Clarification from the agency

This is a Direct Hire announcement open to All US Citizens. This position is not authorized to be filled virtually or through outstationing. The Official Duty Station (ODS) for this position is SSA-HQ, Woodlawn, Maryland. To participate in telework, when authorized, you must reside within a 2-hour commute to the assigned ODS.

• Plans, negotiates, leads and/or administers complex procurements of goods, systems or services with specialized, state-of-the-art, critical or scarce requirements.
• Procurements are characterized by lack of previous cost data, a variety of cost and fixed-price contracts, multi-year contracts, use of subcontractors, frequent changes in terms, conditions or funding arrangements and similar difficulties.
• Collects and analyzes sensitive management data supporting government-wide acquisition initiatives pertaining to the implementation of major agency programs that may affect the workforce.
• Reviews, advises on, develops and recommends operating agency-wide acquisition processes and systems, procedures and policies; or equivalent assignment.

Conditions of employment

• This announcement serves as public notice. Applications will be placed into a pool and will remain on file for selection as positions become available.
• Vacancies may be filled up to 6 months after the closing date of this announcement. You may not receive notification of referral status until the full 6-month eligibility period has elapsed.
• STEM position(s) are being filled through the Office of Personnel Management's delegated Direct Hire Authority and are open to all U.S. citizens.
• Selections made under this bulletin will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees selected under this bulletin will be processed as new appointments to the civil service.
• Under the provisions of the Direct Hire Authority, Veterans Preference and the "Rule of Many" do not apply.
• U.S. Citizenship is required. Selective Service Registration is required, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
• Fingerprinting and background and/or security investigation may be required. Job offers are contingent on fingerprinting and background / security investigation results.
• See QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED and REQUIRED DOCUMENTS for other important information.
• You must submit a resume (2 page maximum) that shows your name and contact information and includes full TO and FROM dates (month/day/year) for each position you describe. Include your grade if your position is federal.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
To meet Minimum Qualifications for this GS-14 Technical Advisor position you must demonstrate:
(1) the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for the federal 1102 series including
(2) at least 52 weeks of Specialized Experience

(1) INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR)

A. Successful completion of all mandatory training* prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to GS-13 or higher-level contracting positions, including at least 4-years' experience in contracting or related positions. At least 1 year of that experience must have been specialized experience (described below) and must have provided you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the work of the position. (*SSA does not currently have mandatory training requirements for progression to GS-13 or higher contracting positions.)

AND

B. Successful completion of a 4-year course of study resulting in a bachelor's degree that included, or was supplemented by, 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

C. Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. This also applies to positions at the same grade in the same agency or other agencies if the specialized experience requirements are met. However, they will have to meet the basic requirements and specialized experience requirements in order to qualify for promotion to a higher grade, unless granted a waiver.

D. Waiver: When filling a specific vacant position, the senior procurement executive of the selecting agency, at his or her discretion, may waive any or all of the requirements of Paragraphs A and B above if the senior procurement executive certifies that the applicant possesses significant potential for advancement to levels of greater responsibility and authority, based on demonstrated analytical and decision-making capabilities, job performance and qualifying experience. With respect to each waiver granted under this paragraph, the senior procurement executive must document for the record the basis of the waiver. If an individual is placed in a position in an agency on the basis of a waiver, the agency may later reassign that individual to another position at the same grade within that agency without additional waiver action.

See EDUCATION for information on transcripts.

(2) SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE must have been gained in a federal position at or above GS-13 OR (if your position and/or experience is on another federal pay scale OR outside of federal service) by performing duties at a level of responsibility and difficulty equivalent to GS-13 or above.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is work that primarily consists of (1) performing cradle-to-grave contract functions involving highly specialized procurements of significant importance to the agency, including acquisition planning, negotiation strategies and contract administration AND (2) developing or interpreting procurement guidelines, policies, regulations and legislation.

**If you have this experience, your resume must describe, in your own words, the specific duties you perform that demonstrate it. If your experience was gained in the federal government, you must upload an SF-50 documenting your grade at the time experience was gained.**

Since Specialized Experience also has a time component, it must be evident that the duties you describe are at the required level for at least 52 weeks.

Reviewers cannot assume you perform duties you don't describe.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (IOR and Specialized Experience) must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Information on this job series can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1100/contracting-series-1102/

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your resume must describe, in your own words, duties you perform that demonstrate the Specialized Experience required for this position, as well as the following as they relate to the Specialized Experience. - Knowledge of federal contracting laws, regulations, principles, policies and procedures
- Ability to communicate orally
- Ability to communicate in writing

Do not simply list projects on which you worked or describe your experience in terms of accomplishments or achievements. You must describe specific duties you perform that pertain to the requirements for this position.

If your resume doesn't clearly describe the duties you perform that demonstrate the required Specialized Experience, you will lose consideration for this position.

Information not specifically stated in your resume cannot be assumed, even if you hold (or held) a position in this series. Information copied or restated from the announcement will not be considered. If this occurs, you may be found ineligible.

The experience you claim is subject to verification by the selecting official.

SEE QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR RESUME AND TRANSCRIPT MUST DEMONSTRATE.

Applicants who demonstrate the IOR and Specialized Experience will be referred to the hiring manager following *Priority Selection procedures and applicable documents will be forwarded for further review.

Your claimed knowledge, skills and abilities are subject to verification by the selecting official. You may be asked to provide specific examples or documentation or to verify a response by a practical demonstration of your claimed experience.


PRIORITY SELECTION:
Well-Qualified CTAP / ICTAP eligibles will receive first consideration IF appropriate supporting documents are provided (see Career Transition Guide).

Veterans' Preference is not considered under Direct Hire.

See Required Documents for information on how to support these claims.

Next steps