Contract Specialist

This position is located in Mission Support, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, Acquisitions Operations Division, National Continuity Branch in Emmitsburg, MD. The ideal candidate for this position has experience writing contracts for evaluating cost estimates, price proposals, negotiating contract modifications, monitoring, and administering contract performance. Major duties: What will I do in this position if hired? In this position, you will serve as a Contract Specialist. Typical assignments include: Performing all pre-award functions (e.g., issues solicitation documents, reviews bids, determines financial responsibilities and performance capability for bidders) in compliance with Federal Acquisition Regulations and Agency policy. Performing all post-award functions (e.g, administering contracts following award, monitoring contractor's performance, advising on payment of costs ) in compliance with Federal Acquisition Regulations and Agency policy. Utilizing contract writing tools for simplified acquisitions, grants, cooperative agreements, interagency agreements, contracts, delivery orders, blanket purchase orders. Preparing solicitation documents, analyzing proposals, and negotiating with contractors. Using contract methods that include cost reimbursement, cost-plus fixed-fee firm-fixed price, incentive, etc., to procure large, complex systems, programs, or services. What else do I need to know? At FEMA, our mission is to help people before, during and after disasters, and every employee at FEMA has a role in emergency management. Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites. All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee's official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions. Requirements: To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo, successfully pass, and maintain a background investigation for Moderate Risk as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check after initial job qualifications are determined, a review of financial issues, such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs (please visit: Mythbuster on Federal Hiring Policies for additional information). For more information on background investigations for Federal jobs please visit OPM Investigations. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Please ensure you meet the qualification requirements described below. Key Requirements: You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position. You must successfully pass a background investigation. Selective Service registration required. Current federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements. You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government credit card. You must be able to deploy with little or no advance notice to anywhere in the United States and its territories for an extended period of time. Please review the Additional Information section for additional key requirements.