Contract Specialist

Position Summary This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Procurement Operations (OPO). The purpose of this position is to serve as a senior contract specialist responsible for pre‑award and/or post‑award, and will be responsible to plan, direct, and administer the most complex and major acquisitions which are Department‑wide in scope. OPO's mission is to obtain best value products/services and improve acquisition processes. Non-BU Non‑BU: This is a non‑bargaining unit position. Applicant Requirements Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Individual Occupational Requirements, Specialized Experience, and Selective Placement Factor as noted below. Individual Occupational Requirement This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement that must be met prior to meeting the specialized experience. A. A 4‑year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree with a major in any field that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. B. Completed all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to GS‑13 or higher level contracting positions, including at least 4 years experience in contracting or related positions with at least 1 year of that experience satisfying the specialized experience described further below; AND applicants seeking to meet the training requirements for this GS‑13/14 position in accordance with the OPM Contracting Series 1102, Hiring Qualifications, are required to meet the Selective Placement Factor requirement described below. Employees in GS‑1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. This also applies to positions at the same grade in the same agency or other agencies if the specialized experience requirements are met. However, they will have to meet the basic requirements and specialized experience requirements in order to qualify for promotion to a higher grade, unless granted a waiver (waiver information provided below). NOTE: This exception only applies if you held a GS‑1102 position prior to January 1, 2000. If you have not held a GS‑1102 position prior to this date, this exception does not apply to you. This exception only allows you to apply for positions at the grade level you held as of January 1, 2000. In order to be promoted to a higher grade level, you must meet the Basic requirement above. You must provide an appropriate SF‑50 to verify your grade level if you are a federal employee and applying for this exception. When filling a GS‑1102 vacant position for a GS‑13 and above, the Senior Procurement Executive of DHS, at his or her discretion, may waive any or all of the requirements of paragraphs A and B of the OPM Contracting Series 1102, Hiring Qualifications if the Senior Procurement Executive certifies that the applicant possesses significant potential for advancement to levels of greater responsibility and authority, based on demonstrated analytical and decision‑making capabilities, job performance, and qualifying experience. With respect to each waiver, the Senior Procurement Executive must document for the record the basis of the waiver. If an individual is placed in a position at DHS based on a waiver, DHS may later reassign that individual to another position at the same grade within that agency without additional waiver action. NOTE: To receive consideration for this position, you must submit a copy of your transcripts for review. Your supporting documents must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Specialized Experience GS-13 You qualify for the GS‑13 grade level if you possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS‑12 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent private/public sector experience. For this position, specialized experience is defined as: Administering contracts using formal advertising or negotiation procedures; Determining the appropriate contract methods to use; Conducting price/cost analysis techniques for procurement actions; Applying knowledge of statutory and regulatory requirements when making procurement decisions. NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience may not be used for this grade level. Specialized Experience GS-14 You qualify for the GS‑14 grade level if you possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS‑13 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent private/public sector experience. For this position, specialized experience is defined as: Managing complex, sensitive, and unique procurement programs and initiatives; Developing and modifying guidelines and procedures related to acquisition; Detecting irregularities in offers/proposals by applying knowledge of fraudulent procurement practices; Applying knowledge of statutory and regulatory requirements when making procurement decisions. NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Substitution of education in lieu of specialized experience may not be used for this grade level. Selective Placement Factor This position has a Selective Placement Factor (SPF). Applicants must possess and submit the following certification: FAC-C (Professional) or DoD Contracting Professional Certification NOTE: If you do not submit one of the above certifications to demonstrate possession of the SPF or request a waiver, you will be rated ineligible. 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. 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr