Senior Contract Specialist, SSC/PK

Duties

The United States Space Force (USSF) at Los Angeles Air Force Base is searching for a Senior Contract Specialist to support SSC/PKB (NH-1102-04, GS-14/15 Equivalent).

Description:
The United States Space Force (USSF), Space Systems Command (SSC) Contracting Directorate (PK) is searching for a senior expert to fill a Nonsupervisory Principal Contracting Officer position. Located at Los Angeles AFB in El Segundo, California, this role demands high-level acquisition execution across a dual-pronged portfolio. While the incumbent will serve as a premier expert for executing Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and international agreements, they will also execute high-visibility, traditional U.S. domestic (non-FMS) major system acquisitions. We are casting a wide net to hire top-tier contracting professionals with elite backgrounds in either international FMS or traditional major defense acquisition programs (MDAP).

Position Responsibilities:
- Acquisition Leadership: Plans, organizes, and directs comprehensive contracting and acquisition activities for the Branch, ensuring all operations strictly comply with the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, Revolutionary DFARS, and other statutory or regulatory requirements.
- Non-Traditional Acquisition Pathways e.g., Middle Tier Acquisition/Rapid Prototyping/Rapid Fielding): Directs the strategic application of both traditional contracts and non-traditional acquisition methods, aggressively leveraging Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs) to accelerate the prototyping and fielding of innovative space technologies at rapid speed.
- Strategic Integration: Develops branch goals and objectives that seamlessly integrate organizational requirements with SSC regulations, establishing governing policies and procedures for AMTI and related SBST acquisitions.
- Executive Representation: Routinely represents the organization at the PAE level, maintaining strategic and resilient relationships with Interagency and Industry partners to actualize acquisition strategies and deliver decision-quality procurement products and deliverables to senior leadership.
- Resource & Business Optimization: Implements and directs advanced business rules and contracting best practices to ensure the highly effective and efficient utilization of directorate resources in agile manner.

Ideal Candidate:
- Regulatory Mastery: Mastery knowledge of DoW, Space Systems Command, and federal contracting standards and policies (R-FAR/R-DFARS) for major system acquisitions, with an in-depth understanding of DoW, Service, and Agency interrelationships. This significant collaboration, mentoring, and guiding will be necessary across functions and contracting in order to deliver high impact contracting support.
- Ability to collaborate at an incredibly high level and execution tempo and build team chemistry and cohesion resulting in seamless combined execution and optimum mission results.
- Mission Awareness: Comprehensive understanding of large, complex organizations that provide component, space operations, command and control (C2) support, mission support, and base infrastructure critical to combatant command operations within the homeland and abroad.
- The ideal candidate will lead high-visibility and dollar value programs for the SBST PAE by drafting and executing flexible agreements and associated contractual instruments.
- Lifecycle Expertise: Mastery knowledge of pre-award and post-award contracting program goals, including the sequencing and timing of key acquisition milestones, evaluating procurement planning effectiveness, and developing complex contract amendments to ensure continuous space operations.
- Leadership & Personnel Management: Proven ability to analyze, plan, organize, and direct branch functions. Demonstrated skill in mentoring, motivating, and appraising a staff of contracting professionals to meet program objectives within available resources, while resolving conflicts harmoniously through tactful interpersonal relations.
- Supervisory, Warrant, & OTA Experience: Previous supervisory experience and tenure as a warranted Contracting Officer at Space Systems Command, the NRO, or a similar major DoW acquisition organization or industry is highly desired. Extensive experience managing Other Transaction Authority (OTA) portfolios, or previously holding an Agreements Officer authority, is highly preferred.

**Value of Position (VOP): If your current basic salary is within the band, but above the stated VOP, your basic salary will not be reduced if you are selected for the position.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S Citizen.
• PCS / Relocation is available.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret / SCI security clearance.
• Required to handle and safeguard sensitive and classified information in accordance with regulations to reduce potential compromise.
• May be required travel away from the normal duty station on military or commercial aircraft.
• May be required to work overtime on an unscheduled or emergency basis.
• Eligible for situational telework only, including Emergency and OPM prescribed "Unscheduled Telework"
• Subject to TDY 15 days per year.
• Employee must within 30-days of assuming this position and by 31 October annually thereafter, file an OGE-450, "Confidential Financial Disclosure Report." Employee is required to attend annual ethics and procurement integrity training.
• The employee must meet the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) requirements applicable to the duties of the position.
• Employee is in a designated position that requires consent and thereafter be subject to and successfully complete, an initial, periodic and random counterintelligence (CI)-scope polygraph examination as a condition of employment.
• This is a Critical Acquisition Position (CAP).
• This is a cybersecurity position; the employee will attain appropriate DoD approved cybersecurity baseline certificate(s) applicable for cybersecurity functions required for the DoD position held,.
• Alternative work arrangements, including establishing an alternate work location, may be considered for this position at the time of selection in accordance with mission requirements and agency policy

Qualifications

DOD QUALIFICATION STANDARD FOR GS-1102 CONTRACTING POSITIONS

This is an individual, single agency qualification standard for Department of Defense positions. This standard implements requirements contained in Title 10, United States Code, Sections 1723 through 1733, as amended by Section 861(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92) and implemented on a policy exception basis by Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment memorandum, Exception to 24 Semester Hours Requirement for Contracting Positions, effective and dated August 2, 2020.

Basic Education Requirements for GS-5 through GS-15 (or equivalent) positions:

Bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees.

NOTE: The education requirements listed above apply only to individuals entering DoD GS-1102 positions on or after October 1, 2000. Current civilian personnel in DoD who occupied GS-1102 positions or contracting positions with authority to award or administer contracts above the simplified acquisition threshold in an Executive

Department on or before September 30, 2000 are exempt from meeting this requirement. Current military members who occupied a similar occupational specialty to the GS (or equivalent)-1102 or before September 30, 2000 are also exempt from meeting this requirement.

GS-12 thru GS-15

(no educational equivalent)

One year equivalent to at least next lower grade level

Basic Qualification Requirements for Contracting Officer Positions: In addition to meeting, the basic educational requirement as well as the requirements in the table above, applicants must have:

Have at least two years of experience in contracting positions; and

Have completed all contracting courses required for a contracting officer for positions at the level and grade at which the person is serving. Certification at this level is sufficient to meet this standard.

In addition:

Specialized Experience: In addition to meeting the basic education requirements above, one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression is qualifying for positions at grades GS-7 (or equivalent) and above. Specialized experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled.

Basic Requirements for Critical Acquisition Positions: The Secretary of Defense shall designate the acquisition positions in the Department of Defense that are critical acquisition positions, applicants must:

Be eligible for GS-14, or equivalent; and

Hold a bachelor's degree; and

Have completed all mandatory training requirements for Level II or III certification as prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to higher level contracting positions; and

Possess four years of acquisition experience. At least 1 year of that experience must have been specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower grade level of the position, and must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position.

Basic Qualification Requirements for Senior Contracting Officials: A Senior Contracting Official is a position such as a director of contracting, or a principal deputy to a director of contracting, serving in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Office of the Secretary of a Military Department, the Headquarters (HQ) of a Military Department, the HQ of a Defense Agency, a subordinate command HQ, or a major systems or logistics contracting activity in the Department of Defense. Before a person may be assigned to a critical acquisition position as a senior contracting official, the person must have at least four years' experience in contracting.

Waivers: With the exception of Specialized Experience, the component acquisition career management authority may waive any or all of the requirements listed in this qualifications standard with respect to any employee of the Department of Defense if the board certifies that the individual possesses significant potential for advancement to levels of greater responsibility and authority, based on demonstrated job performance and qualifying experience.

Additional information

Employed Annuitants (Reemployed Annuitants): Applicants in receipt of an annuity based on civilian employment in the Federal Service are subject to the DoD Policy on The Employment of Annuitants. Click for more information.

is available to a Federal employee hired on/after 5 Nov 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more. For more information, click .