Procurement Analyst, GS-1102-14 (Direct Hire)

Summary

This Procurement Analyst position is located within the Office of the Chief Financial Officer at the U.S. National Science Foundation. The incumbent will provide acquisition policy, oversight, strategic guidance, and operational support for the planning, solicitation, award, and administration of contracts and other acquisition initiatives. This announcement will close at 11:59 PM ET on the listed closing date, or once 100 applications have been received, whichever occurs first.

Duties

• As a Procurement Analyst, you will perform the following duties: Serves as an authority on acquisition and procurement policy matters by conducting research, reviews, and analyses of complex acquisition issues and initiatives affecting the agency. Develops and coordinates acquisition policies, procedures, guidance, and related initiatives where existing regulations or agency guidance do not provide sufficient direction. Represents the agency on interagency councils, committees, and working groups addressing acquisition and procurement matters to ensure agency interests are effectively communicated and considered in the development of government-wide acquisition policies, regulations, and initiatives. Serves as an acquisition advisor and subject matter expert responsible for improving acquisition outcomes by providing expert guidance throughout the acquisition planning and requirements development process. Reviews and guides acquisition packages, including Statements of Work (SOWs), Performance Work Statements (PWSs), Independent Government Cost Estimates (IGCEs), market research, acquisition plans, evaluation criteria, and other pre-award documentation to ensure requirements are complete, clearly defined, and suitable for competition. Advises program offices on acquisition planning, contract type selection, performance-based acquisition methods, and the use of firm-fixed-price contracts and orders to the maximum extent practicable. Coordinates, maintains, analyzes, and reports acquisition data and performance metrics in support of agency and government-wide reporting requirements, including acquisition management reviews, service contract reporting, small business achievements, and other recurring and non-recurring acquisition reports.

Qualifications

APPLICANTS MUST DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY MEET THE INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE, AS NOTED BELOW. Basic Qualifications: A. Completed 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 of experience in contracting or related positions. At least 1 year of that experience MUST have been specialized experience at or equivalent to the work at the GS-13 level described further below in this qualifications section. -AND- B. A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field 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. (Transcripts must be provided) 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 To qualify at the GS-14 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the federal service developing, interpreting, and implementing complex acquisition and procurement policies and procedures, including advising senior officials and resolving issues across diverse organizations. Examples of experience include: Leading the development and implementation of acquisition and procurement policy Providing expert advice to senior leadership on acquisition and procurement policy Leading acquisition and procurement process improvement initiatives Developing and delivering acquisition and procurement policy training Performing oversight of acquisition and procurement activities Experience refers to paid/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/experience that translates directly to paid work. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

This position requires specific coursework to meet the basic education requirement. You must submit an official or unofficial transcript which list courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Your transcript(s) must clearly demonstrate the course(s) listed in the qualification requirement section. If the transcript(s) do not clearly demonstrate this, you must submit a copy of the course description and/or other documentation demonstrating that the courses are equivalent.

Requirements

You must be a U.S. citizen. Selectee will be required to have a background investigation prior to onboarding. Selectee may be required to serve a 2-year trial/1-year probationary period. A USA Hire assessment is required. An email will be sent with additional information after you submit your application. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement to complete the assessment. Additional Requirements: Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade/equivalent. You must answer all job-related questions in the NSF eRecruit questionnaire and any external assessment that is included. All online applicants must provide a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full/blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position. It is NSF policy that personnel employed at, or Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) individuals detailed to, NSF are not permitted to participate in foreign talent recruitment programs. Failure to comply with this NSF policy could result in disciplinary action up to and including removal from Federal Service or termination of an IPA assignment and referral to the Office of Inspector General. NSF has determined that all of its positions are eligible for situational telework. Situational telework may be approved on an occasional basis in accordance with agency policy, supervisory approval, and operational requirements. Selected candidates interested in telework, or other workplace flexibility arrangements, should discuss available options with the selecting official. Participation in telework is voluntary and requires an approved telework agreement.

Evaluations

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Applicants eligible for selection preference under ICTAP must meet the agency definition of "well qualified." At NSF, this means a score of 85.0 or higher. In the merit promotion selection process, formal performance appraisals may be considered if voluntarily submitted by the applicant. Under provisions of the Direct Hire Authority: Category Rating, Rule of Many, and veterans' preference do not apply. All applicants who are determined to meet the basic requirement and minimum qualifications, as defined by this announcement, will be referred to the selecting officials for consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13019788

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

What to expect next

Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Your assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments. You may check the status of your application at any time on the USAJOBS website. Applicants should click 'Track this Application' in the Applicant Dashboard to receive application updates.

Required documents

All applicants are required to submit a legible resume/CV that is no longer than two pages. The resume must include a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year, and indicates hours worked per week. If a military or civilian Federal employee, you must include your rank and/or grade. IMPORTANT NOTE: Only the two-page resume, starting at your work experience, will be reviewed to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the specialized experience. Additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letters, links to additional information) will not be reviewed to determine if you meet the specialized experience listed in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We may not make assumptions regarding your experience. Applicants may submit an optional cover letter. Applicants are encouraged to submit professional references as a supplemental document with their application. References will not be contacted during the initial review process and will only be contacted if requested by the hiring official as part of the selection process. If you are an NSF employee on or eligible for a permanent, competitive service position or you are an NSF employee who is reinstatement eligible based on prior Federal permanent, competitive service, you do not need to submit a Standard Form 50 (SF-50) to confirm status. If you are not an NSF employee as described above, but you are eligible under merit promotion, under an Interchange Agreements, under a non-competitive authority, or under a similar authority, you will be required to submit supporting documentation. This will typically require the submission of one or more of the following documents: Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50s) or comparable federal agency forms to verify your eligibility for reinstatement and/or grade/step/salary if you are a current or former permanent federal civil service employee. The SF-50 must indicate that appointment is/was to a competitive service position with permanent tenure or conditional tenure within the last three years; OR, to a similar position in the excepted service at an agency that has an Interchange Agreement. An example of a comparable agency form is a personnel action from a DOD Non-appropriated Fund organization or from the U.S. Postal Service for a current and continuing appointment without a break in service. Documents that are NOT comparable and NOT acceptable substitutes for a SF-50 include a SF-52, a Performance Appraisal form, a Personnel Action Request (PAR), or a Request for Personnel Action (RPA). Performance appraisals and awards may be considered during the evaluation process if voluntarily submitted. DD-214 (Member-4 copy); and if applicable, an SF15 and a Department of Veterans Affairs Notice of Compensable Disability Rating (VA Letter) from applicants requesting consideration under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA), Veteran Recruitment Act (VRA), or the disabled veterans appointing authority. Schedule A Certification from applicants requesting consideration under the Schedule A appointing authority for disabled applicants. Other documentation which verifies you are eligible to be appointed to a permanent position in the federal competitive civil service. If you are requesting consideration under a Special Hiring Authority listed below, you must submit the required documentation as outlined in the regulation or Executive Order. Please also annotate your application to reflect that you are applying under a special hiring authority. This includes: Returned Peace Corp Volunteers Certain Military Spouses (Executive Order 13473) Former Overseas Employees Foreign Service Employees Career Service Employees Postal Rate Commission Employees Government Accountability Office (GAO) Employees Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts Employees If you are requesting special employment consideration under ICTAP or CTAP, you must submit documentation provided by your current or former employing agency verifying your eligibility for that program. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible. All uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) on the vacancy closing date. IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, DATE OF BIRTH OR ANY OTHER PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION ON YOUR APPLICATION DOCUMENTS.

Other information

Relocation expenses WILL NOT be paid. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) ICTAP and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide 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 or CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP or CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified you must meet the following: OPM qualification requirements for the position, all selective factors, where applicable; special OPM approved qualifying conditions for the position; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate, to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and receives a rating of at least "Very Good" on the questionnaire. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP or CTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information regarding ICTAP or CTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources Veterans' Preference If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency. For 5-point veterans' preference, please provide your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty, or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that proves your military service was performed under honorable conditions. For 10-point veterans' preference, please submit a SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference), DD-214, and official documentation of a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more or other required documentation as specified on the SF-15. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. This announcement may be used to fill similar positions in other organizations within the U.S. National Science Foundation.