Contract Specialist

Summary

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit

As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

This announcement has been extended until August 12, 2026.

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Duties

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You must possess a Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) or equivalent or be able to obtain and retain at least a Level 1, FAC-C as a Federal contracting professional. FAC-C has specific training requirements with some courses online and in the classroom. To maintain a FAC-C, contract professionals are required to meet a continuous training requirement.

The incumbent serves as the District Contracting Officer, exercising a delegation of authority to contract for a variety of services, supplies, and equipment. In addition, the incumbent provides a variety of administrative support services in such areas as purchasing, space management, security, internal controls, mail, records, reproduction services, forms management, and communication services. Duties include:

• Responsibility for both pre-award and post-award actions for the acquisition of complex professional services and equipment requirements for the USAO;-Reviewing requisitions and determining the appropriate method of procurement; i.e., contract type, formal advertising, Federal Supply Schedules (FSS), Government-Wide Agency Contracts (GWAC), Requests for Proposals (RFP), etc.;
• Developing procurement plans by reviewing market conditions, specifications, and technical requirements;-
• Preparing Statements of Work (SOW) or Statement of Objectives (SOO), and other documents necessary to insure all appropriate specifications are clear prior to a formal solicitation process;
• Evaluating proposals, unsolicited proposals, and other bid documents;
• Drafting final contract documents, including specifications, packing and shipping requirements, inspection instructions, and all other special and standard contract clauses;
• Performing a variety of ancillary support services in the areas of purchasing, space and telecommunications management, supply/property/inventory management, and records management

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. Continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.
• You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable.
• If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
• Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
• You must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.

Qualifications

You must possess a Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) or equivalent or be able to obtain and retain at least a Level 1, FAC-C as a Federal contracting professional. FAC-C has specific training requirements with some courses online and in the classroom. To maintain a FAC-C, contract professionals are required to meet a continuous training requirement.

Note: To be qualified for this position, you must meet BOTH the Basic Requirements and the Minimum Qualifications .

Basic Requirements:

A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field;

or

At least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods or organization and management.

or

You have occupied a GS-1102 Contract Specialist position in the Federal government on January 1, 2000. Employees who occupy GS-1102 grades 5 through 12 will be considered to meet the basic requirements. This includes positions at other agencies and promotions up through grade 12. However, employees must meet specialized experience requirements when seeking another position.

**Note: In addition to meeting the basic requirements above to qualify for this position, you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below.**

Minimum Qualifications :

GS-09 : To be eligible at the GS-09 level, you must have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as experience reviewing requisitions and determining appropriate method of procurement; purchasing supplies/services, preparing contract solicitation and award documentation; or preparing contract documents that include specifications, packing and shipping requirements, inspection, instruction, and contract clauses, providing a variety of routine administrative support services in areas such as purchasing, space management, security, mail, internal controls, records, forms management, reproduction services and communication services.

Education : Two (2) full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or Master's Degree or equivalent graduate degree, or an LL.B., or J.D. Education was obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.

Combination of Experience and Education : A combination of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. To qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of one full year.

GS-11 : To be eligible at the GS-11 level, you must have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in Federal service.

Specialized experience is defined as experience conducting all aspects of contracting for supplies and services from initiation to award recommendations, preparing statements of work or statements of objectives, and other documents necessary prior to a formal solicitation process; preparing a variety of reports concerning the status of funds, expenses, and obligations; drafting final contract documents to include specifications of bids and proposals; interpreting procurement policies and procedures; participating in the preparation of contract modifications, cost analysis, and acquiring services and supplies and providing a variety of routine administrative support services in areas such as purchasing, space management, security, mail, internal controls, records, forms management, reproduction services and communication services.

Education : Three (3) full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. Education was obtained in an accredited college or university and demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position.

Combining Education and Experience : Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. To qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of 2 full years

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)- The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at:

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)- The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at

Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) -VEOA allows eligible veterans to apply and compete for positions announced under merit promotion procedures when the hiring agency is recruiting from outside its own workforce. To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, a veteran must be honorably separated and either a preference eligible or have substantially completed three (3) or more years of continuous active military service. If you are applying for a Merit Promotion announcement and wish to be considered under VEOA, you must submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214, in addition to any other required documents listed on this announcement.

Special Employment Consideration - Persons with disabilities, veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more, certain other veterans, spouses of certain members of the armed forces, and returning Peace Corps volunteers are examples of individuals who are potentially eligible for non-competitive appointments. For further information, click on the links provided below . You must specify in your online questionnaire under what authority you wish to be considered and submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility.

Noncompetitive Appointment Authorities Links:

Education

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see

OR

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

Additional information

Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized.

The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See

Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here:

Political Appointees (Current or Former ): The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.