Summary This position is located in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR),Office of Research Transition and Application (ORTA), Technology Partnerships Office (TPO) with one vacancy in Silver Spring, MD. Responsibilities As an Acquisition Management Specialist, you will perform the following duties: Provide expertise on Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), and of statutory and regulatory contracting requirements, methods of contracting, and business and industry practices to provide support for administering contracts. Provide technical direction to contractors. Provide technical advice to senior acquisition personnel or program offices on contracting requirements. Develop and track contracting milestones, including time frames. Review contracts, work directives and other ordering instruments for schedules and deliverables, and track adherence to those targets. Represent the program on requirements-writing committees and agencies administering contracts for the acquisition of complex, high-performance computer systems, high-performance cloud computing, and other major purchases. Plan procurement by identifying large-scale subsystems, components, equipment, and services to be acquired by contract, and serve as a purchase card holder. Monitor contractor performance and adherence to contract requirements and monitor vendor performance to ensure technical requirements of assigned contracts are met. Collect quantitative and qualitative data relating to procurement and contract operations. Analyze data and draw conclusions based on previous performance, current goals and objectives, projected performance, and possible impact on the acquisition program. Maintain records in accordance with federal and agency policy and guidelines; input data into local and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) systems. Ensure contract budget requirements are included in the program's budget. Review documents to ensure regulatory compliance, quantities, cost, accuracy, completeness, and adequacy to meet program requirements. Prepare price and cost analyses as needed and in accordance with current regulations and policy. Requirements Conditions of Employment This position will be filled under the DOC Alternative Personnel System (CAPS). This system replaced the Federal GS pay plan and structure. Under CAPS, positions are classified by career, pay plan, and pay band. The ZA-4 is equivalent to the GS-13/14. NOTE: * A one year probationary period may be required. * Payment of relocation expenses is not authorized. * This position is not in the bargaining unit. POSITION REQUIREMENTS: This position requires the submission of a Financial Disclosure Form, SF 450. Contracting Officer's Representative Level III certification is required along with a Delegated Procurement Authority (DPA) utilizing Simplified Acquisition Procedures with delegated authority of $150,000. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: Required to obtain and maintain Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) Level III within 12 months. Key Requirements: Applicants must be U.S. Citizens. Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation. More requirements are listed under Qualifications and Other Information. Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov) Are There Any Special Requirements For This Position? A background investigation will be required for this position. Continued employment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. Throughout the recruitment and hiring process we will be communicating with you via email; therefore, it is imperative that the email address you provide when applying for this vacancy remains active. Should your email address change, please notify the point of contact identified in the vacancy announcement as soon as possible so that we can update our system. If you are a Federal employee applying for a promotion (under merit promotion procedures) you must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Qualifications Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management's website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government. 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. To qualify at the ZA-4 or GS-13 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZA-3 or GS-12 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following: Providing technical advice or serving as point of contact to provide information on contracting requirements and regulatory compliance; Evaluating data and preparing technical documentation for the development of strategies and process recommendations (e.g. reports, responses to inquiries, position papers, justifications, etc.); and Establishing and maintaining partnerships within and external to an organization, in order to exchange information on acquisitions and purchases. Education Substitution of education for experience is not applicable to this vacancy. Additional Information CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: Employee Guide Career Transition CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: A copy of your specific RIF notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice). A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade level, and duty location; A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential. ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement; A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" documenting your RIF separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc; A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential. Non-Competitive Reinstatement to a Higher Grade/Band than Previously Held MUST submit the following documents: 1. SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action: you must provide the most current Notification of Personnel Action (Form SF-50) that verifies career/career-conditional status, title, series, and highest grade level held on a permanent basis for your previous position. (do not submit an Award SF-50) AND, the SF-50 that verifies your separation date; AND. 2. Performance Appraisal - most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable. Do not submit a performance plan that does not include this information. NOAA participates in e-Verify. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that enables participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. The Department of the Commerce (DOC) places a high value on diversity of experience and cultural perspectives and encourages applications from all interested eligible candidates. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are fundamental principles that guide the Department and allow us to successfully achieve our mission. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.