Contract Specialist

Office of Inspector General

$88K — $105K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain Secret security clearance.
  • 5-7 years of experience in contracting or related fields, including specialized experience at or above GS-13 level.
  • Bachelor's degree with 24 semester hours in relevant fields such as business, finance, or management.
  • Completion of mandatory agency training for progression to GS-13 or higher in contracting.
  • Background in administering diverse contracts from small to multi-million dollar procurements.

Responsibilities

  • Plan and develop contractual strategies to meet agency requirements.
  • Determine appropriate contract type and set clear expectations for contractor performance.
  • Collaborate with program staff to prepare statements of work and necessary documentation per FAR.
  • Oversee contracting officer's representatives to ensure compliance and timely payments.
  • Direct contract administration actions including modifications, negotiations, and performance evaluations.

Benefits

  • Health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance.
  • Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401(k)).
  • Flexible Spending Accounts and personal leave days.
  • Paid federal holidays and potential telework opportunities.
  • Extensive employee training and development programs.
Full Job Description
Summary

Duties

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This position is located in the Acquisitions and Special Programs Division, Office of Management, Office of Inspector General (OIG), Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Typical assignments include:

  • Plans, develops, and establishes contractual strategy.
  • Determines the type of contract and authority best suited to the requirements; develops special clauses and metrics, as necessary, to clearly convey expectations and evaluate contractor performance.
  • Prepares statements of work in collaboration with program personnel and prepares appropriate file documentation, as required by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), including justifications.
  • Appoints and oversees the contracting officer's representatives in all OIG procurement actions and ensures that benchmarks for projects are met and that contracts receive prompt payment for deliverables.
  • Directs the full range of contract administration actions required for the acquisition program, including the issuance of contract modifications, negotiation of changes, exercise of options, investigations and resolution of contractor delays, contractor performance appraisals, subcontractor surveillance, disposition of claims, and similar matters.


Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position
  • You must successfully pass a background investigation
  • You must be able to obtain Secret security clearance
  • Selective Service registration required
  • Completion of [a two year Trial Period, 1 year probationary period OR 1 year Supervisory Probationary Period] may be required
  • A Financial disclosure is required for GS-14, GS-15 and Acquisition positions
  • Submission of Performance Appraisal is mandatory


Qualifications

BASIC QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

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

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

NOTE: If you are currently employed with an agency other than DHS and seeking a lateral transfer AND you were promoted to an 1102 position at or above the GS-13 level (or equivalent) after 12/31/99 based on a waiver of the agency's training requirements, you will need to be approved for another training waiver before you can be hired into a GS-1102 position at or above the GS-13 level with DHS. If you were hired into your current GS-1102-13 or higher level position, with a non-DHS agency, based on an educational waiver, you will still have to meet the educational requirements stated in Qualification Requirements #1.

Minimum Qualifications for GS-14: You qualify for the GS-14 position if you possess one year of specialized experience at the equivalent to GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience at this level includes:

  • Administers the full range of contracts for various goods and services from small purchases to multi-million dollar procurements that entail a number of different processes or elements.
  • Manages, administers, and oversees all contracting activities of the agency.
  • Develops and provides oversight of policies and procedures with regard to the contracting process and acquisition planning and strategy.


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.

The qualification requirements listed above must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Current federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade level or equivalent grade band in the federal service. The time-in-grade requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

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 (particularly positions with a positive education requirement). Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website:

https://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/search.aspx.

All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

NOTE: You must attach a copy of your transcripts for verification.


Additional information

DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include: flexible work schedules; telework; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select Benefits. Disabled veteran leave will be available to any Federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.

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 identical positions may be filled from this announcement at a later date.

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.

Benefits

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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.

Review our benefits

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.

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