Summary
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO) is hiring highly motivated and skilled procurement professionals. Join us in supporting one of the most important missions of the U.S. Government - the administration of justice - and work with a team of professionals at the forefront of procurement, while leveraging cutting edge technology, continuous process improvement, and robotic process automation projects to provide best in class customer service to the entire judicial branch.
This job is open to

• Federal employees - Competitive service
  Current or former competitive service federal employees.
• Federal employees - Excepted service
  Current excepted service federal employees.
• The public
  U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
• Veterans

Clarification from the agency
This vacancy announcement is open to candidates who live in the Washington, DC commuting area and/or current employees of the federal judiciary (AO or U.S. Courts) nationwide.
Duties
The Contract Specialist position is located in the Procurement Management Division (PMD) within the Department of Administrative Services (DAS). The PMD manages a comprehensive procurement program for the entire Federal Judiciary. Our contract specialists and contracting off icers rely on a combination of the Judiciary's unique procurement authorities and policies, and on FAR-based procedures to conduct cradle-to-grave procurements for a wide-range of supplies and services, including complex information technology services, administrative services, and services to support the administration of justice. The incumbent will work with ahigh-degree of independence while performing the full range acquisition-related activities.
We are seeking a talented individual with a passion for procurement, a commitment to providing excellent customer service, and the ability to think creatively. If you hold the new FAC-C Professional certification (or comparable DAWIA or industry certification) and are also Digital IT Acquisition Professional (DITAP) certified, we are especially interested in hearing from you!
We are located in the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building, conveniently situated next door to Union Station in the heart of downtown Washington, D.C. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to make a real impact. We are the third branch of the Government. Join our team and empower justice through procurement!
The duties of this position include, but are not limited to:

1. Performing mid to senior level contract specialist work assignments associated with pre-award, post award and contract closeout activities.
2. Serving as a Contracting Officer.
3. Performing the full range of contract specialist duties necessary to award, administer, and close out a variety of contract types, including, but not limited to, firm fixed price, cost, labor hour, and task order contract types.
4. Performing all contracting functions for important and complex agency acquisitions involving diverse supplies and services, e.g., IT, telecommunications and other electronic systems and subsystems, building maintenance, architect/engineering, etc. including negotiating complex modification to contracts vehicles.
5. Preparing pre-award and post-award documents, e.g., solicitations, market research reports, pre-negotiation and post-negotiation memoranda, responsibility determinations, waivers, justifications, and approvals for other than full and open competition, determinations and findings, protest responses, debriefings, cure notices, etc.
6. Monitoring contractors' performance, evaluating, and negotiating change orders and contract modifications, and resolving post-award performance or payment problems.
7. Utilizing in-depth price/cost analysis techniques for supporting the development of pre-negotiation and award price determination documents.
8. Serving as an advisor to customers at the Administrative Office and the courts nationwide on contracting issues.

Requirements
Conditions of Employment
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

1. All information is subject to verification. Applicants are advised that false answers or omissions of information on application materials or inability to meet the following conditions may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.
2. Selection for this position is contingent upon completion of OF-306, Declaration of Federal Employment during the pre-employment process and proof of U.S. citizenship for competitive status positions or conversion to a competitive status position with the AO. If non-citizens are considered for hire into a temporary or any other position with non-competitive status or when it is confirmed by the AO Human Resources Office there are no qualified U.S. citizens for a competitive status position (unless prohibited by a law or statue), non-citizens must provide proof of authorization to work in the U.S. and proof of entitlement to receive compensation. Additional information on the employment of non-citizens can be found at USAJOBS Help Center | Employment of non-citizens/. For a list of documents that may be used to provide proof of citizenship or authorization to work in the United States, please refer to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.
3. All new AO employees will be required to complete an FBI fingerprint-based national criminal database and records check and pass a public trust suitability check.
4. New employees to the AO will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights/responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
5. All new AO employees are required to identify a financial institution for direct deposit of pay before appointment.
6. You will be required to serve a trial period if selected for a first-time appointment to the Federal government, transferring from another Federal agency, or serving as a first-time supervisor. Failure to successfully complete the trial period may result in termination of employment.
7. If appointed to a temporary position, management may have the discretion of converting the position to permanent depending upon funding and staffing allocation.

Qualifications
Applicants must have demonstrated experience as listed below. This requirement is according to the AO Classification, Compensation, and Recruitment Systems which include interpretive guidance and reference to the OPM Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions.
Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience which is in or directly related to the line of work of this position. Specialized experience is demonstrated experience applying contracting principles and procedures to the planning, award, and management of contracting actions for a wide range of services and supplies.
Applicants with the following certifications are highly desirable:

• Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting FAC-C (Professional) Certificate
• Certified Professional Contract Manager (CPCM)
• Certified Federal Contract Manager (CFCM)
• Digital IT Acquisition Professional Program (DITAP) certification

In addition to the Basic Education Requirements for this position, your resume must also demonstrate experience in the private OR public sector performing the following:
(1) Providing the full range of contract and contract administration services for support services, and information technology services and equipment; and (2) Applying innovative (e.g., TechFAR, PIL, etc.) and advanced contracting skills to information technology services and support service acquisitions.
Certification: Applicants' Federal Acquisition Certification-Contracting (FAC-C) Professional is desired, and applicants who completed all training and experience requirements to achieve FAC-C Level III prior to January 31, 2023, or Department of DefenseAcquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification Level III will be most competitive for this position. Applicants not certified may still apply and be selected but must achieve certification within 24 months of appointment. To validate that you meet the preferred training, experience, and certification requirements for this position, please submit a copy of all FAC-C (Level I, Level II, Level III, and Professional) and/or DAWIA certifications.
Education
In addition to meeting the specialized experience described above, applicants must meet the following educational requirements to be placed in this job series at this level.
Basic Requirement: A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, that included or was supplemented by at least 24semester hours in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.
NOTE: To validate that you meet the educational requirement for this job series, please submit a copy of your transcript. Your transcript must reflect that you are seeking and/or possess a 4-year degree along with the 24 successfully achieved credit hours in the fields mentioned above. Failure to submit your transcript will make you ineligible for this position.
Exceptions: Federal employees classified within the 1100 family as of January 1,2000 are deemed to have met basic qualification requirements for all 1102 Contract Specialist positions.
Additional information
The AO is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

• 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 windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  Review our benefits
  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.

How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
We will review your resume and supporting documentation and compare this information to your responses on the occupational questionnaire to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for this job. If you meet the minimum qualifications for this job, we will evaluate your application package, to assess the quality, depth, and complexity of your accomplishments, experience, and education as they relate to the requirements listed in this vacancy announcement.
You should be aware that your ratings are subject to evaluation and verification. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than is supported by your resume and/or narrative responses, you will be assigned a rating commensurate to your described experience. Failure to submit the mandatory narrative responses will result in not receiving full consideration and/or rating credit. Deliberate attempts to falsify information may be grounds for not selecting you, withdrawing an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed.

• 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 windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  Review our benefits
  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.
• Required Documents
  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
  For this job announcement the following documents and/or information are required:
  
  • Resume - Any written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications.
  • Citizenship - Include country of citizenship on resume.
  • Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) - All applicants outside of the AO must submit a copy of your latest SF-50 to verify current or former Federal employment status.
  • Veterans Preference documentation - Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214), if applicable Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) and an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying to the veteran's present receipt of compensation.
  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.
• How to Apply
  To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
  The complete application package must be submitted by 05/01/2024 to receive consideration.
  To begin, click
  
  • Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
  • You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
  • You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
  • To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • Click the following link to view and print the occupational questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12378457
  Agency contact information
  Christina Stokes
  Phone
  202-502-3800
  Email
  Christina_Stokes@ao.uscourts.gov
  Address
  Department of Administrative Services
  One Columbus Circle, NE
  Washington, DC 20544
  US
  Next steps
  After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and referral to the hiring official if determined qualified. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.
• Fair and 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

Required Documents
For this job announcement the following documents and/or information are required:

• Resume - Any written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications.
• Citizenship - Include country of citizenship on resume.
• Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) - All applicants outside of the AO must submit a copy of your latest SF-50 to verify current or former Federal employment status.
• Veterans Preference documentation - Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214), if applicable Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) and an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying to the veteran's present receipt of compensation.

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.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 05/01/2024 to receive consideration.
To begin, click

• Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
• You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
• You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
• To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
• Click the following link to view and print the occupational questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12378457

Agency contact information
Christina Stokes
Phone
202-502-3800
Email
Christina_Stokes@ao.uscourts.gov
Address
Department of Administrative Services
One Columbus Circle, NE
Washington, DC 20544
US
Next steps
After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and referral to the hiring official if determined qualified. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted.
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