This position can be located in either the Regional Office or the Supervisor’s Office at the forest level. The incumbent serves as a contract specialist in the performance of a full range of contracting duties. The position must maintain a Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) or equivalent at Level II and possess sufficient education and experience necessary to secure a Level IIA warrant upon entry into this position.
MAJOR DUTIES
Identifies appropriate contract type, including small business requirements. Coordinates a variety of contracts requiring the development of new or modified evaluation criteria, reporting requirements, and contractual arrangements. Decisions include forecasting labor and material costs when unknowns are involved, locating or developing sources, developing approaches for procurements lacking precedent, and resolving major differences in the interpretation of the statement of work.
Serves as contract specialist responsible for all aspects of the contracting transactions from initiation of a requirement to recommendation of contract award to procure supplies or services with specialized requirements such as the procurement of complex equipment, services, and/or construction. Analyzes the requirement, recommends revisions to the statement of work or specifications, and decides on the method of contracting, milestones, and procurement plan.
Prepares solicitation documents, and incorporates provisions, such as cost accounting standards, testing procedures, cost escalation factors, firm-fixed price, fixed-price-incentive, cost-plus-award-fee, cost data requirements, etc. Prepares and conducts pre-proposal conferences and pre-solicitation site visits.
Analyzes proposals for conformance with the solicitation. To ensure the procurement will be obtained from responsible sources at a fair and reasonable price, evaluates the responsiveness of the contractor's bid or offer to the solicitation, or the contractor's cost or price proposal. Determines contractor responsibility in alignment with FAR 9.1.
Negotiates price, contract specifications, delivery dates, incentives, and other terms of conditions. Awards contracts within delegated contracting officer authority, or recommends award to contracting officer on contracts outside delegated authority.
Coordinates contract administration activities for long-term, extensive technical service contracts and/or cost type contracts. Contract types vary with the complexity of the acquisition and the best interests of the government, ranging from Firm-Fixed-Price through Fixed-Price-Incentive and Fixed-Price-Economic-Price-Adjustment.
Conducts inspections and acceptance procedures where necessary and conducts contract administration. Monitors status of contract performance, approval of progress payments, reviewing and providing recommendations on contractor proposals resulting from change orders, scheduling, problems that have arisen and proposed solutions, verification of deliveries, and similar activities. Interprets contract provisions for contractors and for officials of the agency, and provides appropriate advice and guidance.
Negotiates complex modifications to contracts. Decisions are based on in-depth analysis of alternatives and knowledge of the unique capabilities and characteristics of the assigned contractors, and require resolution of incomplete or conflicting technical and contractor data. In determining a negotiation position, the incumbent must reconcile differences between the reports of different technical specialists.
Prepares timely responses to Congressional inquiries, Freedom of Information Act requests, or other sensitive correspondence. Prepares and coordinates case files on appeals, protests, or mistakes in the bidding procedures of assigned contracts.
Serves as technical expert and advisor to management, customers, and contractors in assignment area relative to the market, the industry, specifications, socioeconomic concerns, and similar matters.
Incumbent is responsible for ensuring that the procurement duties which he/she is assigned are implemented in accordance with provisions of FAR Part 19, and its supplements, to include Department and Agency policy and procedures.
Performs other duties as assigned.