Information Technology Specialist (Contracting Officer's Representative)

Summary

This position is located at the Administrative Services team, within the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Peace Corps Headquarters, Washington DC and reports directly to the Supervisory Chief Administrative Officer. The Administrative Services team supports function and activities to manage IT budget planning and execution; serve as focal point for IT acquisitions and procurement with the Office of Acquisitions and Contracts Management (ACM).

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Duties

The Information Technology Specialist (Contracting Officer's Representative) performs the following major duties:

• Performs Strategic Vendor Management and undertakes Procurement responsibilities including assisting staff in preparing procurement documentation including statement of objectives (SOO), statements of work (SOW) and, deliverable requirements; procurement packages; capital planning; independent government cost estimates (IGCE); division budget review and analysis; materials procurements; contract renewals; option year extensions; contract proposal review and selection; and contract inventory.
• Oversees contract administration activities for information technology (IT) hardware and/or software, services, and maintenance in multi-year, extensive technical service contracts.
• Conducts reviews for acquiring systems and software. Builds strong relationships and work collaboratively with stakeholders and customers to perform needs analysis to determine opportunities for new and improved acquisition strategies in support of their programs, products, and services.
• Plans and coordinates contract administration activities for multi-year technical service contracts. Evaluates contractor procedures for the analysis, design, development, test, and support of IT systems.
• . Recommends needed structure and/or workflow for effective operations and service delivery; and assists in developing recommendations for an overarching procurement strategy that aligns with the OCIO and Peace Corps strategic vision.
• Serves as Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) on information technology contract(s), including personal services and non-personal services, working in collaboration with other OCIO CORs, ensuring alignment between acquisition strategies, cost estimates, and contracting outcomes.
• Maintains oversight of contract and/or procurement matters, ensuring the effective use of internal controls, recommends changes when deficiencies are identified, and acquires and allocates resources to accomplish activities within established schedules and budgetary requirements.
• Develops and maintains project metrics and performance measures to ensure work performed is consistent with contract requirements, completed according to schedule, within budget, and adhering to standards.
• Manages the development of project management principles for designated projects to include effective internal controls, financial spend plans, risk and issue management/mitigation, requirements management, change control, and investment portfolio updates.
• Assists with developing requirements and contract packages, using input from subject matter experts and end users, ACM personnel, involving complex fixed-price delivery orders with special provision, contract line items, Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) and specialized procurements.
  
  

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Please read this announcement in its entirety prior to submitting your application.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen.
• You must be at least 18 years of age.
• All Federal employees are required to have federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. For additional information, see www.sss.gov.
• You must complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
• You must go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. These documents must be unexpired originalor certified copies.
• You must successfully complete a background security investigation with favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet this requirement will be grounds for employment termination.
• Prior to employment, and in compliance with statutes 5 USC 3322 and 22 USC 2507b, Peace Corps will conduct a check of Peace Corps records for both Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and former Peace Corps employees.
• All new employees are required to certify and submit a state of understanding acknowledging adherence to the Peace Corps condition of employment prior to day 1 of employment with the Peace Corps.
• This position requires a Public Trust background investigation.
• This position requires the filing of a Financial Disclosure report.
• This is a bargaining unit position.
  
  

Qualifications

All qualification requirements must be met by 10/24/2024 (the closing date of the announcement). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. To ensure full credit for your experience, please indicate the start and end dates (month, day, and year) of employment, the number of hours worked per week, and the location of employment in your resume. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

This vacancy is being announced at one grade level.

Basic Qualifications: In order to meet basic qualifications for GS-2210 positions, individuals must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the competencies defined below:

• Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
• Customer Service: Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.
• Oral Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
• Problem Solving: Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.
  
  

Specialized Experience: To be minimally qualified for this position at the FP-2 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level in the normal line of progression, FP-3 or GS-13 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience is defined as: Planning and management of IT contracts, fiscal spending, and other acquisition plans, including performing strategic vendor management for IT projects and undertaking contract administration responsibilities as Contracting Officer's Representative (COR), Defines and plans project and program management milestones, monitors the efficiency and effectiveness of the program, and makes recommendations on improvements.

Time-in-Grade (TIG) Requirements

Education cannot be substituted for experience at this level.

Current or Formal Federal employees, including current Peace Corps employees, must meet applicable TIG requirements to be considered eligible. To meet TIG for positions above the FP-09 (GS-05) grade level, you must have served at least one year (52 weeks) at the next lower grade (or equivalent) in the normal line of progression for the position to which you are applying.

All current or former Federal employees (including internal employees) must provide a copy of their SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one), "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).

Please Note

• Past experience that satisfies the Specialized Experience MUST be well documented within your resume. Failure to provide this information in your resume with corresponding start and end dates (month, day, and year) of employment, the number of hours worked per week, and location of employment may result in disqualification from further consideration.
• Specialized Experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector, or through volunteer work done with National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) or other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social).
• One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis.
• Additional information on qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site.
• Peace Corps employees are employed using the Foreign Personnel (FP) pay scale. The FP pay plan does not follow the same structure as the GS pay plan. In the FP pay plan, as the grade-level numbers decrease the level/pay for the position increases. The FP-09 is the lowest entry-level grade and the FP-01 is the highest senior-level grade.
  
  

Education

There is no education substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

The minimum and maximum salaries listed on this announcement do not include locality pay. Salary will be adjusted in accordance with the locality pay of the duty location after selection.

Peace Corps Information

• This is a federal civilian job in the Excepted Service. Peace Corps employees are paid on the Foreign Personnel (FP) pay scale.
• Telework eligible positions do not guarantee telework. See Peace Corps Manual Section 623 for agency policy regarding telework.
• Remote-work eligible positions do not guarantee remote work. See Peace Corps Manual Section 633 for agency policy regarding remote work.
• The Peace Corps uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
• This is a drug-free workplace and we promote a drug-free environment.
• Additional hiring needs may be filled through this vacancy.
  
  

Intelligence Background Information

Peace Corps Manual Section 611 is applicable to this position:

• This prohibits the employment of certain persons previously engaged in intelligence activities or connected with intelligence agencies within the past 10 years.
• If you have ever worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), you are not eligible for employment at the Peace Corps in any capacity, and you should not apply for employment.
• Acceptance of employment with Peace Corps precludes employment by certain intelligence organizations for a specific period of time, determined by the employing agency, after Peace Corps employment ceases.
  
  

Applicants who are found to be otherwise qualified will be required to submit a completed Intelligence Background Questionnaire upon request, indicating whether the applicant has been involved in or has had any connection with intelligence activities or related work and, if so, the nature and dates of his or her involvement. Failure to meet this requirement will result in disqualification from further consideration. If you have any other type of possible intelligence connection, your application will not be further considered until you submit this form.

Except when the CIA or the National Security Agency (NSA) is involved (see below), if your connection with an Intelligence Agency involves an immediate family member who works or has worked in intelligence, the immediate family member should complete the form, not the applicant. Usually relying on memory is sufficient to answer most if not all of the questions.

If you have an immediate family member who works or has worked for the CIA, you should not give them this form to complete. Please contact your relative in person-not by phone, email, social networking, or any other means that is not in person- and ask him or her to contact the Office of General Counsel at the CIA.

If you or an immediate family member have been employed by or associated with the NSA, you or your family member must contact the NSA Prepublication Review Office at 443-634-4095.

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• 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.

Office of the Chief Information Officer

1275 First St. NE

Washington, DC 20526

US