Contract Specialist, (Pathways Recent Graduate) Job in Washington, DC

Vacancy No. HRSC/ACWA-2025-0002 Department Department of State - Agency Wide
Salary $55,924.00 to $72,703.00 Grade 07 to 07
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/16/2024 Close Date 12/20/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Washington, DC


Summary

This vacancy announcement will be open from December 16th, 2024 to December 20th, 2024 or when 50 applications have been received. The vacancy will close on whichever day the first of these conditions are met. If the application limit is reached on the same day the announcement opened, the open and close date will be the same. Any required documents should be submitted at the time that you apply as documents will not be accepted after the vacancy closes.  

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

At the successful conclusion of the program, Recent Graduates may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to a Federal career or career-conditional position in the competitive service. Conversions to the competitive service are not guaranteed.

Duties

This position is located in the (A/PRI/EX/PAS/PS ) Bureau of Administration, Policy Planning and Innovation, Office of the Executive Director, Procurement and Administrative Division, Procurement Services Branch.  This position is located in the Procurement and Administrative Services Branch, Office of the Executive Director, Bureau of Administration (A/PRI/EX/PAS/PS), in the U.S. Department of State (DOS). This position functions as a Contract Specialist in the Procurement Services Branch (PS). Position will serve as a procurement analyst in A/EX/PRI/PAS/PS assisting program office with procurements and purchase card support.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required
  • Meet Recent Graduate Eligibility Requirements
  • Must complete a Pathways participant agreement
  • Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing
  • Verification of employment eligibility in the United States is required
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret Security clearance

Positions will be filled under the Pathways Recent Graduates Program. Recent Graduates who have completed a qualifying degree or certificate program within the previous two years may apply (Veterans precluded by their military service obligation, will have up to six years). *See provision in Qualification section below.  Upon successful completion of the program requirements, the incumbent may be converted to a term, career or career-conditional position with promotion potential to the GS-07.

Qualifications

GS-7: Completion of 1 full academic year (18-30 credits) of Graduate-level education OR Eligibility under the Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) Provision and completion of a bachelor’s degree (SAA: Graduating with bachelor's overall 3.0 GPA or greater)


Note: All applicants WILL BE required to submit transcripts as verification of educational requirement. If you fail to provide requested information, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you may lose consideration for this position.

Education

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements, if applicable.

Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.) is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership. You must possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university AND meet one of the following provisions of the superior academic achievement:

  1. A grade-point average of "B" (3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale) for all completed undergraduate courses or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.

A grade-point average of "B+" (3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of your undergraduate study. Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university, or major subdivision. Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.

Grade point averages should be rounded to one decimal point. For example, 2.95 is rounded to 3.0, and 2.94 is rounded to 2.9. NOTE: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) was taken on a pass/fail or similar basis, your claim must be based on class standing or membership in an honor society.

Additional information

Pathways Program Information: For additional information regarding Pathways, please click the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/students-recent-graduates/

Further information on Conversion to the Competitive Service can be found by clicking here.

The U.S. Department of State is not obligated to make an offer of employment, nor is the student obligated to accept an offer of employment.

SELECTIVE SERVICE - If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify prior to appointment that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under Selective Service law.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION - This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or OAA@state.gov. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor. You are encouraged to read the entire announcement before you submit your application package. Your application may not get full consideration if you do not follow the instructions as outlined.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER - Your Social Security Number is requested under the authority of Executive Order 9397 to uniquely identify your records from those of other applicants who may have the same name.  As allowed by law or Presidential directive, your Social Security Number is used to seek information about you from employers, schools, banks, and others who may know you.

EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PROGRAM (E-Verify) – U.S. law requires organizations to employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States - either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization. This agency utilizes E-Verify to compare information from the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records to confirm employment eligibility. If the employee’s information does not match DHS and/or SSA records, the employee is given an opportunity to resolve the problem. If eligibility cannot be verified, employment will be terminated.

Benefits

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.

The Department of State provides an array of benefits, financial incentives, and family friendly programs to its employees (e.g., health, life and long-term care insurance, counseling, employee consultation and referral services, retirement benefits, leave programs, child care centers, Student Loan Repayment Program, flexible work hours, Transit Subsidy Program, paid federal holidays, etc.).  For additional information on DOS benefits click here.

Employees hired under the Pathways Programs on appointments for 90 days or more are eligible to earn annual and sick leave.  As a Department of State employee, Recent Graduates are eligible to receive a transit subsidy each month to compensate for travel to and from work via certain types of public transportation.

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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Application of Veterans' Preference: Under Category Rating procedures, veteran preference eligibles will receive selection consideration before non-preference eligibles within each quality category.

Your application will be evaluated and rated under the Category Rating and Selection procedures.  Based on your responses to the job-specific self-assessment questions, eligible candidates are placed for selection consideration into one of three pre-defined quality categories as described below:

Highly-qualified Category - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications for the position, candidates must fully demonstrate proficiency in all major aspects of the position.  

Well Qualified Category - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all of the major aspects of the position.

Qualified Category - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must demonstrate a basic level of knowledge, skill and ability of the position.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs) and other characteristics that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume:

  • Ability to communicate orally
  • Skill in problem solving 
  • Ability to liaison with others 
  • Ability to communicate effectively in writing 
  • Ability to conduct research using variety of sources
  • Knowledge of basic computer operations.
  • Knowledge of program/project management techniques

Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. 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). Your resume should include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week. For assistance with creating a resume, please click here.

Application of Veterans Preference: The Category Rating Method does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three," but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each pre-defined quality category. Preference eligibles who meet minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent (i.e., CPS and CP) must be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher.

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements and submit any required supporting documentation by the closing date of this announcement. Your application package must contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the basic/specialized experience requirements as stated in this job opportunity announcement for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted to our automated system "Gateway to State" by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement.

1.  Resume - your resume or any other written format you choose should contain the required information as specified in the “How You Will Be Evaluated” section.  Insufficient information will result in an ineligible rating.

2.  A completed online job specific self-assessment questionnaire through the Department’s automated system “Gateway to State”.

3.  Transcripts - if you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed under the Qualifications and Evaluations section, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript(s) with your application.  If selected, an official/sealed college transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.  NOTE: Qualifying Transcript(s)** (showing graduation within the past two years; veterans precluded by their military service obligation, will have up to six years)

4.  Veterans Preference - If claiming veteran’s preference, you must indicate the type of veteran's preference you are claiming on your resume.

For 5-point veteran’s preference, you must provide a copy of your DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (Member Copy 4 is preferable) which must show the type of discharge and dates of active duty.  If you are currently on active duty, you must provide a certification on letterhead from your military branch which contains your military service dates, expected date of discharge or release, and the character of service to show that your military service was performed under honorable conditions.  The expected date of discharge or release must be no later than 120 days after the certification is submitted for consideration for this vacancy announcement.  If the appropriate information is not submitted to confirm your current or expected discharge status, dates of service, etc., you will not receive credit for the claimed active duty military service.

For 10-point veteran's preference, in addition to the DD-214 or certification, you must also submit a  current version of the SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference), dated October 2013, and any documentation required by this form to support your claim.  Previous editions of the SF-15 will not be accepted. If we cannot verify your 10-point preference status, you will receive 5-point preference if veterans' preference requirements have been met.  For further information regarding Veterans, click here.

For Sole Survivorship preference, you must provide a copy of your DD-214 (Member Copy 4 is preferable) or another form of official documentation which shows your discharge or release from active duty occurred on or after August 29, 2008 and was based on a sole survivorship discharge.  

To gain access to your DD214 online, please visit: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/get-service-records.html

5.  If you are qualifying based on other criteria listed under the Qualification Section of this announcement, you MUST submit the required supporting documentation (certificates, certifications, etc.) with your application.

All supporting documentation, applicable to you, must be attached to your online application via upload or by fax using the cover sheet and phone number generated in the application.

If the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility or you fail to submit any of the required documents, it will disqualify you from being considered for this job opportunity.

How to Apply

Prepare your application in USAJOBS To start your application, click Apply and we’ll walk you through the process where you’ll attach a resume and any required documents. During the application process you can review, edit, delete, and update your information. We’ll automatically save your progress as you go, so you won’t lose any changes. Please carefully read all the instructions before you apply. You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the application process.

STEP 1: Select the "Apply On-line" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS.

STEP 2: Submit a detailed resume or any other written format you choose documenting your job-related qualifications, experience, and education (if applicable). Cover letter is optional. If you submit a cover letter, you must also submit a resume. Please see the How You Will Be Evaluated section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume.

STEP 3: Answer the job-specific self-assessment questions on-line through the U.S. Department of State’s Gateway to State automated application system. The questions will be used to evaluate your qualifications and experience for this position.

STEP 4: Submit all required documentation applicable to you, as listed in the Required Documents section of this announcement, to the Department’s Gateway to State automated application system prior to the closing date of this announcement.

For instructions on how to view the status of your supporting documentation, please click here.

Technical assistance with your on-line application is available through the Help Desk at mgshelp@monster.com or by calling (866) 656-6830 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET

ALTERNATE APPLICATION PROCEDURES

NOTE: If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package by fax. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET at least 2 working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. Paper applications and information sent by mail WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Agency contact information

Pathways
Phone
000-000-0000
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
Pathways@state.gov
Address
U.S. Department of State
1999 Dyess Avenue
(Charleston Reg. Ctr.)
Charleston, South Carolina 29405
United States
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

After all application packages have been received, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the program qualification requirements. After we review and evaluate all applications, the most highly qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration for possible interviews. If rewarded a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability review and/or security background investigation, which generally takes an average of at least two to six months, up to a year. You will be notified up to four times during the hiring process:

  1. Upon receipt of your application.
  2. Upon minimum qualification determinations.
  3. If referred to the hiring manager.
  4. After hiring manager makes final decision.

For instructions on how to view the status of your application, please click here.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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