Recent Graduate - Contraction Specialist

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen.
• You must submit a resume and required documents--see How to Apply section.
• If you are selected, a written participant agreement must be signed.
• Position has education requirements--see Qualifications/Education section.
• If you are selected, a remote work agreement must be completed.
  
  

This position is designated as Moderate Risk and requires a background investigation. Unless an appropriate background investigation is already on record with the Office of Personnel Management, you must undergo a background investigation. All conditions of the pre-employment security process must be met before an official letter of employment can be issued with a report for duty date.

If you are selected, the entire period served under the Recent Graduates program will be a trial period.

You will be required to obtain and maintain Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) (Professional) or Department of Defense (DoD) Contracting Professional Certification.

If you are selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure form within 30 days of your first day of employment and annually thereafter.

Qualifications

NOTE: You must meet qualification requirements, including any requirements described in the Education section, by the closing date of this announcement.

In Addition To The Educational Requirements, We Are Looking For At Least One Year Of Specialized Experience Related To This Position As Described Below:

To qualify for the GS-07 level, you need to have at least one year of full-time experience equivalent to the GS-05 level defined as reviewing standard contracting documents, participating in solicitation activities, and/or working with contracts in any type of supporting capacity.

• OR 1 full academic year of graduate education or law school or superior academic achievement (Superior Academic Achievement Definition); qualifying graduate education must be in one or a combination of the fields described in the Education section below
• OR an equivalent combination of education and experience.
  
  

To qualify for the GS-09 level, you need to have at least one year of full-time experience equivalent to the GS-07 level defined as assisting in preparing requests for the procurement of supplies, services, studies, laboratory analyses, or construction; assisting in determining contract and method required for procurement; reviewing contracting documents for accuracy.

• OR 2 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or master’s or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B. or J.D.; qualifying graduate education must be in one or a combination of the fields described in the Education section below
• OR an equivalent combination of education and experience.
  
  

NOTE: 1 full academic year of graduate education is the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study; if that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester or 27 quarter hours is considered 1 year of study.

Your answers to the online assessment will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

• Knowledge of pre-award and post award functions involving specialized procurements.
• Skill in written communication.
• Knowledge of solicitation, review, price/cost analysis, negotiation, and administration of contracts.
• Skill in oral communication.
• Knowledge of laws, regulations, and rules sufficient to procure supplies, services, studies, laboratory analyses, and/or construction through simplified acquisition, sealed bidding, and/or negotiation methods.
• Knowledge of solicitation, review, price/cost analysis, negotiation, and administration of contracts.
  
  

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.

• If you have part-time work experience, read this: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.
  
  

Education

In Addition To The Eligibility Requirements For The Recent Graduates Program, You Must Meet The Following Basic Requirements In Order To Qualify For This Position:

Contracting Specialist - 1102: You must have a bachelor’s or higher degree from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university in any field OR 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.

For information about accreditation requirements, visit EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.

Additional information

This position is in the Pathways Recent Graduates Program, which provides individuals who have completed a qualifying associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, professional, doctorate, vocational, or technical degree or certificate with an entry-level developmental experience with the potential to lead to a career in the Federal government. Upon successful completion of the program, you may be noncompetitively converted to a term or permanent position without further competition. For more information, see USAJOBS Information Sheet.

ATTENTION VETERANS: If you are a veteran (as defined in 5 USC 2108) who due to military service obligations was precluded from applying to the Recent Graduates Program during any portion of the 2-year eligibility period (described in the “This job is open to/Clarification from the agency” section above), you have a full 2-year period of eligibility upon your release/discharge from active duty. In no event, however, may your eligibility period extend beyond 6 years from the date you completed the requirements for a qualifying degree or qualify career or technical education program.

Except in special circumstances, those new to the federal government will be hired at the starting salary (step 1) of the applicable grade range listed in the Overview section.

EPA 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. For additional information: EPA Announcement Policies and Procedures.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values at EPA. Our excellence can only be fully realized by staff who share our commitment to these values. Successful candidates are committed to advancing equity and inclusion in the Agency’s workplace and mission. We encourage applications from candidates with a variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance. At EPA, diversity is a vital element in bringing a balance of perspectives to bear on every challenge we face. We are committed to creating a diverse workforce because we know that the individual strengths and abilities of our employees make us a stronger organization. The more inclusive our employee base is, the greater the variety of ideas that are generated, and the more representative we are of the nation we serve. To learn more about how EPA values and supports our diverse workforce, visit Equal Opportunity Employment at EPA.

If you are selected, travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid by EPA. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting to work in this position will be your responsibility.

This position may be in the bargaining unit.

The remote work agreement can be terminated at any time due to the following: (1) employee’s failure to adhere to telework requirements or based upon any other consideration affecting employee eligibility; (2) employee’s misconduct or performance issues; (3) employee’s request, with approval by the management official; or (4) to meet the organization or operating needs.

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• Help Help 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.
  
  

Join EPA in protecting human health and the environment and enjoy many work life quality options! Working for the EPA offers you a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health benefits, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. To learn more about us, visit Life and Careers at EPA.

EPA offers flexible work schedules as described on the EPA Benefits page. These flexibilities are not guaranteed, and eligibility will be determined in accordance with position requirements, policy, and/or applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement after you are hired.

PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS (PSLF): As a federal employee, you may be eligible for student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. The PSLF program forgives the remaining balance on federal Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying payments while working full-time for a qualifying employer, including EPA. Learn more: pslf.gov

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.