Contract Specialist
Washington, District of Columbia
6 days left to apply
Salary: $143,913 – $187,093
per year
(GS-14)
Salary context
Based on 54 annual-salary jobs in the same occupational series. This role pays above most similar positions.
Job Details
Position Overview
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is an independent office whose mission is to promote excellence, integrity, and accountability throughout the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In our dynamic environment, the OIG conducts investigations, audits, evaluations, and inspections to enhance program effectiveness and efficiency and to detect and prevent waste, fraud, and mismanagement in DHS programs and operations.Duties
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.
Qualifications & Requirements
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.
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.
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
- Financial disclosure is required
- Selective Service registration required
- Completion of one year probationary period may be required
- Submission of Performance Appraisal is mandatory
Evaluations
We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. Your experience, education, and training will be rated using a job questionnaire that is based on the following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job:- Accountability
- Attention to Detail
- Customer Service
- Decision Making
- Flexibility
- Influencing/Negotiating
- Integrity/Honesty
- Interpersonal Skills
- Learning
- Reading Comprehension
- Reasoning
- Self-Management
- Stress Tolerance
- Teamwork
If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories:
- Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF) and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined by the job analysis.
- Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.
- Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not ICTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under ICTAP, you must be placed in the well-qualified category for this position, as described above. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length.
1. Your resume NOTE: For what to include in the resume, click on the link.
2. Your responses to the job questionnaire https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13032591
3. Are you a current or former federal employee? Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration, e.g., length of time you have been in your current grade; your highest grade held; your current promotion potential; proof of permanent appointment if applying based on an interchange agreement. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, with-in grade/range increases and accessions.
4. Are you qualifying based on education? Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable) or a list of coursework with hours completed. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. For example, specific courses accepted for college-level credit by an accredited U.S. college or university, or foreign education evaluated by an organization recognized for accreditation by the Department of Education as education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. college or university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.
5. Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP)? Submit a copy of your:
- Agency notice,
- Most recent performance rating, and
- Most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level, and duty location.
6. Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee? Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
- Position title
- Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee)
- Agency
- Beginning and ending dates of appointment
How to Apply
To begin your online application, click "Apply Online" to create a USAJOBS account and follow the prompts or log in to your existing account. Your application packet must include a completed assessment questionnaire, a resume, and any applicable and or required supporting documentation. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional information. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English. If you are unable to apply online or need to submit a document you do not have in electronic form, visit this link for more information regarding an alternate application process.Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. The address below is for inquiries only. You may apply more than once, but the most recent application is the only one that will be used. You must submit your resume, your online questionnaire, and any supporting documents by 11:59PM EST on 08/25/2026.
It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. If a document is not legible, you will not be able to view it in your application. Once you submit your application, we will assess your experience and training, identify the best-qualified applicants, and refer those applications to the hiring manager for further consideration and interviews. We will notify you by email after each of these steps has been completed. Your status will also be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process. To check your status, log on to your USAJOBS account, click on "Application Status," and then click "More Information."
If you are selected, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. View more information on applying for federal employment.
Interview (If applicable): Interviews are required for this position. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.
The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to [email protected].
Source: Data sourced from USAJOBS