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Latest Job Opportunity at USAID Nigeria

Senior Acquisition And Assistance Specialist

Deadline:
29 January, 2015

Courses:
Business Administration, Political Science, International Relations, Social Sciences

Job Details

The USAID Nigeria is seeking to employ a suitable and qualified candidate for the position of Senior Acquisition and Assistance Specialist
Job Title: Senior Acquisition And Assistance Specialist
Ref.: FSN-12
Location: Abuja
Basic Function of Position

• The Specialist provides technical assistance necessary to execute a full range of procurement actions in the United States Agency for International Development for Nigeria (USAID/Nigeria) Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA). The support includes but is not limited to complex multi-million dollar grants and cooperative agreements, contracts, task orders, delivery orders, purchase orders, modifications to these instruments and other miscellaneous administrative actions.
• The Specialist conducts negotiations, prepare award documents and file documentation for the Contracting Officer's review and signature as more fully described below.
• The Specialist is also available for consultation on acquisition and assistance issues.
• The incumbent reports directly to the Senior Contracting Officer.
• The Specialist performs his/her duties with minimal supervision.

Major Duties and Responsibilities
Specifically, the Specialist:
Conducts Procurement Action Planning Work:

• Applies highly specialized contracting skills and knowledge involving the development of comprehensive planning strategies and appropriate long-range plans for new or complex actions many of which are structured with a prime contractor/recipient having two or more subcontractors/sub-grantees and requiring substantial contract administration.
• Represents the OAA/Nigeria as a full team member of one or more technical office teams.
• Coordinates proposal/application review panels and advises technical staff on procurement issues. Serves on project review committees.
• Advises the technical staff in the preparation of procurement planning documents.
• Provides counseling and training to new project/technical staff on USAID regulations and Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) requirements.
• Advises the technical staff/Activity Managers in the preparation of required descriptions of the proposed activity including statements of work, specifications, program descriptions, program announcements, budget, evaluation criteria, etc.
• Provides backstopping services to technical personnel by advising on resolution of special procurement problems associated with waiver requests, expediting of deliveries, apparent overlapping of responsibilities and resolution of claims.

Performs Mentoring Responsibilities:

• Provides mentoring and training of one Foreign Service National (FSN) Acquisition and Assistance Specialist.
• Provides on-the-job training to less senior OAA/Nigeria staff and interns, and assists the supervisory Contracting Officer in selecting appropriate developmental assignments for them; and reviews the work of the FSN.
• Organizes the preparation of annual work objectives with the Contracting Officer; follows-up on the progress of the less senior OAA employees; recommends training courses for the OAA staff for FAC-C compliance, etc.

Analyzes Sources for Services Procured and Prepares Solicitations:
Pre-award Expertise and Services:

• Develops new or innovative acquisition plans, source selection plans, and contract/grants terms and conditions that serve as models for future procurements.
• Reviews Modified Acquisition and Assistance Documents (MAARDS) requesting acquisition or assistance requests for complex services or programs.
• Prepares and issues solicitations for United States and Third Country National Personal services contracts (USPSCs/TCNPSCs), as well as contracts, grants and cooperative agreements.
• Advises the technical staff of the selection of appropriate acquisition and assistance mechanisms to accomplish agency or mission programmatic objectives; and makes choice of instruments recommendations to the Contracting Officer.
• Identifies acquisition issues/potential problems requiring guidance from the Regional Legal Advisor.
• Independently conducts the analysis, evaluation, and negotiation of a wide variety of acquisition and assistance documents, such as contracts, cooperative agreements, grants, etc.
• Performs complex services, including independently carrying out full and open competitive procedures.
• Prepares all required pre-solicitation documents, including determinations and findings, synopses, justifications, Request for Proposals (RFP's) or Request for Applications (RFA's).
• Conducts pre-proposal/application conference with potential offerors/applicants to arrive at clear understanding of what is required under the proposed contract/agreement.
• Advises Contracting Officer concerning such matters as the adequacy and choice of evaluation criteria, type of contract, the extent and mechanisms of advertising, the appropriateness of the time permitted for bid or pre-proposal preparation, the need for a pre-solicitation or pre-proposal conference, and any special terms and conditions that may be required, particularly if their use would require a deviation from governing regulations.
• Independently exercises judgment in this complex process involving multi-million dollar issues with significant political and legal implications requiring a high degree of analysis among, and between competing and often conflicting regulations and objectives
• Prepares solicitation/application documents which reflect Federal Grant Law and USAID regulations governing assistance instruments or federal acquisition and USAID regulations, policies and procedures.
• Obtains appropriate data from business and technical staff, and issues necessary amendments to clarify questions concerning such topics as specification changes, language ambiguities, or clarification of contract clauses or subcontracts.
• Explores new or innovative contracting approaches to arrive at an equitable contract management.
• In the absence of meaningful cost and price information, develops creative approaches to developing the necessary comparatives data.

Negotiates Procurement Services:
Pre-award Expertise and Services:

• Evaluates proposals and applications for responsiveness to the solicitations and documents the relative strengths and deficiencies of each proposal.
• Performs in-depth cost analysis of offers/applications. Guides the technical team in the best practices of "best value" selection, and performance-based technical approaches.
• Obtains reports and references, ensuring that offerors'/applicants' past performance has been relevant and of high quality.
• Plans the negotiation strategy, coordinates and leads the negotiations which are conducted with contractors/grantees to develop the award price and terms.
• Controls the flow of information from the Mission to the offering community during the proposal preparation stage ensuring that all requirements of full and open competition are met and that the integrity of the procurement process is upheld.
• Represents OAA/Nigeria in the evaluation of bids and proposals/applications, ensuring compliance with all published evaluation criteria and factors, and Federal and USAID regulations, policies and procedures.
• Provides instructions to the technical evaluation committee regarding rules and procedures in the conduct of a competitive source selection. Obtains pricing assistance as necessary and available and performs cost or price analysis, as appropriate and documents findings.
• Analyzes cost realism statements and technical scores from the technical evaluation committee, and based on this analysis, establishes the competitive range and presents documentation for signature to the Contracting Officer.
• Performs extensive analysis on cost issues with consideration to economic conditions and factors of material, labor, and transportation costs.
• Coordinates issues of technical weakness and excessive costs with the Evaluation team prior to the commencement of negotiations.
• Clarifies, and, as necessary, instructs the members of the Evaluation team on the USAID procurement process as implemented in the Agency.
• Prepares pre-negotiation strategies which address price, profit/fee, special terms and conditions; prepares requests for confirmation of the results of the negotiation, including requests for final revised proposals or revised program descriptions/financial plans, .
• Documents the results of the negotiations and make responsibility determinations, which may require either performing or requesting pre-award, financial and program management reviews as circumstances dictate or permit.
• Ensures, through Pre-award surveys, that offerors/applicants have adequate management, accounting, personnel, and procurement systems, corporate leadership, available resources, and quality control to satisfactorily carry out contracts.
• Request audit reports or pre-award surveys from the Office of the Inspector General, Defense Contract Audit Agency and obtains clearance from the U.S. Department of Labor and/or the Small Business Administration on a variety of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and workplace issues.
• Prepares award document that reflects the results of all discussions, and special needs of the project, and applicable terms and conditions.
• Inputs award/modification data in the Procurement Information Collection System (ePICS). Distributes award documents, ensures proper recording of the obligations by the Controller's Officer, and provides all required notifications to unsuccessful bidders and offerors and U.S. Government award publication points.
• Prepares all written debriefings and arranges for telephone or in person debriefings and ensures proper data entry into USAID acquisition and assistance management information systems.

Performs Post-Award Duties and Responsibilities including Conducting Research, Analysis and Interpretation:

• Organizes and conducts Post-award conferences including orientation meeting with the selected contractor and all cognizant Mission support offices, beneficiaries, and relevant implementing employees to ensure that mobilization efforts will be conducted efficiently and that all terms and conditions of procurement instruments are clear and well-understood by all parties.
• Responsible for contract administration sufficient to ensure that the terms and conditions of the award are met and that the contractor meets delivery schedules and/or performance milestones in a timely manner to achieve Mission objectives.
• Conducts award administration tasks including site visits, incorporation of change orders, drafting correspondence, initiating contractor performance evaluations, monitoring of reporting requirements, advising Contracting/Agreement Officer's technical representatives (COTRs/AOTRs) and contractors on their administration responsibilities, etc.
• Represents the OAA at performance-related Team meetings held by the Mission. Assists the technical and project teams to develop appropriate indicators for work plans and contract documents.
• Ensures that the contractor/grantee is fully compliant with the performance standards contained in the contract/agreement and seeks corrective action in cases of non-compliance.
• Expedites Change Orders or modifications to the contract when circumstances require.
• Issues "show cause' or "cure notices", and/or recommends termination of contracts for default or convenience and negotiates termination settlements.
• Advises the Contracting Officer and prepares appropriate documentation on any issues that may arise in the course of performance, including changes, disputes, work stoppages, problems with Government Furnished Property or Materials, changes in scope or direction, replacement of key personnel, failure to make acceptable progress, default, payment problems, or unacceptable performance/deliveries.
• Recommends appropriate Contracting Officer action on all required Contracting Officer prior approvals.
• Performs policy interpretation to the technical staff, contractors, grantees, etc.
• Responding to enquiries/requests for data from AID/Washington and others, e.g. the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) which requests "ex post reporting" (untied) data.
• Reviews contracting policies to ensure consistency in implementation.
• Analyzes, and takes actions to resolve findings contained in audit reports, such as cost items questioned or unresolved, and supports recommendations to the Contracting Officer with detailed analysis of each cost, category or element as necessary.
• Responsible for monitoring new procurement regulations and policies and ensuring that all OAA staff are aware of/ensure compliance with these regulations and inform their clients accordingly of potential impacts on their programs.
• Performs special assignments on an "as needed" basis, such as the USAID/W evaluations of Mission procurement systems and audits, Mission conversion to the Global Acquisition System (GLAS).
• Reviews completed (after full performance) official contract files to determine that all contractual actions are satisfied and that there are no pending administrative actions to be resolved.
• Ensures that all file documents are signed, that there are no litigation actions pending, and that the contract is complete in every respect and ready to be closed. Ensures that contracts nearing annual anniversaries or final completion have a performance report filled out by the Technical Officer, submits the report to the contractor for comment, and enters the Contractor Performance data on the Contractor Performance System (CPS).
• Performs award closeout actions.
• Perform other duties as assigned or required.

Job Requirements

Requirements
Qualifications Required for Effective Performance
Note: All applicants MUST address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each criterion or the application will not be considered.
Education:
University Degree in Business Administration, Political Science, International Relations, Social Sciences or related field is required.
Work Experience

• 6 to 7 years of progressively responsible, professional acquisition and assistance experience is required.
• At least 4, preferably 5 years of them must be in a procurement capacity with any USG agency.

Knowledge

• In-depth knowledge of USAID acquisition and assistance procedures and detailed understanding of Federal Acquisition Regulations, practices and procedures and Mission's strategic plan; and highly detailed understanding of: Analyzing and organizing large amounts of detailed information such as cost issues/factors and contract types, as relates to requirements;
• Knowledge of the organizations interested in and capable of performing USAID contracts, grants and cooperative agreements;
• Knowledge of local procurement laws/policies; etc.

Language Proficiency: Fluency in spoken and written English (Level IV) is required.
Abilities and Skills

• Ability to work with minimal supervision.
• One year mentoring experience.
• Highly detailed understanding/application of negotiation techniques and cost and price analysis;
• High level analytical skills and sound judgment to select appropriate A&A instruments types.
• Ability to deal effectively with intermediate to high level representatives of U.S., international and local businesses, the Mission and the host government;
• Excellent writing skills for various procurement-related documents. Excellent interpersonal skills.

Selection Process: It is essential that the candidate address the required qualifications above in the application.
Additional Selection Criteria

• Management will consider nepotism/conflict of interest, budget, and residency status in determining successful candidacy.
• Current employees serving a probationary period are not eligible to apply.
• Current employees who are qualified will be given preference.
• Only successful applicants who meet the minimum requirements will be notified.
• The Human Resources Office will NOT accept applications or resume submitted in U.S. Government official envelopes.
• The minimum requirements must be adequately addressed in the cover letter of your application package. Failure to do so will disqualify your application.

Remuneration
FSN: N9, 045,838.00 p.a (Starting basic salary)
Position Grade: FSN-12
In addition to the basic salary, all allowances will be paid in accordance with the Mission Local Compensation Plan.
Application Closing Date
28th January, 2015
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates for this position must submit the following, or the application will not be considered:
A type-written application specifically applying for this position, and addressing the minimum requirements as advertised. Please reference the job title and announcement number on the application letter.
A current resume or curriculum vitae, listing all job responsibilities; plus
Any other documentation (e.g., essays, certificates, awards, copies of degrees earned) that addresses the qualification requirements of the position as listed above.
Please indicate position title and vacancy announcement number on the top right corner of the envelope and also on the subject line of the application letter.
Submit Application to:
USAID Nigeria
ATTN: Human Resource Office,
c/o U.S. Embassy,
1075 Diplomatic Drive,
Abuja, FCT,
Nigeria.