Procurement Policy Analyst, GS-1102-13/14 MP

Summary

The primary purpose of the Procurement Policy Analyst is to improve the full scope of the acquisition process throughout NSF by providing offices with guidance and expert assistance in preparing their requirements Statements of Work, Performance Work Statements, Acquisition Plans, Evaluation Plans, etc. in order to fashion more effective procurement strategies that result in less risky contract/task order awards, and contribute to the goals of ensuring that NSF receives high quality services.

This job is open to

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
  
  Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
• Federal employees - Competitive service
  
  Current or former competitive service federal employees.
• Individuals with disabilities
• Military spouses
• Peace Corps & AmeriCorps Vista
• Special authorities
  
  Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed above, but defined in the federal hiring regulations.
• Veterans

Clarification from the agency

Current or former Federal employees with competitive status obtained through a permanent Federal competitive service appointment OR individuals with eligibility for noncompetitive special appointing authority OR ICTAP/CTAP eligibles OR veterans eligible under the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act.

Duties

As a Procurement Policy Analyst, GS-1102-13/14 MP, you will perform the following duties:

• Serve as the lead for acquisition support and provide expert advice and guidance to program offices in conducting market research, developing statements of work, drafting acquisition plan documentation, the selection of appropriate evaluation criteria for source selection and guidance in conducting technical evaluations during the source selection process.
• Provide technical advice and guidance to program offices and assigned contract specialist or contracting officer to reach an effective and efficient understanding and agreement on the acquisition requirements, strategy, and process.
• Conduct studies or reviews of specific acquisition issues or problems; defines the problem; acquires all pertinent information; determining alternative courses of action, their compliance with the Federal Acquisition Requirements (FAR) and NSF procurement policy, and their consequences ; recommending the most desirable alternative(s); and coordinating with affected organizations to ensure issue resolutions.
• Conduct research, reviews and analyzes issues and contributes to the preparation of briefings and presentations for senior management and contacts outside the NSF on highly complex procurement issues such as: GAO/OIG audit review findings and proposed corrective action plans; acquisition assessment studies and analyses conducted under OMB A-123; responding to Congressional ; and, OMB or other outside review or oversight entities audits or reviews of NSF acquisition processes to ensure that NSF effectively and timely implements proposed corrective action or other activities proposed in response to such reviews/audits.
• Research, develop, and coordinate Agency procurement initiatives, which are not covered by existing policy, guidance, and regulations for which procedures do not exist.
• Develop positions on contract management issues under cognizance of the analyst. For issues outside the analyst's responsibility, assure that the subject matter expert is fully advised of the necessary action. Assist in monitoring Agency progress in correcting contract management problems.
• Audit program performance, including: collaborating with auditing bodies like OIG, OMB, etc.
• Develop and implement remediation plans based on audit results, and providing internal guidance on contracting, accountability, evaluation/audit, and remediation

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

1. You must be a US citizen.
2. Selectee will be required to have a background investigation prior to onboarding.
3. Selectee may be required to serve a 1-year trial/probationary period.

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 meet eligibility & qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date.

You must answer all job-related questions in the NSF eRecruit questionnaire & 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.

Qualifications

To qualify at the GS-13 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 Level in the federal government in the managing a government purchase card program and procurement and contracting activities. Specialized experience includes: reviewing procurement activities; coordinating purchase card purchases and operations; developing acquisition plans, solicitations, and award documents; providing training on government purchase card usage; researching and analyzing procurement issues; implementing procurement policy; monitoring contract cost and performance, and auditing and program performance, including: collaborating with auditing bodies like OIG, OMB, etc.

To qualify at the GS-14 level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 Level in the federal government in the managing a government purchase card program and procurement and contracting activities. Specialized experience includes: reviewing and overseeing procurement activities; coordinating and managing purchase card purchases and operations; developing and leading training on government purchase card usage; researching and analyzing procurement issues; developing acquisition plans, solicitations, and award documents; implementing procurement policy and initiatives; monitoring and evaluating contract costs, activities, purchasing power and performance, and auditing and program performance, including: collaborating with auditing bodies like OIG, OMB, etc. and developing and implementing remediation plans based on audit results.

This vacancy will utilize a multiple hurdle assessment process to determine the qualifications of applicants. The first hurdle will consist of applicants completing an occupational questionnaire related to the major duties and competencies of the position. For the second hurdle, applicants who pass the first hurdle will have their resumes reviewed to ensure the required Specialized Experience. Applicant responses will be reviewed by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) panel for related position competencies against a pre-determined rating schedule. This process will determine the final rating of the applicant for possible referral to the hiring official for hiring consideration. You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Ratings will be assigned based on your responses to the occupational questionnaire which will rate the following competencies:

• Project Management
• Contracting/Procurement
• Auditing

For the second hurdle, resumes will be reviewed for proof of the following knowledge.

1. Knowledge and experience with at least one aspect of Federal project management processes: examples include interpreting and applying the FAR and other federal, state, tribal, etc. regulations, and developing and interpreting agency procurement policy.
2. Knowledge and experience with at least one aspect of Federal contracting/procurement: examples include managing federal contracts, and preparing requirement packages for contracts and solicitations.
3. Knowledge and experience with at least one aspect of Federal auditing: examples include auditing and program performance, including collaborating with auditing bodies like OIG, OMB, etc. and developing and implementing remediation plans based on audit results; providing internal guidance on contracting, accountability, evaluation/audit, and remediation.

Review your resume and responses carefully. Responses that are not fully supported by the information in your application package may result in adjustments to your score. A Human Resources Representative will validate the qualifications of those candidates eligible to be referred to the selecting official.

Experience refers to paid/unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) & other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, & skills & can provide valuable training/experience that translates directly to paid work. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

Education may enhance skills required for this position; however, no substitution of education for specialized experience may be made at this level.

Additional information

Relocation Expenses will not be paid.

This position is in the bargaining unit represented by AFGE Local 3403.

It is NSF policy that NSF personnel employed at or IPAs detailed to NSF are not permitted to participate in foreign government talent recruitment programs. Failure to comply with this NSF policy could result in disciplinary action up to & including removal from Federal Service or termination of an IPA assignment & referral to the Office of Inspector General. Foreign Talent Definitions

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP)

ICTAP and 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

Veteran's 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 Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, DD-214, and the VA letter or other required documentation as specified on the SF-15.

NSF has determined that all of its positions are eligible for telework. Work suitable for telework depends on job duties; therefore, employees must receive approval from their supervisor for telework and have a telework agreement in place. Entering into a telework agreement is voluntary.

This announcement may be used to fill like positions in other organizations within the National Science Foundation.

• Benefits
  
  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.
  
  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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Acquisition Strategy
• Auditing
• Contracting/Procurement
• Project Management
• Technical Credibility

In some cases, additional assessment processes may be used.

Review your resume and responses carefully. Responses that are not fully supported by the information in your application package may result in adjustments to your score. A Human Resources Representative will validate the qualifications of those candidates eligible to be referred to the selecting official.

Applicants eligible for selection preference under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) must meet the agency definition of "well qualified." At NSF, this means a score of 90.0 or higher.

In the merit promotion selection process, formal performance appraisals may be considered if voluntarily submitted by the applicant.

To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12513474

• Benefits
  
  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.
  
  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.
• Required Documents
  
  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
  
  All applicants should submit a resume/CV of their choice and may also submit a cover letter.
  
  • 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 need not submit documents 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.- 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 US 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, the 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 the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (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 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.
  
  
  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
  
  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
  schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
  
  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
• How to Apply
  
  Applicants must complete and submit an application online at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) USAJOBS website at https://www.USAJOBS.gov. An account must be established at the OPM website following the instructions provided in order to apply for the position. Once you have completed the USAJOBS process, you will be re-directed to the USA Staffing system to complete your application process, answer the online questions, and submit all required documents. Applications submitted other than the USAJOBS online application WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED under this announcement.
  
  • Applicants applying online for this position will be able to apply until 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. Please allow adequate time to complete your application.
  • If you encounter technical difficulties during the process, please submit a USA Staffing Help Ticket for assistance. If you have technical difficulties applying to the vacancy on the USAJOBS website, click on Contact USAJOBS. It is suggested that you do not wait until the last day to apply for a vacancy announcement. We will not accept applications other than those submitted through USAJOBS.
  • As the applicant, it is your responsibility to verify that information entered, uploaded, and submitted is received and is accurate. Ensure that your application includes the required documents listed under "Required Documents" and that they are uploaded in the appropriate fields.
  • If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of this application and hiring process, please notify the point of contact on this job opportunity announcement.
  
  
  Agency contact information
  
  Staffing and Classification Branch
  
  Email
  
  erecruit@nsf.gov
  
  Address
  
  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, DIVISION OF ACQUISITION AND COOPERATIVE SUPPORT
  
  2415 Eisenhower Ave
  
  Alexandria, VA 22314
  
  US
  
  Next steps
  
  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.
• Fair and Transparent
  
  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
  
  
  • Criminal history inquiries
  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Financial suitability
  • New employee probationary period
  • Privacy Act
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Selective Service
  • Signature and false statements
  • Social security number request

Required Documents

All applicants should submit a resume/CV of their choice and may also submit a cover letter.

• 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 need not submit documents 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.- 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 US 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, the 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 the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (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 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.


If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Applicants must complete and submit an application online at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) USAJOBS website at https://www.USAJOBS.gov. An account must be established at the OPM website following the instructions provided in order to apply for the position. Once you have completed the USAJOBS process, you will be re-directed to the USA Staffing system to complete your application process, answer the online questions, and submit all required documents. Applications submitted other than the USAJOBS online application WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED under this announcement.

• Applicants applying online for this position will be able to apply until 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. Please allow adequate time to complete your application.
• If you encounter technical difficulties during the process, please submit a USA Staffing Help Ticket for assistance. If you have technical difficulties applying to the vacancy on the USAJOBS website, click on Contact USAJOBS. It is suggested that you do not wait until the last day to apply for a vacancy announcement. We will not accept applications other than those submitted through USAJOBS.
• As the applicant, it is your responsibility to verify that information entered, uploaded, and submitted is received and is accurate. Ensure that your application includes the required documents listed under "Required Documents" and that they are uploaded in the appropriate fields.
• If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of this application and hiring process, please notify the point of contact on this job opportunity announcement.

Agency contact information

Staffing and Classification Branch

Email

erecruit@nsf.gov

Address

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, DIVISION OF ACQUISITION AND COOPERATIVE SUPPORT

2415 Eisenhower Ave

Alexandria, VA 22314

US

Next steps

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.

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

• Criminal history inquiries
• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
• Financial suitability
• New employee probationary period
• Privacy Act
• Reasonable accommodation policy
• Selective Service
• Signature and false statements
• Social security number request