Hybrid Contract Specialist at Department of Homeland Security

Contract Specialist

Department: Department of Homeland Security

Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia, Indianapolis, Indiana, Ashburn, Virginia

Salary Range: $49960 - $64952 Per Year

Job Summary: Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Acquisition, Procurement Directorate, located in one of the following locations: Ashburn, VA Indianapolis, IN Washington, DC

Major Duties:

• Joining Customs & Border Protection (CBP) will allow you to utilize your expertise in serving as a Contract Specialist performing a full range of contracting activities as part of a acquisition team supporting assigned CBP/DHS organizations, programs, projects, and/or activities. This position starts at a salary of $49,960.00 (GS-07, Step 1) to $64,952.00 (GS-07, Step 10) with promotion potential to $115,213 (GS-12 Step 10). Apply for this exciting opportunity to strengthen the Department's ability to perform homeland security functions by purchasing of equipment, systems, supplies, services, or construction for the entity or activity being supported (services related to the solicitation, negotiation, award, and administration of required goods and services through contracts, purchase, task and deliver order, and purchase card transactions). Salary: Salary reflects the Rest of U.S. scale and will be adjusted to meet the locality pay of the duty location upon selection. GS Salary: Visit this link to view the locality pay tables by geographic area. If you do not see your geographic area listed, select the "Rest of United States" pay table. Some positions fall under a special pay rate depending on the series, grade level and location of the position. Please visit this link to view special pay rate charts. In this Contract Specialist position you will become a key team member of Homeland Security professionals involved in performing a variety of contracting actions throughout the pre-award and post-award phases of the contracting process using established contracting procedures; procure diverse customer requirements covering a wide range of construction, technical services, and equipment; obtain sophisticated equipment, components, and services, which require analysis and resolution of a variety of conditions and problems; and to monitor and evaluate the contractor's performance after contract award. Typical Work assignments include: Serving as an advanced trainee contract specialist responsible for all aspects of the contracting transactions from initiation to recommendation of award for CBP. Assisting higher graded Contract Specialists and Contracting Officer in the administration of contracts as well as related actions such as protests, claims or mistakes, disputes, defaults, terminations, wage determinations, labor matters, contract financing, bankruptcy priorities and allocations of materials, matters relating to the equal opportunity, small business and labor surplus area programs, contractor failure to comply with contract requirements, requests for relief funding PL 85-804, matters involving suspension or debarment of contractors, and actions involving fraud of suspicion of fraud. Analyzing and evaluates bids and/or proposals for compliance with specifications or purchase descriptions and applicable clauses. Considers financial responsibility of suppliers by evaluating contract performance on previous contracts. Meets with commercial representatives to discuss procurement needs, quality of items or services, current market prices, or delivery schedules. Coordinating contracting activities with other Government agencies having interrelated requirements, e.g., obtaining wage rate information from the Department of Labor, requesting audit reports or pre-award surveys from Defense Contract Audit Agency or Defense Contract Administration Services, obtaining clearances from the Small Business Administration, and advertising work to be contracted in the Commerce Business Daily of the Department of Commerce.

Qualifications: Basic Requirement: You must provide supporting documentation in your application to show you meet the basic requirement below. A. A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field; or B. 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. Exception: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. Employees who occupy GS-1102 positions at grades 5 through 12 will be considered to meet the basic requirements for other GS-1102 positions up to and including those classified at GS-12. This includes positions at other agencies and promotions up through grade 12. However, employees must meet specialized experience requirements when seeking another position. You qualify for this position if you meet the basic requirement listed above and possess the experience or substitution of education, as described below: Specialized Experience: You qualify for the GS-07 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Providing various methods of contracting and procurement support to assigned CBP/DHS organizations, programs, projects, and/or activities. Performing pre-award and/or post-award functions using a wide range of contracting types and methods to procure purchases in supplies, systems, services, equipment, and/or construction, where work is reviewed and signed by Senior Contract Specialist. Preparing contracting documents for contracting actions that are clearly defined and precedented (e.g., firm fixed-price, time and materials, indefinite delivery, or other contracts of similar complexity). Analyzing and evaluating contract bids and proposals. NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional resume requirements. Education Substitution: GS-07: Successful completion of one year of full-time graduate education or law school from an accredited college or university may substitute for experience required at this level. This education must demonstrate the skills necessary to do the work. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise 1 year of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 18 semester or 27 quarter hours. or Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): You may substitute superior academic achievement for the experience required at the GS-07 grade level. You must have completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a scale, class standing in the upper third of a graduating class or major subdivision, or membership in a national scholastic honor society. Please see www.cbp.gov for additional information. Combining Education and Experience: To combine your education and experience, convert each to a percentage and then add the percentages. If your education is currently described in quarter hours, multiply by the fraction 2/3 to convert into semester hours then divide the semester hours by 18. To determine your percentage of qualifying experience, divide your total months of experience by the required number of months of experience. Add your percentages together. The total must equal at least 100% in order to qualify. 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. You must meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process by 07/29/2025. In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. 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. Background Investigation: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a federal law enforcement agency that requires all applicants to undergo a thorough background investigation prior to employment in order to promote the agency's core values of vigilance, service to country, and integrity. During the screening and/or background investigation process, you will be asked questions regarding any felony criminal convictions or current felony charges, the use of illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, methamphetamines, ecstasy), and the use of non-prescribed controlled substances including any experimentation, possession, sale, receipt, manufacture, cultivation, production, transfer, shipping, trafficking, or distribution of controlled substances. For additional information on the preemployment process, review the following link: Applicant Resources | CBP Careers Residency: There is a residency requirement for all applicants not currently employed by CBP. Individuals are required to have physically resided in the United States or its protectorates (as declared under international law) for at least three of the last five years. If you do not meet the residency requirement and you have been physically located in a foreign location for more than two of the last five years, you may request an exception to determine if you are eligible for a residency waiver by meeting one or more of the following conditions: Working for the U.S. Government as a federal civilian or as a member of the military A dependent who was authorized to accompany a federal civilian or member of the military who was working for the U.S. government Participation in a study abroad program sponsored by a U.S. affiliated college or university Working as a contractor, intern, consultant or volunteer supporting the U.S. government Probationary Period: All employees new to the federal government must serve a one year probationary period during the first year of his/her initial permanent federal appointment to determine fitness for continued employment. Current and former federal employees may be required to serve or complete a probationary period. CONTINUED IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SECTION

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 07/29/2025 to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement 07/29/2025. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Action of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future application you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: USA Hire Assessments. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on How to See your Application and Job Status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. 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 11:59 PM Eastern Time on 07/29/2025. Please upload your resume under "Resume" and any other applicable supporting documents mentioned above under the appropriate Document Type. If your Document Type is not listed, upload as "Other." Do not submit documents as a PDF Portfolios. 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; 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. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions. 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]. View common definitions of terms in this announcement.

Application Deadline: 2025-07-29