The United States Bankruptcy Court
Northern District of Indiana
Notice of Vacancy

Position Overview
The Procurement Specialist position performs administrative support duties which ensure the court is supplied with the materials, equipment, and services to function optimally. The incumbent assists in performing administrative and technical work related to procurement, and administrative projects. The Procurement Specialist position ensures compliance with appropriate guidelines, policies, and approved internal controls. This position will report to the Contracting Officer.

Representative Duties
The following are representative duties of this position:
•    Assess requests for goods and services, ensuring they are allowable under limitations, restrictions, and policies. Verify that accounts have funds available for items being purchased. Prepare spreadsheets and maintain databases to track certain expenditures.
•    Procure authorized supplies, equipment, services, and furnishings from government and non-government sources through new contracts, competitive bids, or existing government contracts.
•    Utilize an automated system to track purchases and process inventory. Monitor cyclical replacement of equipment and assist with disposal process as assigned.
•    Adhere to the Guide to Judiciary Policy regarding procurement program policies, procedures, and practices. Adhere to the court’s internal control procedures and separation of duty practices.
•    Identify and maintain lists of vendors and sources of supply for goods and services. Assist in the research and evaluation of suppliers based on price, quality, selection, service, support, availability, reliability, production, and distribution capabilities, as well as their reputation and history.
•    Assist in drafting specifications, solicitations, and requests for qualifications/proposals. Research products and equipment. Draft product/equipment specifications.
•    Assist in obtaining and reviewing competitive bids, quotes, and proposals from vendors and contractors. Discuss evaluations and review with requesters, subject matter experts, and management.
•    Under the guidance of a supervisor, evaluate and monitor contract performance to ensure compliance with contracted obligations. Assist with clarifying contract requirements and resolving any conflicts.
•    Assist in writing and/or revising operating procedures for procurement management.
•    Review, evaluate, and verify accuracy of invoices and forward for payment.
•    Assist with coordinating conferences, meetings, and court ceremonies. Assist in the preparation of agendas; prepare materials for meetings, take and distribute minutes of proceedings.
•    Assist in data entry projects as assigned.
•    Update and distribute phone list. This includes maintaining general contact/directory listings as assigned.
•    Coordinate COOP/Emergency Preparedness duties as assigned.
•    Travel required (to South Bend, Fort Wayne, Lafayette & Hammond divisional offices.)
•    Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications
To qualify, applicants must be a high school graduate or equivalent (bachelor’s degree preferred), with at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent to work at CL-24.

Specialized Experience
Progressively responsible experience in administrative or professional work that provided knowledge of the basic concepts and practices of procurement or a similarly aligned administrative function.  Experience with the routine use of computer based systems and applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, or databases. Must be able to obtain Contracting Officer Certifying Program (COCP)  certification for levels 1, 2 and 3 and continue to maintain this certification by completing continuing education courses every two years.

Must be able to consistently demonstrate sound ethics, judgement and maintain a high degree of integrity. Understanding the use of technology in the workplace and the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing is essential.

Educational Substitutions
Education may not be substituted for specialized experience because administrative court support positions require hands-on experience to be credited as specialized experience.

Employee Benefits
The United States Bankruptcy Court is not included in the government’s Civil Service classification system; however, the same benefits apply to court employees. These benefits include:

•    13 days paid vacation per year (first three years) 20 days paid vacation per year (after three years) 26 days paid vacation per year (after fifteen years) 13 days paid sick leave per year
•    10 paid holidays
•    Medical coverage from a wide variety of plans
•    Life insurance
•    Long-term disability insurance
•    Long-term care insurance
•    Flexible Spending Program (e.g., pre-tax contributions for medical/dental/optical expenses)
•    Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) including Thrift Savings Plan

Conditions of Employment
This is a sensitive position within the Judiciary. The selected candidate will be subject to a fingerprint check through the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division  database as a condition of employment. Applicants must be United States citizens or eligible to work for the United States government. This position is a full OR part time, “year and a day” appointment (temporary to permanent) depending on work performance.

Application Procedures
Send cover letter, resume, and A078, Application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment, via email to: careers@innb.uscourts.gov or via mail to:

United States Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Indiana ATTENTION: Human Resources
401 S. Michigan St. South Bend, IN 46601

The AO78, Application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment, can be found at www.uscourts.gov

Information for Applicants
The court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, to withdraw the job announcement, or to fill the position sooner than the closing  date, any of which actions may occur without any prior written notice. If the applicant is hired at CL 25, a promotion to CL 26 will not require further competition. The court requires employees to adhere to a Code of Conduct which is available to applicants for  review upon request.

THIS POSITION IS SUBJECT TO MANDATORY ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER
EMPLOYEES  WILL  BE  HIRED  PROVISIONALLY  PENDING  THE RESULTS  OF  A  BACKGROUND  INVESTIGATION
THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER