Contracting Specialist - Entry Level (Maryland) - NSA
Fort Meade, MD
About the Job
Start a career where you learn to become an acquisition professional supporting the protection of our warfighters around the world, enabling and assisting operations on land, in air, at sea, in space, and within the cyber domain. Contracting Specialists at NSA acquire commercial goods and services as part of a team that handles a wide range of acquisition tasks to effectively manage the total acquisition requirements of an organization, department, or program in support of NSA's mission.
Start a career where you learn to become an acquisition professional supporting the protection of our warfighters around the world, enabling and assisting operations on land, in air, at sea, in space, and within the cyber domain. Contracting Specialists at NSA acquire commercial goods and services as part of a team that handles a wide range of acquisition tasks to effectively manage the total acquisition requirements of an organization, department, or program in support of NSA's mission.
Contracting Specialists at NSA both administer and manage contracts.
This position is specifically looking for Contracting Specialists whose principal function is supporting the management of contracts post award (Contract Manager), acting as the Primary Contracting Officer Representative (P-COR). This position does not manage people.
As a Contracting Specialist/Contract Manager at NSA, responsibilities may include:
- Serving as the Primary Contracting Officer Representative (P-COR) who leads and oversees execution responsibilities associated with contract performance and delivery outcomes. CORs are individuals designated and authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer (CO) to perform specific technical and/or administrative functions that are critical to the success of NSA's mission.
- Monitoring contractor performance and ensuring services are delivered in accordance with contract terms.
- Meeting frequently with vendors and government technical experts to discuss contract cost, schedule, and performance.
- Collaborating with technical experts to establish clearly defined contract tasks; validating those tasks are within the contract scope and cost parameters.
- Generating cost estimates using historical data and future projections in an effort to build accurate and reliable spend plans.
- Serving as part of a Source Selection Team and often times serving as the Source Selection Evaluation Lead.
- Presenting status updates on expenditures, delivery timelines, and contractor performance to senior executive leadership.
- Partnering with contracting, finance, and mission experts to ensure long-term contracts are properly funded and contract modifications are approved in a timely manner.
- Preparing contract supporting documents in advance for award of Contracts and Contract Modifications by the Contracting Officer (CO).
- Forecasting requirements for future contracts and meeting with mission to draft pre-solicitation documents.
- Reviewing contract invoices and collaborating with vendors to resolve any errors or issues prior to payment authorization.
- Identifying opportunities to improve contract performance and reduce contract cost.
- Utilizing Microsoft Excel on a daily basis to provide analytic support on assigned contracts.
Although not required, preferred attributes for this position include a Degree in Business and a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher. Additionally, if using relevant experience as part of the minimum qualifications, preferred relevant experience is in managing or overseeing contracts or procurements.
Additionally, this position requires a DAWIA (Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Acct) professional certification in Contracting. A training plan will be put in place to allow the required certification to be achieved within 36 months of employment.
The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the DoD Intelligence Community Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions in the NSA are in the Excepted Services under 10 United States Codes (USC) 1601 appointment authority. DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans' Preference to eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are a veteran claiming veterans' preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you may be asked to submit documents verifying your eligibility.
Apply soonest, as job postings can close earlier than stated end dates due to changes in requirements. It is important to review and note the minimum qualifications, as only those applicants who meet the required qualifications will be contacted to continue the employment process. Please populate the resume tool to showcase any relevant work experience and education related to the position and answer any applicable screening questions. Information collected will be used to determine eligibility, and failure to provide accurate information may result in disqualification for this position.
A confirmation email will be sent after submission of the first application and also after any future updates to submitted applications. **Due to time sensitive communications regarding applications, please ensure your spam filters are configured to accept email from noreply@intelligencecareers.gov. For job vacancies that include stated testing requirements, also include the following: @uwe.nsa.gov, @nsa.gov, and @pearson.com**
U.S. Citizenship is required for all applicants. NSA is an equal opportunity employer and abides by applicable employment laws and regulations. All applicants and employees are subject to random drug testing in accordance with Executive Order 12564. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a security background investigation and polygraph. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to applicants with disabilities during the application and hiring process where appropriate. Please visit our Diversity link for more information https://www.intelligencecareers.gov/NSA/diversity-and-inclusion.
Pay: Salary offers are based on candidates' education level and years of experience relevant to the position and also take into account information provided by the hiring manager/organization regarding the work level for the position.
Salary Range: $55,924 - $88,926
Salary range is based on work level and relevant experience to the position.
On the job training, internal NSA courses, and external training will be made available based on the need and experience of the selectee.
Benefits: NSA offers excellent benefits to include relocation assistance, flexible work schedules, generous leave programs, paid personal fitness time, training and continuing education classes, health and life insurance, Federal Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), and a Federal retirement plan.
Work Schedule: This is a full-time position, Monday - Friday, with basic 8 hr/day work requirement between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (flexible).
The ideal candidate demonstrates the following:
-Effective Communication
-Problem Solving
-Interpersonal Skills
-Partnering
-Customer Service
-Accountability
-Continual Learning
-Resilience
Start a career where you learn to become an acquisition professional supporting the protection of our warfighters around the world, enabling and assisting operations on land, in air, at sea, in space, and within the cyber domain. Contracting Specialists at NSA acquire commercial goods and services as part of a team that handles a wide range of acquisition tasks to effectively manage the total acquisition requirements of an organization, department, or program in support of NSA's mission.
Contracting Specialists at NSA both administer and manage contracts.
This position is specifically looking for Contracting Specialists whose principal function is supporting the management of contracts post award (Contract Manager), acting as the Primary Contracting Officer Representative (P-COR). This position does not manage people.
As a Contracting Specialist/Contract Manager at NSA, responsibilities may include:
- Serving as the Primary Contracting Officer Representative (P-COR) who leads and oversees execution responsibilities associated with contract performance and delivery outcomes. CORs are individuals designated and authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer (CO) to perform specific technical and/or administrative functions that are critical to the success of NSA's mission.
- Monitoring contractor performance and ensuring services are delivered in accordance with contract terms.
- Meeting frequently with vendors and government technical experts to discuss contract cost, schedule, and performance.
- Collaborating with technical experts to establish clearly defined contract tasks; validating those tasks are within the contract scope and cost parameters.
- Generating cost estimates using historical data and future projections in an effort to build accurate and reliable spend plans.
- Serving as part of a Source Selection Team and often times serving as the Source Selection Evaluation Lead.
- Presenting status updates on expenditures, delivery timelines, and contractor performance to senior executive leadership.
- Partnering with contracting, finance, and mission experts to ensure long-term contracts are properly funded and contract modifications are approved in a timely manner.
- Preparing contract supporting documents in advance for award of Contracts and Contract Modifications by the Contracting Officer (CO).
- Forecasting requirements for future contracts and meeting with mission to draft pre-solicitation documents.
- Reviewing contract invoices and collaborating with vendors to resolve any errors or issues prior to payment authorization.
- Identifying opportunities to improve contract performance and reduce contract cost.
- Utilizing Microsoft Excel on a daily basis to provide analytic support on assigned contracts.
Although not required, preferred attributes for this position include a Degree in Business and a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher. Additionally, if using relevant experience as part of the minimum qualifications, preferred relevant experience is in managing or overseeing contracts or procurements.
Additionally, this position requires a DAWIA (Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Acct) professional certification in Contracting. A training plan will be put in place to allow the required certification to be achieved within 36 months of employment.
The National Security Agency (NSA) is part of the DoD Intelligence Community Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). All positions in the NSA are in the Excepted Services under 10 United States Codes (USC) 1601 appointment authority. DoD Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans' Preference to eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoD Instruction 1400.25, Volume 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are a veteran claiming veterans' preference, as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 U.S.C., you may be asked to submit documents verifying your eligibility.
Apply soonest, as job postings can close earlier than stated end dates due to changes in requirements. It is important to review and note the minimum qualifications, as only those applicants who meet the required qualifications will be contacted to continue the employment process. Please populate the resume tool to showcase any relevant work experience and education related to the position and answer any applicable screening questions. Information collected will be used to determine eligibility, and failure to provide accurate information may result in disqualification for this position.
A confirmation email will be sent after submission of the first application and also after any future updates to submitted applications. **Due to time sensitive communications regarding applications, please ensure your spam filters are configured to accept email from noreply@intelligencecareers.gov. For job vacancies that include stated testing requirements, also include the following: @uwe.nsa.gov, @nsa.gov, and @pearson.com**
U.S. Citizenship is required for all applicants. NSA is an equal opportunity employer and abides by applicable employment laws and regulations. All applicants and employees are subject to random drug testing in accordance with Executive Order 12564. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a security background investigation and polygraph. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to applicants with disabilities during the application and hiring process where appropriate. Please visit our Diversity link for more information https://www.intelligencecareers.gov/NSA/diversity-and-inclusion.
Pay: Salary offers are based on candidates' education level and years of experience relevant to the position and also take into account information provided by the hiring manager/organization regarding the work level for the position.
Salary Range: $55,924 - $88,926
Salary range is based on work level and relevant experience to the position.
On the job training, internal NSA courses, and external training will be made available based on the need and experience of the selectee.
Benefits: NSA offers excellent benefits to include relocation assistance, flexible work schedules, generous leave programs, paid personal fitness time, training and continuing education classes, health and life insurance, Federal Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), and a Federal retirement plan.
Work Schedule: This is a full-time position, Monday - Friday, with basic 8 hr/day work requirement between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. (flexible).
The ideal candidate demonstrates the following:
-Effective Communication
-Problem Solving
-Interpersonal Skills
-Partnering
-Customer Service
-Accountability
-Continual Learning
-Resilience
Source : NSA