PSC Contracts Specialist

Macfadden, now part of PAE, is seeking a PSC Contracts Specialist to support the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) in Washington, DC. The PSC Contracts Specialist provides support to USAID offices in the procurement of humanitarian response personnel worldwide. The personal services contract (PSC) hiring mechanism allows OFDA to establish contracts with disaster response subject-matter experts in a fast and flexible manner. The Contracts Specialists on the PSC Team focus on the contracting part of the procurement workflow. Contracts Specialists will interface extensively with the government, current contractors, and selectees for contract award. The Contracts Specialist must also be comfortable with employee in-take procedures, as there is a human resources element to their scope of work. The Specialist will be facilitating negotiations of salaries and benefits, start dates, relocation, etc.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Producing and drafting of all contract documents, including budgets, awards, modifications, and memorandums necessary to execute contract actions as assigned.
• Ensuring that all contract and contract documents are error-free and accurate.
• Monitoring actions and deadlines, and ensuring all assigned tasks are completed in a timely manner by coordinating assigned actions well in advance of deadlines.
• Producing and routing all contract actions through the Global Acquisition and Assistance System (GLAAS) to the Contracting Officer.
• Serving as the primary POC for OFDA, the Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA), and the PSC on all aspects of contracts and contract modifications for assigned actions.
• Liaising with various offices, including the OAA Contracting Officers as required.
• Responding to OFDA and OAA inquiries on PSC contract status, progress and issues.
• Providing ad hoc and regular reports to OAA and/or OFDA, as required.
• Ensuring assigned PSC contracts are in compliance with USAID, USG and OFDA regulations, laws, standards, procedures.
• Maintaining electronic and hard copy files and systems in compliance with USG, Agency and office standards.
• Providing administrative support duties including scanning, copying, filing, and other administrative support as needed.
• Proposing ways in which PSC contracts can be improved and/or processes can be streamlined, and participating in trainings and other opportunities as relevant to the position and role.
• Other duties as assigned.

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Quality of Work

• Prepares contract actions and supporting documents independently with appropriate content and minimal errors.

Contract actions and supporting documentation must be prepared in accordance with the appropriate policies, regulations and procedures. The Contracts Specialist must demonstrate good judgement and an understanding of when to seek additional information. The Contracts Specialist must demonstrate knowledge of his or her assigned portfolio, using personal tools (checklists, spreadsheets, etc.) as necessary to accomplish this. The Contracts Specialist must thoroughly review all related materials when preparing contract documents, ensuring all details are accurately captured.  The Contracts Specialist must be able to work with minimal oversight.

• Is able to work at a fast pace and consistently meets deadlines.

The Contract Specialist must demonstrate effective time-management skills, as well the ability to respond to a high volume of daily email and verbal requests.The Contracts Specialist should also demonstrate an understanding of requests or an ability to work with the team on unclear requests, and should consistently identify and respond to all aspects of multi-part tasks. In addition, the Contracts Specialist should also maintain and update statuses of contract actions in the designated trackers.

Job Skills

• Demonstrates strong attention to detail.

The Contracts Specialist must produce contract actions and supporting documents that receive minimal edits. Incremental progress and understanding must be observed so that the Specialist does not repeatedly make the same types of errors.

• Demonstrates the ability to manage multiple work streams and balance priorities.

The Contracts Specialist must be able to handle multiple contract actions simultaneously, while maintaining accuracy and timeliness. Contracts Specialist should also be able to identify and prioritize contract actions based on the set due dates and urgent priority requests, while meeting the necessary deadlines. The Contracts Specialist should communicate in a timely manner with Team Lead or Deputy Team Lead when unable to meet necessary deadlines.

Professional Qualities

• Understands Client relationship and handles communications effectively and appropriately.

Have excellent written and verbal communications skills.  Contracts Specialist should also be knowledgeable and able to convey current and accurate onboarding information when conducting PSC orientations for new hires.

• Meets client needs, acts professionally, shows initiative and represents the team positively.

The Contracts Specialist must produce accurate, high quality work rapidly, while contributing to a team in a collegial manner.

Interpersonal Relationships                                    

• Contributes proactively as part of a team.

The Contracts Specialist must be perceptive and willing to pitch in or volunteer where needed; must also demonstrate an ability to work well with a range of personalities.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Basic Requirements:   

• Bachelor’s degree

Experience:     

• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience
• Government contracting experience, including demonstrated understanding of and experience with applicable laws, rules, regulations and procedures governing contracting operations

Skills:             

Successful candidates must be reliable, highly organized, motivated, and able to excel in a deadline-oriented work environment. S/he will have:

• Communications. Excellent communication skills, both written and oral. Must communicate with clients, team members, and other stakeholders in the contracting process.
• Technology. Superior computer skills and the willingness/ability to learn new software and databases management tools quickly. (Microsoft Office in a network environment, Google Suite, etc.)
• Organization. Process-oriented, efficient, and highly organized with high attention to detail. Ability to balance priorities and manage multiple work streams.
• Self-motivated. The ability to complete tasks independently and in a timely manner.
• Analytical. Strong ability to identify problems and solve them with demonstrable mathematical and reasoning ability.
• Professionalism. Customer service oriented with the ability to build strong relationships.

U.S. Citizenship is required; selected candidate must be able to qualify for a government sponsored clearance.

Physical Requirements

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, and use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls.  The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.  The employee must occasionally lift or move up to 25 pounds.

This position description reflects Macfadden’s assignment of essential functions; nothing in this job description restricts the Company’s latitude to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

PAE is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our hiring practices provide equal opportunity for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, gender, national origin, age, United States military veteran’s status, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, family structure, medical condition including genetic characteristics or information, veteran status, or mental or physical disability so long as the essential functions of the job can be performed with or without reasonable accommodation, or any other protected category under federal, state, or local law.