Contract Specialist

Summary This announcement is issued under the Direct Hire Authority (DHA) to recruit for positions for which there is a critical hiring need. Selectee(s) will receive a career or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service and may be required to serve a one year probationary period. Responsibilities Typical work assignments at the full performance level include, but are not limited to: Serving as point of contact for program officials on acquisition and administrative matters affecting major procurement supplies and services. Monitoring acquisitions, procurements, and outsourcing efforts to ensure information security requirements are addressed and consistent with organizational goals. Developing supply chain, system, network, performance, and cybersecurity requirements included in contract language. Creating and maintaining all required contractual documentation. Conduct debriefings for unsuccessful offers and prepares documentation in the event of a protest. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. citizen. Selective Service - Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service, see All Federal employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer for salary payments. DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities. You must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance suitable for Federal employment as determined by a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs. One-year probationary period may be required. This position may be designated as essential personnel. Essential personnel must be able to serve during continuity of operation events without regard to declarations of liberal leave or government closures due to weather, protests, and acts of terrorism or lack of funding. Failure to report for or remain in this position may result in disciplinary or adverse action in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations (5 U.S.C. 7501-7533 and 5 CFR Part 752, as applicable). This position requires a pre-employment drug test. All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to a drug test to screen for illicit/illegal drug use prior to receiving a final offer of employment. A final offer of employment is contingent upon a negative drug test result. You are required to file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-450) upon entering the position, as well as annually. Qualifications Do NOT copy and paste the duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. Your resume must describe your work and experience, in your own words. To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required education and/or experience for the respective grade level in which you are applying. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Basic Qualification for the GS-13 and GS-14 A. Completion of 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. At least 1 year of that experience must have been specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level of the position, and must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position. AND B. A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, 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. OR C. Exceptions: 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 under Paragraph D. OR D. Waiver: When filling a specific vacant position, the senior procurement executive of the selecting agency, at his or her discretion, may waive any or all of the requirements of Paragraphs A and B above 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 granted under this Paragraph D, the senior procurement executive must document for the record the basis of the waiver. If an individual is placed in a position in an agency on the basis of a waiver, the agency may later reassign that individual to another position at the same grade within that agency without additional waiver action. IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS ABOVE, YOU MUST ALSO MEET THE FOLLOWING MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Specialized Experience GS-13: In addition to the basic qualification above, applicants must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the public or private sectors. Specialized experience is defined as: 1) Serving as lead contract specialist responsible for pre-award and/or post-award; 2) Ensuring acquisitions, procurements, and outsourcing efforts address information security requirements consistent with organizational goals; 3) Certifying supply chain, system, network, and cybersecurity requirements are included in contract language and delivered; AND 4) Working with contract officers or heads of contracting activity to ensure requirements are delivered. Specialized Experience:GS-14: In addition to the basic qualification above, applicants must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the public or private sectors. Specialized experience is defined as: 1) Serving as a contracting offer authorized to solicit contract proposals, negotiate, execute, administer, and/or terminate public contracts; 2) Managing complex and important procurement programs and initiatives that serve as a guide for procurement activities; 3) Certifying supply chain, system, network, and cybersecurity requirements are included in contract language and delivered; AND 4) Developing statements of work and procurement strategies, evaluation plans, pricing mythologies and contract administration plans. Certification Requirement: This position will require Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Professional which is mandated by DHS policy for Contract Specialist series 1102 positions. Applicants seeking to meet the training requirements for GS-13 and above in accordance with the OPM Contracting Series 1102, Hiring Qualifications are required to provide ONE of the following: 1. FAC-C Professional 2. Legacy FAC-C Certification (Levels I, II, or III) 3. Legacy Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Contracting Certification (Levels I, II, or III) 4. Department of Defense (DoD) Contracting Professional Certification Waiver: 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, found at Contracting Series, 1102, 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. 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. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Education For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for a position by substituting education or training for experience, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted that includes your name, the name of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and date of completion. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. Education must be from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Graduate Education: One academic year of graduate education is the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. Foreign Education: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the qualification requirements. You must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private U.S. organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information. Additional Information Other incentives may be authorized. If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to 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. Additional vacancies may be filled with this announcement. A one-year probationary period may be required during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. We may consider your performance and conduct, the needs and interests of the agency, whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government, and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. If selected below the full performance level, you may be noncompetitively promoted to the next higher grade level after meeting all regulatory requirements, and upon the recommendation of management. Promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. 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.