses or subcontracts.
• Explore new or innovative contracting approaches to arrive at an equitable contract arrangement.

Negotiates Procurement of Products/Services Using a Variety of Contract Types - 10%

• Serve as negotiator responsible for a significant program or for major procurements, which may include several types of instruments.
• Prepare the agreements and recommends their award.
• Coordinate a variety of contracts requiring the development of new or modified evaluation criteria, reporting requirements, and contractual arrangements.

Policy Research, Analysis, and Interpretation - 10%

• Analyze a variety of contracting policy issues and problems and identify alternative courses of action.
• Provide technical advice to management and contracting officers on matters about contracting policies and procedures.
• Respond to protests by researching and developing necessary analysis, documentation, and history.
• Work with the GC in preparing the Agency's position and Contracting Officer reports supporting the government's defense on protests to the GAO.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Associate degree required
• Ability to obtain and maintain USAID Facilities Access
• Background check required

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Thorough knowledge of contracting principles, laws, statutes, Executive Orders, regulations, and procedures applicable to pre-award and/or post-award actions sufficient to procure and/or administer contracts for a variety of specialized equipment, services, and/or construction, or to conduct studies of problem areas and develop standard methods and operating procedures.

How you’ll grow

At Chenega MIOS, our professional development plan focuses on helping our team members at every level of their career to identify and use their strengths to do their best work every day. From entry-level employees to senior leaders, we believe there’s always room to learn.

We offer opportunities to help sharpen skills in addition to hands-on experience in the global, fast-changing business world. From on-the-job learning experiences to formal development programs, our professionals have a variety of opportunities to continue to grow throughout their careers.

Benefits

At Chenega MIOS, we know that great people make a great organization. We value our team members and offer them a broad range of benefits.

Learn more about what working at Chenega MIOS can mean for you.

Chenega MIOS’s culture

Our positive and supportive culture encourages our team members to do their best work every day. We celebrate individuals by recognizing their uniqueness and offering them the flexibility to make daily choices that can help them be healthy, centered, confident, and aware. We offer well-being programs and continuously look for new ways to maintain a culture where we excel and lead healthy, happy lives.

Corporate citizenship

Chenega MIOS is led by a purpose to make an impact that matters. This purpose defines who we are and extends to relationships with our clients, our team members, and our communities. We believe that business has the power to inspire and transform. We focus on education, giving, skill-based volunteerism, and leadership to help drive positive social impact in our communities.

Learn more about Chenega’s impact on the world.

Chenega MIOS News- https://chenegamios.com/news/

Tips from your Talent Acquisition team

We want job seekers exploring opportunities at Chenega MIOS to feel prepared and confident. To help you with your research, we suggest you review the following links:

Chenega MIOS web site - www.chenegamios.com

Glassdoor - https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Chenega-MIOS-EI\_IE369514.11,23.htm

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/1472684/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/chenegamios/

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Chenega Corporation and family of companies is an EOE.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

Native preference under PL 93-638.

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