Description
I. POSITION DESCRIPTION A. Overview and Background This position is located in the Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA) at USAID/Liberia, American Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia. USAID/Liberia executes highly-visible and critical foreign assistance programs and projects in Education, Economic Growth, Democracy and Governance, and Health. The incumbent will be assigned at least two of the Mission's major portfolios, but may also perform work as needed and assigned from the other two portfolios. The responsibilities include providing support on all aspects of contract management relating to and affecting USAID assistance programs in Liberia including policy guidance, project planning, project design, and implementation and the evaluation of ongoing programs. The Contracting Specialist will participate in projects, mission policy formulation, and project design. The Contracting Specialist will develop and execute plans for the procurement of and provide contract management support to achieve program objectives. Due to the sensitivity, scope, and purpose of the role and position of the Contracting Specialist and the critical nature and complexity of the Mission programs that are being implemented, the Contracting Specialist must be able to function as an expert in all technical areas of the assignment, and fulfill the position responsibilities with the complete confidence and support of the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Specialist's must be able to define issues, resolve conflicts, adapt to continually changing working requirements, creatively solve problems and introduce new theories and methods to contracting issues. The Contract Specialist reports directly to the Supervisory Contracting Officer who is the Office Director and serves as the Contracting/Agreement Officer in the Mission. The Contracting Specialist will be responsible for participating in the supervision of FSN Acquisition staff working on assigned portfolios. The Contracting Specialist will be responsible for the mentoring and development of staff as a necessary element of the assignment. The Contracting Specialist serves as an advisor to program officials in project planning meetings; advises program officials of the procurement and assistance instruments to be used; assists in the preparation of statements of work; provides counseling and training to project/technical staff on regulations and the FAR requirements; collaborates in the development of evaluation criteria; provides on-the job training to OAA office staff and assists Team Leaders in selecting appropriate developmental assignments. B. Duties and Responsibilities The Senior Contracts Specialist will provide technical competence and leadership support to the Mission's Office of Acquisition and Assistance as follows: 1. The Senior Contracting Specialist will provide technical assistance to USAID/Liberia in the execution of program/project-funded contracts, cooperative agreements, grants, and US Government Agreements. In addition, the Contracting Specialist provides staff support on all aspects of procurement and contract management relating to and affecting USAID assistance programs, policy and project planning, design, implementation and evaluation, and participating in project and mission policy formulation, project design resource assessments, sector analyses, and other studies. The Senior Contracting Specialist will serve as a primary contractual advisor to major development program initiatives and activities as well to infrastructure projects in the Mission. The Senior Contracting Specialist will prepare and negotiate modifications of basic contractual text, terms and conditions, specifications, scopes of work, program descriptions, and costs in the full range of award instruments. The Senior Contracting Specialist will plan for and provide procurement and contract management support to accomplish program objectives, and provide proper and timely administration of all assigned Acquisition and Assistance awards, to include clarifications and interpretations of directive correspondence, and other miscellaneous administrative modifications to procurement instruments. The Senior Contracting Specialist will seek resolution and settlement of contract disputes, termination and settlement of procurement instruments, close outs, and reporting of contractor performance. The Senior Contracting Specialist will compose and prepare all manner of contractual correspondence. 2. In addition, the Contracting Specialist's responsibilities include direct contracting and administration of large, complex foreign assistance implementing programs. The Contracting Specialist's responsibilities encompass the negotiation, award, and administration of both Assistance- and Acquisition-type instruments to accomplish both development programs and infrastructure and construction projects. Specifically, in all cases the Contracting Specialist will prepare pre-award documents, conduct negotiations, and prepare award documents and award file documentation for a Contracting/Agreement Officer's review and signature. The Contracting Specialist must be available for consultation on contracting issues with Mission technical staff, other in-country U.S. Government officials and representatives, Government of Liberia (GOL) officials, Implementing Partners, and others, as required. This effort requires extensive knowledge of Federal and USAID regulations, and the associated governing guidance (e.g., the FAR and USAID Supplement (AIDAR), CFR, OMB Circulars, FAM, and FTR) for all types of procurements. 3. In addition to the execution of contracts and modifications as identified above, the Contracting Specialist will also research issues contained in, and draft responses to correspondence as assigned. Examples include, but are not limited to: subcontract consent requests, salary approvals, equipment approvals, etc., on a wide variety of contract and assistance awards . 4. The Contracting Specialist will serve as senior and trusted policy and technical advisor to the Supervisory Contracting Officer, USAID/Liberia and the U.S. Mission to Liberia on all manner of Acquisition and Assistance issues and will speak for the Contracting Officer on technical Acquisition and Assistance matters, as directed by the Supervisory Contracting Officer or as required. 5. The Contracting Specialist will participate (as assigned) in the supervision of the Office staff, which team includes one Foreign Service Nationals (FSN). The Contracting Specialist will be required to assist in creating a supportive work environment that values diversity, and elicits the highest possible level of performance from the assigned Office of Acquisition and Assistance staff; set clear individual and team work objectives; ensure that the staff carries those assignments; and, as required, evaluate staff performance, formally and through providing ongoing feedback. II. POSITION ELEMENTS Reporting Responsibilities: The Contracting Specialist will manage day-to-day responsibilities with minimum supervision, policy direction, and guidance from the Contracting Officer. 2. Supervisory Controls : The Contracting Specialist is expected to exercise considerable independent judgment and initiative. Such initiative is critical to the success of the assignment; however, the actions and decisions of the Contracting Specialist will be discussed with the Office Director, and all acquisition instruments will be signed by the supervisor who is the Mission Contracting/Agreement Officer. Overall management of the Office is in a collaborative team environment, with the Contracting Specialist participating fully in the process. Specific work plans and anticipated results are developed in consultation with the OAA Team. The Contracting Specialist performs many assignments independently, providing leadership to others involved in the management of the OAA portfolio, and in the development, design, and drafting of the acquisition instruments. The work is reviewed in terms of achievement of established milestones, and the appropriateness of program/project activity focus. The Contracting Specialist will meet weekly with the Office Director to update him or her on the progress of agreed upon milestones for projects. 3. Physical Demands: The primary location of work will be the U.S. Embassy Compound in Liberia. Work in the office is expected to be mostly sedentary. Secondary locations will include Implementing Partner offices and field offices, construction and project sites, program beneficiaries in rural and in urban areas, GOL departments and offices and the offices of bi- and multi-lateral donors and NGOs. The Contracting Specialist may occasionally face challenging living and working conditions. The Contracting Specialist will also face heavy workload and in-country travel is a requirement of the position. III. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS This is a senior USAID/Liberia position the successful candidate must be sufficiently experienced to understand the needs of the Mission and the foreign assistance policy objectives of the U.S. Government in Liberia. 1. Education: A Bachelor's degree in contracting and procurement (preferred), business administration, law, public administration, or a related field in construction procurement/management, is required. A post graduate degree in management is highly desirable. NOTE: Experience may be substituted for a university degree if the Technical Evaluation Committee and the selecting official agree that the applicant's experience and training, in addition to the experience required below, is comparable in breath and depth to a college education. 2. Work Experience: At minimum of ten years substantive and professional contracting or procurement work is required. Experience in working with in different regions of the word is highly preferred. Such experience must include the full range of contracting responsibilities, including: acquisition and assistance award execution, administration, termination, cost and price analysis; procurement planning, and analysis and evaluation of proposals; negotiation of changes; execution of options; investigation and resolution of contractor delays; contractor performance appraisal; subcontractor surveillance; and, disposition of claims. Experience should demonstrate knowledge of contracting laws, regulations, policies, and procedures; the ability to lead others; knowledge of cost principles; knowledge of cost plus/award fee and performance based contracting procedures; and, the ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing. Experience that demonstrates pre-award negotiation skills and demonstrated experience in making formal presentations is required. This criterion section assumes the candidate has a university degree. If not, the "NOTE" above in item number 1 of this section is in addition to the requirements of this section. 3. Technical Knowledge: Mastery of procurement regulations and contracting principles including the latest acquisition procedures and techniques is required. An in-depth understanding of U.S. Government procurement rules and regulations is imperative. Knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and the ability to work with the regulatory context of the FAR is essential. In addition, knowledge of the following is preferred: USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR); USAID Contract Information Bulletins (CIBS) and Acquisition & Assistance Policy Directives (AAPDs); Procurement Executive Bulletins (PEBs); the USAID Automated Directive System (ADS); Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars; and, Title 22, Code of Federal Regulations as applicable to USAID. 4. Skills and Abilities: Must be able to work in a highly demanding environment and capable of handling tasks with varying deadlines. Must have good teamwork and interpersonal skills. Must be able to communicate complex and difficult policy and programmatic issues in a manner understandable by knowledgeable laypersons without oversimplifying. Must be able to maintain and adhere to high standards of professional conduct. Must be able to function as a team leader during contract negotiations, and personally negotiate the majority of assigned contracts. Skill to manage and coordinate activities sufficient to contract a variety of actions concurrently is essential. Versatility in the use of computers, especially Word and EXCEL is a must. The ability to plan, organizes, and s complex negotiations and meetings is very important. 5. C ommunication skills: Excellent English writing and editing skills, as well as an excellent ability to process information from a wide variety of sources into cohesive, polished documents are highly desirable; there is no requirement for local language proficiency. IV. SELECTION CRITERIA The Contracting Specialist GS-14 selection criteria are as follows: Work Experience (40 Points) At least ten (10) years of professional contracting or procurement work, including performing the full range of contracting responsibilities, performing pre-award negotiations, and making formal presentations, is required. Prior work experience with USG, USAID, or other international donor organizations is preferred. Experience in working with in different regional of the word is highly desirable. Experience in writing and managing contracts and in administering contracts and budgets is required. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (30 Points) Knowledge of procurement regulations and contracting principles, including the latest acquisition procedures and techniques. Knowledge of USG procurement rules and regulations. Knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), USAID Acquisition Regulations (AIDAR); etc. Ability to work under stress and in a Team environment. Ability to communicate complex and difficult issues to persons not trained in acquisition techniques. Demonstrated ability to maintain and adhere to high standards of professional conduct. Computer literacy sufficient to perform the duties of the position (i.e., use Word and EXCEL). Knowledge of the following regulations, policies and guidance is preferred: - Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) - USAID Acquisition Regulations (AIDAR) - Contract Information Bulletins (CIBS) / Acquisition & Assistance Policy Directives (AAPDs) - Office of Procurement Administrative Memoranda (OPAM) - USAID Automated Directive System (ADS) - Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars - Title 22, Code of Federal Regulations as appropriate to USAID. Familiarity with business practices and market conditions applicable to program and technical requirements is required to evaluate such actions as bid responsiveness, contractor responsibility, and/or contractor performance. Education (15 Points) A Bachelor's degree in contracting and procurement (preferred) business administration, Law or public administration. A post graduate degree in management is highly desirable. Communication Skills (15 Points) Excellent English writing, editing and speaking skills, as well as an excellent ability to process information from a wide variety of sources into cohesive, polished documents are highly desirable as well and convey procurement information in a effective manner are required. There is no requirement for local language proficiency. Applicants meeting the required qualifications for the position will be evaluated based on information provided in the application. USAID reserves the right to conduct interviews with the highest ranked applicants. Reference checks will be conducted on those candidates selected for an interview. The applicant's references must be able to provide substantive information about his/her past performance and abilities. V. OTHER SIGNIFICANT FACTS: Guidelines Policies and precedents are available but stated in general terms or are of limited use. Extensive searches of a wide range of regulations and policy circulars are frequently required. The Senior Contract Specialist uses experienced judgment and initiative in applying principles underlying guidelines, in deviating from traditional techniques, or in researching trends and patterns to develop new approaches, criteria, or proposed policies. Complexity The work is characterized by breadth of planning, review, and coordination or depth of problem identification and analysis, stemming from the variety of the procurement functions or from unknowns, changes, or conflicts inherent to the issues. Work involves varied duties requiring many different and unrelated processes and methods which cover the full range of contracting and assistance activities in the assigned functional area(s) or contract reviews which reveal trends and common problems. Decisions involve responsiveness to continuing changes in programs or technological developments. Procurements typically require new or modified contract terms and conditions, funding arrangements, or policy interpretation throughout the pre-award and post award phases. The Senior Contract Specialist develops data and recommends or initiates action to resolve a variety of problems under different award instruments such as contract awards and awards under assistance. Actions include factors not routinely encountered. Determining what needs to be done includes analysis of alternatives, adaptation, or modification of procedures, or resolution of incomplete or conflicting technical or contractor data. Scope and Effect The purpose of the work is to provide expertise as a specialist in a functional area of contracts and grants/cooperative agreements by furnishing advisory, planning, or reviewing services on specific problems, projects, or programs. The work affects a wide range of procurement and assistance activities such as the operation of procurement programs in various offices or locations, the accomplishment of significant procurement of technical program goals, or the economic position of contractors or on their respective geographic areas. Personal Contacts Personal contacts include a variety of specialists, managers, officials, or groups from outside the employing agency in a moderately unstructured setting where the purpose and extent of each contact is usually different, and the role and authority of each party is identified and developed during the course of the contact. Purpose of Contacts Contacts are to obtain agreement on previously determined goals and objectives through negotiation, persuasion, and advocacy. The individuals or groups may be uncooperative, have different negotiation objectives, or represent divergent interests. Physical Demands The work is sedentary. Work Environment The work is performed in an office setting.