Contract Specialist (Pathways Recent Graduates)

Clarification from the agency

Recent Graduates. All United States citizens. Applicants who can be appointed to a job within 2 years of receiving their college degree or certificate. Veterans (precluded from applying due to military service) must be appointed within 6 years of receiving their degree or certificate.

In this position as a Contract Specialist (Pathways Recent Graduates) GS 1102 7, your typical work assignments may include the following under supervision:

• Serving on a team specializing in acquisition to administer previously negotiated and formally advertise contracts.
• Assisting with requirements planning and the development and review of statements of work.
• Preparing acquisition documents and obtain legal, financial, and staff review.
• Assisting higher-graded staff with the day-to-day administration of acquisition activity.
• Assuring data in information systems for assigned work is complete, current, and accurate.

Recent Graduates hired through this announcement are eligible to convert into positions up to the Full Performance of GS-12.

This is an excepted service appointment under the Pathways Recent Graduates Program.

After successful completion of the program requirements, the individual may at the agency's discretion be converted to a term of career or career-conditional appointment.

All DHS-HQ announcements have a 5-business day open period due to the number of applications received.

This announcement will be open for 5-business days OR until the first 150 applications have been received, whichever happens first.

View common definitions of terms found in this announcement: Common Definitions.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• You must submit to a pre-employment drug test.
• You must be 16 years of age or older to apply.
• The duration of Recent Graduates in the excepted service is counted as a trial period across the Federal Government.
• Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
• The incumbent will be required to sign a Program Participant Agreement.
• The incumbent must complete an Individual Developmental Plan (IDP) within 45 days of initial appointment.
• The transcript(s) or official letter from the registrar's office MUST include either the date your degree or certificate was conferred OR the anticipated date the degree or certificate is scheduled to be conferred.
• The degree conferred date must be within the 2 years preceding the closing date of this announcement. Proof of education must be submitted with your application package and received by the closing date of the announcement.
• This position has been designated as requiring a SECRET CLEARANCE or BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION to perform the assigned duties.
• Incumbent must meet position requirements for Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Professional certification Level 4 within 36 months as of entrance on duty.

Qualifications

ELIGIBILITY FOR PATHWAYS RECENT GRADUATE PROGRAM:

To be eligible for this position, you must be a recent graduate from a qualifying associate, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate program from a qualifying educational institution within 2 years of the closing date of the announcement.

Veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree, due to military service obligation, have as much as six years after degree completion to apply.

All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

NOTE: Qualifying educational institution means--

(1) A public high school whose curriculum has been approved by a State or local governing body, a private high school that provides secondary education as determined under State law, or a homeschool that is allowed to operate in a State; and

(2) Any of the following educational institutions or curricula that have been accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education:

(i) A technical or vocational school;
(ii) A 2-year or 4-year college or university;
(iii) A graduate or professional school (e.g., law school, medical school); or
(iv) A post-secondary homeschool curriculum.

After Program completion, Department of Homeland Security Recent Graduates may be converted to a permanent TERM or Career-Conditional position. To be eligible for conversion to a permanent or term position, Recent Graduates must:

• Successfully completed at least 1-year of continuous service in addition to all requirements of the Program.
• Demonstrate successful job performance.
• Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualifications for the position to which the Recent Graduate may be converted. To learn more, please visit: http://www.opm.gov/HiringReform/Pathways/program/graduates/.

Recent Graduates hired through this announcement are eligible to convert into positions up to the Full Performance of GS-12

AND in addition to the eligibility requirement above, you must also meet one of the Basic/Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) criteria below for the 1102 series (Contract Specialist).

Basic/Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for Contract Specialist (1102):

Degree: 4-year course of study or a bachelor's degree in any major field from an accredited educational institution. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcripts (which supports your response indicating awarded/conferral date) with your application.

OR

Completed 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.

OR

Exceptions: 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.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes 1) presenting information, composing memoranda and meeting minutes; and 2) drafting contract provisions; and 3) evaluating bid responsiveness, contract responsibility and contractor performance; and 4) performing development assignments or segments of larger procurement actions. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05).

OR

Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.

OR

Superior Academic Achievement: Successful completion of all the requirements for a bachelor's degree with Superior Academic Achievement. In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on:(1) Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR(2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; OR(3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/).

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages.

All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

After Program completion, Department of Homeland Security Recent Graduates may be converted to a term or permanent position in the competitive service. To be eligible for conversion to a permanent or term position, Recent Graduates must:

• Successfully complete at least 1-year of continuous service in addition to all requirements of the Program.
• Demonstrate successful job performance.
• Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualifications for the position to which the Recent Graduate may be converted. To learn more, please visit: http://www.opm.gov/HiringReform/Pathways/program/graduates/.

Recent Graduates hired through this announcement are eligible to convert into positions up to the Full Performance of GS-12.

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 or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Acquisition Strategy, Arithmetic/Mathematical Reasoning, Attention to Detail, Contracting/Procurement, Customer Service, Flexibility, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Problem Solving, Reading Comprehension, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, and Teamwork

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 assessment includes a cutscore 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.

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will be considered in the following order:

1. Preference eligibles having a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more;
2. Other 10-point preference eligibles;
3. 5-point preference eligible; and
4. Non-preference eligibles (i.e., non-veterans).

1. Your resume NOTE: Limit your resume to no more than two pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages. For what to include in the resume, click on the link: USAJOBS Help Center
2. Your responses to the job questionnaire. https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12979887
3. Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable) from an accredited institution. Once selected and prior to appointment, applicants must provide an official college transcript. 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.
4. Are you a veteran? You must provide acceptable documentation of your preference or appointment eligibility. The member 4 copy of your DD214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," is preferable. If claiming 10 point preference, you will need to submit a Standard Form (SF-15), "Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference." If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification. This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions. View more veterans' information.
5. If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here.
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.

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