Senior Contract Specialist III - XLA Associates

Position Description

The Senior Contract Specialist III serves as the Contractor's Site Lead under this contract.

The primary duties and responsibilities are to support the Managing Director, Deputy Managing Director, and primarily Supervisory Procurement Analyst with projects related to policies, data, training, and systems.

The secondary duties and responsibilities are administrative, such as onboarding and orientation, training, timesheet review and approval, performance appraisals, and monitoring and correcting performance issues.

Duties and responsibilities of the SCS III, including but are not limited to:

• Serves as a technical resource and advisor to organizations in the procurement of goods and services needed in the successful accomplishment of MCC programs and operations.
• Applies knowledge of administrative support functions within a Federal acquisition operations environment to assist program officials on acquisition and administrative matters affecting procurement of supplies and services using source selection procedures; the evaluation of contract price quotes; and the administration or termination and closeout of contracts.
• Performs contract administration activities for selected contracts and assists in the monitoring of contractor's performance, approval of progress payments, verification of deliveries, and similar activities.
• Assists customers in developing statements of work and procurement strategy; and develops evaluation plans, pricing methodologies, and contract administration. Develops procurement plans by reviewing previous history, market conditions, and requirements.
• Analyzes business needs and determines the most appropriate contracting vehicles.
• Prepares solicitations, contract supporting documents, contract awards, and other related documents pursuant to applicable laws, executive orders, regulations, and other applicable procedures.
• Executes modifications to contracts and conducts analysis of alternatives and the capabilities and characteristics of the assigned contractors.
• Applies price/cost analysis techniques to support the development of cost-related sections of solicitation documents and the analysis of cost and price data, labor and material cost, etc.
• Supports the development of budgets for planned procurements. Analyzes and evaluates cost-related areas of solicitations for pricing structure and instruction to offerors. Analyzes and evaluates contractor price/cost quotes for new procurements, changes, follow-on procurements, etc., which may result in new contracts or the issuance of modifications or the termination of existing contracts.
• Supports the contract closeout process and ensures all proper payments, performance, and deliveries have been made.
• Helps ensure that all appropriate steps have been taken to safeguard the interests of MCC, and that all requirements of laws, executive orders, regulations, and other applicable procedures have been met.
• Serves as a point of contact for program officials on acquisition and administrative matters affecting major procurement of supplies and services using source selection procedures; the evaluation of contract price proposals; and the administration or termination and closeout of major contracts. Provides authoritative recommendations to improve procurement operations and customer service.
• Coordinates contract administration activities for long-term, extensive technical service 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-Award-Fee to Time & Materials. The contract specialist monitors contractor's 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 MCC, and provides appropriate advice and guidance; and conducts in-depth analyses of contractors' financial and management systems and facilities for ability to perform and for compliance with Government or contractual requirements.
• 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 contract specialist must reconcile differences between the reports of different technical specialists.
• Utilizes in-depth price/cost analysis techniques involving many different and unrelated factors and processes where there may be little historical cost data or precedent. Responsible for supporting the development of cost-related sections of complex solicitation documents, analyzing cost and price data, labor, and material cost, etc.
• Supports the development of budgets for planned procurements. Analyzes and evaluates cost-related areas of complex solicitations for pricing structure and instruction to offerors. Analyzes and evaluates contractor price/cost proposals for new procurements, changes, follow-on procurements, etc., which may result in new contracts or the issuance of modifications or the termination of existing contracts.
• Leads negotiations and serves as a primary cost/price negotiator. Conducts detailed studies of contractor's management, operational and financial policies to determine capability to perform contract. Evaluates the contractor's financial status and profit and loss statement, balance sheets, and other financial data.
• Coordinates the extension of periods of performance, resolves delivery and acceptance disputes, approves partial payments and final payments, and performs closeout or any necessary contract cancellations due to nonperformance by the contractor or for the convenience of MCC. Prepares MCC response to protests.
• Ensures that all appropriate steps have been taken to safeguard the interests of MCC, and that all requirements of laws, executive orders, regulations, and other applicable procedures have been met.
• Manages complex, sensitive, and important procurement programs and initiatives that serve as a guide for other MCC procurement activities.
• Assists customers in developing statements of work and procurement strategy and develops evaluation plans, pricing methodologies, and major contract administration.
• Provides high level technical assistance to managers, supervisors, and fellow MCC colleagues on problems of unusual complexity or sensitivity in an award action, including source selection procedures and contract administration.
• Provides direction and specific guidance to less experienced members of the team in any of the major areas cited above.
• Meets with MCC colleagues to discuss various matters and to elicit suggestions or recommendations on work or administrative matters which the contract specialist may be needed to communicate to the CGM Managing Director, Deputy Managing Director, and other MCC managers and supervisors.
• Serves as a central point of contact with internal and external parties to respond to inquiries.
• Recommends or initiates appropriate action to protect Government's interests.
• Awards and administers grants, cooperative agreements, or other related instruments.
• Determines awardee eligibility using formulas and methodology and established eligibility criteria, such as competitive rating factors.
• Announces programs and soliciting applications or proposals for funding under assistance awards.
• Oversees, reviews, analyzes, and evaluates grants/assistance applications, plans, and estimates.
• Negotiates terms and conditions of grants/assistance awards to include costs, schedules, and oversight responsibilities.
• Prepares, processes, issues, and tracks grants/assistance awards and compliance with reporting requirements.
• Conducts resolution of audit findings or monitoring audit resolution in partnership with resolution officials.
• Conducts post-award reviews and analyses to identify management, financial, and administrative issues.
• Supervision becomes progressively less detailed than SCS II, and the PSC performs progressively more responsible assignments than SCS II.
• Performs additional duties as CGM's facilitator for contractor personnel, which may consume approximately 20% of time, such as:
• Orients and assists new PSCs upon arrival.
• Within 10 business days of arrival of a new PSC, demonstrates the features of various systems that CGM uses for award administration and management, e.g., Oracle CLM, SharePoint, Teams, etc. (SharePoint, FPDS, Teams, and Oracle CLM). Provides periodic trainings as needed.
• cWithin 10 business days of arrival of a new PSC, trains the intricacies of MCC contracting using the CGM Contracts Operating Manual (COM) and Acquisition Instructions (AIs).
• Assists the PSCs with questions about MCC systems and coordinate with the system helpdesk as needed.
• Reviews and processes PSC timesheets.
• Participates in weekly staff meetings with CGM leadership.
• Participates in periodic operational/production meetings with the Contractor.
• Assists with the hiring and retention. Coordinates candidate interviews to secure highly qualified PSCs that suits MCC's work culture. Ensures affirmative application of equal opportunity to the qualified candidates. Promotes positive morale and strong work ethics among the PSCs.
• Presents best practices or lessons learned to PSCs.
• Coordinates with CGM colleagues to address and correct performance issues. Regularly monitors and corrects performance issues and prevents them from reoccurring.
• Conducts annual performance reviews of each PSC in coordination with CGM colleagues, supervisors, and managers. Resolves complaints and grievances brought on by or pertaining to the PSCs.
• Facilitates separations.
• Assists the MCC Acquisition Career Manager in managing the MCC FAC-COR Program, to include:
• Monitors the status of existing FAC-COR certifications, reaches out and communicates with CORs and PMs, and provides technical assistance to them for maintaining and updating their certifications and escalates to their supervisors as necessary.
• Monitors the status of timely invoice review and approval, including outreach to the CORs and PMs to ensure they understand their responsibility and escalate matters to their supervisors as necessary.
• Provides guidance to departing or expired CORs and PMs and coordinates the nomination and designation of new CORs and PMs.
• Assists in providing internal MCC training sessions to CORs and PMs and assists them locate external training opportunities related to Federal contracts and FA awards.
• Assists CGM in researching, creating, and updating internal policies, guidance, instructions, and data.
• Facilitates CGM quarterly quality assurance (QA) reviews of its contract actions to ensure adherence to applicable contracting principles, laws, statues, Executive Orders, regulations, and procedures. Reviews the QA results with the CGM division.
• Facilitates CGM standardization project to improve and streamline award documents and processes.

Requirements

Required Education Qualifications for SCS III:

• A bachelor's degree with a major in any field and 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organizations and management.
• Desired – A postgraduate degree with a major in any field and 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organizations and management.

Work Experience:

• Ten or more years of direct experience in Federal contracting. At least one of these years must be specialized experience equivalent to the Federal Government GS-15 grade level that has equipped the individual with the knowledge, skills and abilities listed below.

Training:

• Desired – FAC-C(Professional) or DAWIA in Contracting (Professional) certification, DAWIA or FAC-C Level I certification (now defunct), or other non-Federal certifications/qualifications, such as NCMA CFCM and CPCM.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for SCS III:

• Mastery knowledge of contracting principles, laws, statues, Executive Orders, regulations, and procedures applicable to pre-award and/or post-award actions sufficient to procure and/or administer contracts for a variety of supplies, equipment, services, and/or construction and to conduct studies of problem areas and help develop standard methods and operating procedures.
• Expert leadership skills to manage other PSCs, provide authoritative consultation, and offer procurement policy interpretations.
• Mastery of contracting methods and contract types which require specialized knowledge of Federal contract administration policy, procedures, techniques, and evaluation/control methods sufficient to coordinate and monitor prime and subcontractor performance on complex, long-term contracts.
• Knowledge of contracting and oversight management processes to oversee and monitor supplies, equipment, services, and/or construction requirements.
• Knowledge of business practices and market conditions applicable to program and technical requirements sufficient to evaluate such actions.
• Knowledge of contracts and pre-and post-award contracting policies and procedures to plan, execute, and administer contracts and contract modifications.
• Knowledge of program and technical strategies and requirements to evaluate capabilities and performance and to provide technical advice to MCC program offices and staff.
• Skill in the use of negotiation techniques to protect the Government's interests and to ensure best value awards.
• Skill in written and oral communications to present analysis and findings.
• Ability to meet and deal with representatives of the private sector and with Government experts or managers to support the procurement of supplies, services, and equipment.
• Ability to analyze difficult acquisition issues and identify alternative courses of action, modify standard contracting procedures and terms to solve a variety of contractual problems and effect streamlined acquisitions.
• Ability to expect uncertainties and to research and apply changes in the contracting principles, laws, statues, Executive Orders, regulations, and procedures applicable to pre-award and/or post-award actions.
• Ability to accomplish work with modest level of independence while balancing competing priorities with short lead times.
• Required upon MCC's demand for FA management: Knowledge of laws, regulations, rules, policies, procedures, and methods governing the administration of Federal grants, cooperative agreements, and awards.
• Required upon MCC's demand for FA management: Knowledge of grants/assistance management processes and techniques consistent with sound business and industry practices.
• Required upon MCC's demand for FA management: Knowledge of financial methods, procedures, and practices to assess the financial stability of recipient of Federal grants or cooperative agreements.

EEO Statement

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): XLA is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, XLA will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations in the hiring process. We encourage qualified individuals with disabilities to apply. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process or to perform essential job functions, please contact our HR team by phone at 703-584-8317 or via email at humanresources@xla.com.  For persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, or deaf-disabled, XLA will provide an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter where needed as a reasonable accommodation for the hiring processes.