Summary

Organizational Location: This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Acquisition Management, in Irving, Texas; Orlando, Florida; Washington, District of Columbia.

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Note: One or more positions may be filled using this vacancy announcement. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

Duties

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As a Contract Specialist (Senior Advisor), at the full performance level of a GS-15 you will perform the following duties:

• Advise senior leadership on complex procurement issues and constantly evolving regulations, policies and procedures;
• Advise operational contract staff on newly implemented regulations and policies to ensure awareness and compliance;
• Review draft procurement documents for accuracy, consistency and compliance with applicable regulations and policies;
• Manage one or more major procurement programs within ICE;
• Identify and implement acquisition reform initiatives;
• Deliver presentations on contracting and procurement program activities to senior management officials, other Federal agency officials and executives of contracting firms;
• Represent the agency's contracting or procurement program within the Department of Homeland Security and with contractor organizations with the goal of establishing, developing and maintaining effective working relationships;
• Direct periodic and comprehensive nationwide assessments and evaluations of the agency's contracting and procurement program goals and objectives.

This announcement is to create an inventory of qualified applicants. The first 100 applicants will receive first consideration. Additional applicants, beyond the first 100, may be considered, upon management 's request. Due to high volume of applicants, not all applicants will be considered.

A student loan repayment incentive may be available, in which case a service agreement will be required.

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 successfully pass a drug screen.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must certify registration with Selective Service.
• Requirements by Closing Date: Unless otherwise noted, you must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
• Probationary Period: This is a full-time permanent position (Career/Career-Conditional appointment). Upon appointment to this position, you may be required to serve a one-year probationary period.

Qualifications

Please limit your resume to 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

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.

Basic Requirements: All applicants must meet the following basic requirements: (Must be supported in Transcripts from an accredited institution, Resume and/or Applicable Certificate).

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.

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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.

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.

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.

You qualify for the GS-15 grade level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience at the GS-14 grade level or equivalent performing duties such as:

• Assisting with the planning of difficult or unique procurement transactions which may have required the use of less common methods of procurement;
• Assisting lower-level Contract Specialists in one or more of the following areas: researching and properly applying procurement regulations and policies, understanding nuanced regulations and drafting accurate and concise procurement documents;
• Working with or leading a team tasked with reviewing a contracting or procurement activity or process and providing recommendations to management on areas for improvement;
• Working with or leading a team tasked with maintaining the organization's compliance with contracting or procurement statues, regulations and policies

Selective Placement Factor(s): Selective placement factors are applied in the same manner as minimum qualification requirements. Relevant selective placement factor experience must be well documented in your resume. Failure to meet a selective placement factor will result in you not receiving further consideration. In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must meet the following selective placement factor(s):

• Applicants must hold a Legacy FAC-C Certification (Levels I, II, or III), Legacy Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Contracting Certification (Levels I, II, or III) or a Department of Defense (DOD) Contracting Professional Certification.
• Applicants must possess a FAC-C (Professional) or equivalent certification at the time of application. Copies of certifications must be submitted with the application to be considered.

Qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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.

Additional information

This position is at the full performance level.

Benefits: 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.

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.

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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.