Supervisory Contract Specialist - SME

This position is located within the Office of Acquisition, Office of the Associate Administrator for Administration, Maritime Administration (MARAD). This position is established to supervise a variety of functions relative to the procurement of supplies and services in support of the Maritime Administration’s operating offices. Exercises unlimited signatory authority for the acquisition of supplies and services to support operating offices.

Qualifications:

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the education and specialized experience requirements.

To qualify for the Grade 14, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equal or equivalent to the GS-13, it must include:

• Experience leading acquisition management activities such as negotiating, writing, issuing, reviewing, evaluating, and administrating pre and post awards.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

• Technical: Mastery of procurement regulations and contracting principles including the latest procedures and techniques, e.g. sophisticated pricing arrangements, cost accounting, and life cycle costing sufficient to plan, develop, implement, maintain, and administer all contractual aspects of the NDRF/RRF support acquisition program; to develop innovative contractual language, terms and conditions; and to serve as program contractual advisor on the acceptability and applicability of contractual matters related to the assigned acquisition program.
• Analysis: Skill in supervising an administrative staff involved in the procurement of supplies and services in support of the Office of Strategic Support. This includes MARAD’s Ready Reserve Force (RRF) Program and other field activities inclusive of Fleet Sites and manages all acquisitions to meet the requirements of Field Support Offices. These include highly sophisticated technologically advanced special-purpose items that are required by MARAD programs. The services provided impact (1) headquarters operations, several MARAD-wide programs, and MARAD's entire field establishment and (2) MARAD's accomplishment of its primary mission or programs of national significance.
• Communication: Ability to work with subordinates in achieving specific tasks, producing work products and services, and meeting program goals.

For all types of consideration, 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, including volunteer experience.

For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link:  https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Responsibilities:

As a Supervisory Contract Specialist, the employee assists in the planning, prioritizing, and assigning work; collaborating with peers and subordinates to assure effective advisory services; and otherwise ensuring continuous progress toward stated goals.

• Assists in planning, developing, and establishing the contractual strategy for the overall acquisition program. Participates in acquisition planning conferences with personnel from other organizational components of the Department of Transportation (DOT), MARAD and other federal government agencies. Interfaces directly with contractors and program offices regarding contract performance.
• Prepares required advance acquisition planning and solicitation documents, as well as other required justifications. Represents MARAD in the role of team leader during contract negotiations and discussions with contractors. Coordinates with program, legal, and audit personnel. Personally, negotiates contracts as required.
• Exercises responsibility for contracts negotiated by the Procuring Contacting Officer (PCO). Determines the need for and conducts post-award conferences with contractors to avoid misunderstanding and to clarify issues on contractual requirements. Attends progress reviews to evaluate contractor’s performance and status of projects.
• Ensures compliance with prime/subcontracting provisions under the assigned Ship Manager contracts and coordinates past performance information and Quality Assurance evaluations with divisional personnel.
• Exercises full administrative and technical supervision over a team of staff, including assigning and reviewing work, conducting performance evaluations, approving leave, and overseeing professional development and recruitment to ensure departmental goals are met.

The ideal candidate for this position is a motivated, self-reliant and skilled professional that will supervise the acquisition programs in an effective, efficient, and ethical manner; leveraging and developing a highly skilled workforce; adopting technology to enhance the efficiency of business processes; developing and executing sound acquisition strategies; and emerging and using reliable data and metrics to make strategic business decisions.

Salary : $143,913