U.S or TCN PSC Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist GS 13

STATEMENT OF DUTIES: General Statement of Purpose of Contract The Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA) plays a pivotal role in the successful execution of USAID/Mali Development Goals and Objectives through the planning, solicitation, award and administration of contracts and agreements. OAA staff includes a stationed and warranted Contracting/Agreement Officer (CO/AO) and Cooperating Country Nationals (CNN), all of whom work with the technical teams to develop, award and administer programs. This Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist (US/TCNPSC) is the primary assistant and team leader to the Contracting Officer assisting USAID/Mali Development Objective Teams (DOTs) with achieving implementation results and DO goals and objectives. The incumbent works independently on activity design and implementation of A&A assignments, and is responsible for a wide range of A&A actions of all types. The incumbent must be able to apply professional procurement skills for any sector, program and will be expected to fulfill a leadership, training and supervisory role for USAID/Mali CCN employees. The incumbent is also required to work with multiple U.S. and host government entities and cross-cultural issues. The Senior Specialist is a key assistant to the Contracting/Agreement Officer and team leader for specific acquisition and assistance actions within the Mali Office of Acquisition and Assistance. The Incumbent is a crucial player for assisting USAID/Mali Office of Acquisition and Assistance. The incumbent is readily able to apply comprehensive US Government contracting experience (either directly or via private industry experience performing US Government contracts at the prime and/or subcontract level) to a full range of Acquisition and Assistance challenges. The incumbent does this by applying high-level Acquisition and Assistance knowledge, skills and abilities while working as independently as possible on activity design and implementation related to Acquisition and Assistance assignments. Responsibilities involve a wide range of Acquisition and Assistance actions, including a preponderance of complex actions, e.g., term, award fee or completion cost type contracts, task orders, international and interagency agreements, grants and cooperative agreements. The incumbent is responsible for all pre-award and post-award functions involving highly complex negotiated procurements of significant importance to the Agency. Requirements of the contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and inter-agency agreements are typically highly specialized and involve complex systems or sensitive international programs. USAID/Mali has a varied and complex country program having multi-million-dollar Acquisition and Assistance actions, very complex multi-sector programs with numerous projects, high funding levels and significant infrastructure work. Besides being able to apply professional procurement skills through all manner of Acquisition and Assistance instruments, the incumbent will be expected to deal with multiple US and host government entities, and the complexities of cross-cultural business dealings. Statement of Duties to be performed The incumbent is the principal advisor for a broad range of USAID Acquisition and Assistance activities, to include high dollar, complex competitive procurement actions, but also assistance (grants and cooperative agreements), modifications, delivery and purchase orders, interagency agreements and supply schedule or other related actions. The incumbent exercises leadership skills in conducting technically proficient procurement and assistance, fully complying with all relevant laws, regulations and procedures and performed in a positive, team and customer oriented manner. The incumbent has a formal decision-making authority in the many aspects of the broad areas of acquisition and assistance. B.1. Pre-Award Expertise and Services The incumbent performs or directs all actions required to conceptualize, plan, solicit, negotiate and award many kinds of acquisition and assistance actions of varying complexity. Conducts Acquisition and Assistance planning and subsequent pre-award activities fully supportive of USAID's strategic and special objectives and related results expectations and requirements. a. S/He fully understands performance-based Acquisition and Assistance principles with a resulting capability to meld Acquisition and Assistance services into specific contributions to appropriate USAID objectives and lower level indicators, outputs and inputs. b. S/He organizes, directs, conducts and/or coordinates pre-bid/pre-proposal conferences for complex procurement actions, especially construction or architect-engineering actions, but also for complicated services and commodities. Ensures the proper establishment of requirements for bid and/or performance bonding in applicable requests for proposals. c. S/He reviews requests for Acquisition and Assistance actions (to include consulting on scope of work or program description documents), and manages the Acquisition and Assistance process whereby the comprehensive requirements of the Federal and USAID Acquisition Regulations (FAR and AIDAR), Contract Information Bulletins (CIBs), Acquisition and Assistance Policy Directives (AAPDs), Procurement Executive Bulletins (PEBs), Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Office of Management & Budget Circulars (OMB Circulars), Automated Directive System (ADS), etc., are used to competitively, (or when justified, via other means), proceed through the entire offer/application solicitation process. The incumbent must manage the technical and cost/price evaluation process plus subsequent negotiation processes in all actions (competitive or otherwise) to arrive at business management-appropriate instruments, including grants and cooperative agreements, etc. This includes completing fully documented files with certifications, negotiation memoranda reflecting complete explanations for Contracting Officer decision rationales, a comprehensive record of commitments and obligations of the parties. Finally, the incumbent manages the award process from beginning to conclusion with fully executed contract or assistance documents. d. S/He develops long-range plans for new or complex programs. Responsible for procurement planning activities in assigned organizations, which may include reviewing and clearing project papers and representing OAA at program planning meetings. Identifies within assigned major program(s) those significant subsystems, components, equipment and services to be acquired by contract, grant or cooperative agreement or Inter-agency Agreement. Develops objectives for the program in terms of competition and price range, and constructs the contractual or assistance vehicle, which includes the use of pricing arrangements, subcontracting policy, set-aside polices, and similar considerations. Prepares and maintains current acquisition plans, appropriate milestone charts, and related schedules and keeps OAA management informed of anticipated workload demands. Anticipates problems and provides advice to project personnel on effective implementation and time frames required. Serves on project review committees. e. S/He serves as advisor to program officials in project planning meetings, advises program officials of the procurement instruments to be used and assists in the preparation of statements of work. The incumbent provides guidance and training to new project/technical staff on USAID regulations and FAR requirements and collaborates in the development of evaluation criteria. B.2 Post-award Expertise and Services. The incumbent performs all actions required to administer the complete variety of Acquisition and Assistance instruments from contractor/recipient mobilization through to closeout. S/he relies on a comprehensive mastery of the Country Development Cooperation Strategy, FAR, AIDAR, ADS, CFR, OMB Circulars and other procurement/assistance guidance sources to conduct output-based administration which enhances achievement of the Mission's program and assures timely delivery of the purchased supplies and/or services. a. S/He exercises a proactive role during the administration phase to include coordinating with technical, controller and legal officers, conducting meetings and conferences as required, maintaining good communications with contractors, recipients and grantees, interpreting contract or award provisions, and negotiating and finalizing instrument modifications when warranted. b. S/He coordinates special requirements with other US Government offices and agencies, including the Office of Inspector General (OIG), Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA), General Accounting Office (GAO), and Small Business Administration. S/he ensures that the results contractually required are documented and that Acquisition and Assistance actions are properly closed out, to include final audits, resolving indirect cost matters and preparing any needed final modifications. Responds to Freedom of Information Act requests. c. The incumbent provides backstopping services to the field regional personnel by advising on resolution of special procurement problems associates with waiver requests, expediting of deliveries, apparent overlapping of responsibilities, and resolution of claims. S/he conducts in-depth compliance review and evaluation of complex, unusual, or unprecedented contract actions requiring higher-level approval. d. S/He is responsible for contract administration sufficient to ensure contract terms and conditions are met and that the contractor delivers the required goods or services in a timely manner to achieve the objectives of the Agency's projects and programs. Responsibilities typically include periodic site visits, approval of changes to incremental funding, preparation of rate and cost adjustments, redirection of level of effort, coordination of time extension, incorporation of change orders, preparation of stop work orders, sub-awards consents, approval of key personnel, equipment purchases, property disposition reviews and approvals, preparation of cure notices or show cause letters, and contract closeout. S/he advises technical office counterparts and contractors on their administration responsibilities contained in the contract. S/he evaluates the adequacy of the contractor's business management systems for areas such as personnel compensation, insurance subcontracting procedures, and results of the financial audits. Development Objective (DO) Team Membership and Support Services. The incumbent serves on one or more DO Teams and/or provides support to the AA Office. Collegially, s/he represents the Office of AA viewpoint with the objective of having all team members fully understand and appreciate the key nature of the procurement and assistance function, how to obtain needed services or assistance to meet DO time schedules, as well as the statutory and procedural requirements established by Federal and USAID authorities for the purpose of protecting the U.S. Government's best interests. Mission Support Services. The incumbent provides crucial knowledge of the international and local contractor and NGO community via consultation and advice to Senior Mission Management. S/he establishes and maintains an authoritative Mission presence to include travel and provision of consultative advice on Acquisition and Assistance policies and procedures to external groups (e.g., other USG agencies, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), public international organizations (PIOs), for-profit contractors, other donors, etc.). a. S/He serves as a key trainer and advisor for Cooperating Country National (CCN) Acquisition and Assistance staff, providing advice, training and support for CCNs. The training/mentoring will be broad-based, to include job- specific technical training, informal day-to-day training and sharing of experience-based knowledge. The incumbent will counsel on consensus-building in a team environment, and methodology on professional conflict resolution technique. b. S/He responds to protests and audits findings and recommendations by researching and developing necessary analysis, documentation, and history of the awards. Works with the Regional Legal Officer in preparing the mission's position and provide assistance to the Contracting/Agreement Officer to support the Government's defense on protests to the GAO, and programmatic and financial audits conducted by OIG and GAO.