Student Trainee (Contract Specialist)

Summary This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of the Chief Procurement Officer. We are seeking candidates to participate in the Student Hire Internship Pathway (SHIP) for Acquisition Professionals. This program offers current students in relevant educational programs internships in DHS acquisition offices. Before applying, please learn more at Responsibilities As a Student Trainee (Contract Specialist), GS-1199-4, your typical work assignments may include the following under supervision: Serve on a team specializing in acquisition to negotiate, award, administer, and closeout actions Engineer or cost estimate aspects of programs Assist in requirements planning and the development and review of statements of work Prepare acquisition documents and obtain legal, financial, and staff review Assist higher-graded staff with the day-to-day administration of acquisition activity Participate in special activities as assigned Assure data in information systems for assigned work is complete, current, and accurate Oversee contractor performance under contracts Complete training and career development activities Key features of the SHIP experience include: Cohort based onboarding experience Orientation to DHS mission and cultures Orientation to federal acquisition careers and the professional environment Structured on the job experience Partnership with a mentor Peer support and networking with your "shipmate" counterparts Specialized training External events and activities Mission-connection experiences A management interview of a senior professional A leadership shadowing experience Capstone project that showcases your SHIP experiences Special projects All DHS-HQ announcements have a 5 business day open period due to the number of applications received. This announcement will be open for 5 business days OR until the first 150 applications have been received, whichever happens first.View common definitions of terms found in this announcement: Common Definitions. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To be eligible for this internship, ALL of the following requirements must be met: Age Requirement: You must be at least sixteen years of age; Citizenship Requirement: You must be a citizen of the United States or lawfully admitted to the United States as a permanent resident or otherwise authorized to be employed under immigration laws, and also satisfy the Appropriations Act Ban on employment of non-citizens; Student Status: You must accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) at a qualifying educational institution, on at least a half-time basis (as defined by the institution); or accepted for enrollment or enrolled in a qualifying career or technical education program that awards a recognized post-secondary credential (such as a Registered Apprenticeship Program or Job Corps) pursuant to 5 CFR 362. "Half-time" is defined by the school in which the student is enrolled. Under this program, an individual who needs to complete less than a half-time equivalent of an academic/vocational or technical course load immediately prior to graduating is still eligible. Grade Point Average: You must be considered in good academic standings by the school. You must have at least a 2.0 GPA, or a 3.0 GPA if enrolled in a Master's or Professional degree program. Qualification Standards: You must meet the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) or Department of Homeland Security (DHS) qualification standards prior to appointment and any physical and security requirements. AND You must also meet all qualification requirements: You qualify at the GS-4 grade level if you possess the following: Completion of 2 full academic years of post-high school study or higher from a qualifying educational institution or a qualifying career or technical education program that awards a recognized post-secondary credential (such as a Registered Apprenticeship Program or Job Corps). We highly desire students with majors/degrees closely related to Business, especially programs focused on Purchasing, Procurement, Acquisition, Contract Management, and Supply Chain Management. An academic year is computed as follows: At the undergraduate level, successfully completed education that has not led to possession of a degree is credited based on its relationship to 120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours. For example, 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours is comparable to 1 year of undergraduate education. Four years of progressive study or 120 semester hours meets the degree requirements. Additional credit cannot be given for duplicate course work. For study at a business or technical school, 36 weeks of study (20+ classroom hours per week) is comparable to 1 academic year above high school. An academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 academic year of full-time study. This determination is made based on normal course loads for a full year of study in the graduate program. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. When academic credit is expressed in contract months, units, or other terms that differ from conventional semester or quarter hours, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide an interpretation of such credits from the appropriate institution in order to equate them to the semester or quarter hours specified in the standard. NOTE: If your school's definition of "academic year" differs from above, you must submit proof of this difference (e.g., copy of course catalog that defines an academic year). Absent this documentation, you will screened for academic qualifications based on the hours defined in the bullets above. Students may be offered the opportunity to extend their internships into subsequent periods, but no internship will extend beyond three periods before graduation. After successful completion of the program (SHIP) requirements, the individual may be converted to a term or permanent appointment at the agency's discretion. Only student interns who otherwise meet the criteria for a GS-1102-07 Contract Specialist are eligible for conversion to permanent positions in the APCP program. Basic Requirement for Contract Specialist (1102):Contracting Series, 1102 (opm.gov) In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements for Administrative and Management Positions (General Schedule Qualification Standards (opm.gov)). For all Contracting Series, 1102 positions at GS-05 through GS-12: Selectee must meet position requirements for Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Professional certification within 36 months as of entrance on duty. All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Current or Former Political Appointees: 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, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Education Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications; applicant's resumes and supporting documentation should only reflect education received from schools accredited by such institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following Website: You must submit a copy of your transcript. An unofficial transcript or a list of courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned can be used as a substitute for the official transcript at the time of application. Official transcripts will be required if you are selected for the position. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency (a U.S. private organization's interpretation that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to conventional U.S. education programs) with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For more information regarding evaluation of foreign education for federal employment, please visit the U.S. Department of Education webpage on the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. Additional Information Student Interns will be required to work a minimum of 16 hours per week (32 hours pay period) until completion of coursework prior to graduation in Fall 2026 or Spring 2027. Upon completion of coursework, the schedule may shift at supervisory discretion. The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps, VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement. Pursuant to Executive Order 12564 and DHS policy, DHS is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and, therefore, conducts random and other drug testing of its employees in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. Headquarters personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions are subject to random drug testing and all applicants tentatively selected for employment at DHS Headquarters are subject to drug testing resulting in a negative test result. Pursuant to an exception granted by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), your application must contain a completed Optional Form 306, Declaration of Federal Employment. If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to update your OF-306, and to again sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation for Non-Critical Sensitive/Secret as a condition of placement in this Moderate Risk level OR Non-Sensitive/ Suitability risk level position. This review may include financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs. This appointment may be extended until the selectee's educational program requirements have been completed. After successful completion of the program requirements, the individual may be converted to a term or permanent appointment at the agency's discretion.