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Contract Specialist

Department of Homeland Security
Customs and Border Protection
Office of Acquisition
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Acquisition, Procurement Division, located in one of the following locations:

  • San Diego, CA
  • Erlanger, KY
  • Del Rio, TX
  • Spokane WA
  • Imperial, CA (El Centro)
  • El Paso, TX
  • Euless, TX
  • Tucson, AZ
  • Washington, Dc
  • Indianapolis, IN
  • Edinburg, TX
  • Laredo, TX
  • Laguna Niguel, CA

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
11/21/2023 to 12/12/2023
Salary
$57,118 to - $74,250 per year

Salary reflects the Rest of U.S. scale and will be adjusted to meet the locality pay of the duty location upon selection.

Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Locations
4 vacancies in the following locations:
Tucson, AZ
Imperial, CA
Laguna Niguel, CA
San Diego, CA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Announcement number
OA-SMP-12176896-ALK
Control number
759241300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Current Federal employees with competitive status; Current and former Federal employees who meet the established criteria in an Office of Personnel Management Interchange Agreement; Current and former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; Individuals who are eligible under Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA); Individuals who are eligible under a noncompetitive special hiring authority

Duties

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Joining Customs & Border Protection (CBP), Office of Acquisition, will allow you to utilize your expertise in contract management to perform a full range of contracting activities, as part of an acquisitions team. This position starts at a salary of $57,118.00 (GS-09, Step 1) to $74,250.00 (GS-09, Step 10) with promotion potential to $107,680 (GS-12 Step 10). Apply for this exciting opportunity to strengthen the Department's ability to perform homeland security functions through the purchase of equipment, systems, supplies, services, or construction for the entity or activity being supported (services provided relate 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 in the procurement of diverse requirements covering a wide range of construction, technical services, and equipment.

Typical Work assignments include:
  • Performing pre-award and post-award functions using a wide range of contracting types and methods pr (i.e., the work necessary to secure a contract to acquire goods and/or services), utilizing formal advertising and/or negotiation procedures.
  • Performing work related to the contract post-award process (i.e., the work accomplished after contract award) and performing contract administration work such as monitoring of contract performance and negotiation of necessary contract modifications to ensure satisfactory progress and completion of contract activities.
  • Preparing and issuing the solicitation document; reviewing the offers for responsiveness to the solicitation; determining financial responsibility and performance capability of bidders; and awarding the contract.
  • Analyzing sources for the products or services to be procured and adequate price competition is available for the items or services to be procured to ensure the procurement will be obtained from responsible sources at a fair and reasonable price.
  • Coordinating contracting activities with other Government agencies have 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.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this position
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with Selective Service
  • Primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years (additional details below)
  • You may be required to pass a background investigation
  • CBP follows the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan for drug testing procedures
  • As an employee of CBP, you will be joining a workforce that is dedicated to accomplishing our mission while maintaining the trust of our Nation by strictly adhering to all government ethics standards. Your conduct will be subject to the ethics rules applicable to all Executive Branch employees, and to CBP employees specifically, as well as the criminal conflict of interest statutes. Once you enter on duty, these rules include obtaining approval for outside employment or business activity, to ensure such employment or business activity is not prohibited and does not interfere or conflict with performance of your official duties. Please review further details via the following link.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: You must provide supporting documentation in your application to show you meet the basic requirement below.

Basic Requirements for GS-09

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.
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.

You qualify for this position if you meet the basic requirement as described above and possess one year of specialized experience or substitution of education (if applicable) as listed below.

Specialized Experience: You qualify for the GS-09 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:
  • Providing formal advertising and/or negotiated methods.
  • 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.
  • 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). Contracts administered are typically for terms of six months or less.
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-09: Successful completion of 2 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or masters or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B. or J.D 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.

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; and
  • Meet all applicable Time in Grade requirements (current federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band in the federal service) by 12/12/2023.
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, review the following links: Background investigation and the e-QIP process.

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.

Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not CTAP/ICTAP eligible. View information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibilityon OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this announcement.

Education

Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position.

Continued from Additional Information section:
Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Requirements: In accordance with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Acquisition Workforce Policy Number 064-04-002, completion of FAC-C levels is required as outlined below.

GS-09: Level I /Level II (Basic Level /Mid-Level)**

**Employees assigned to GS-1102 positions in grades GS-09, who do not meet the FAC-C training requirements should be granted a reasonable amount of time to complete required training. However, FAC-C training requirements must be met within 24 months.

Defense Acquisition Work Improvement Act (DAWIA):
FAC-C Level I:

For DoD applicants seeking to meet the certification requirements for FAC-C Level I through an equivalency determination, please provide one of the following required verification documents:

1. Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Contracting Level I Certification, or
2. Department of Defense Contracting Professional/Foundational Certification

FAC-C Level II:
For DoD applicants seeking to meet the certification requirements for FAC-C Level II through an equivalency determination, please provide one of the following required verification documents:

1. Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Contracting Level II Certification, or
2. Acquisition Career Record Brief (ACRB) showing proof of a DAWIA Level II certificate, or
3. Department of Defense Contracting Professional/Foundational Certification along with your DAU transcript.

Special Appointing Authority: See "THIS JOB IS OPEN TO" section above for what Special Appointing Authorities may apply. Veterans, military spouses, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and people with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility and to understand what documentation would be required with your application, please click on the appropriate link below. You must provide documentation supporting your eligibility prior to the closing date of this announcement. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility, please contact the CBP Hiring Center via the contact information listed at the end of this job opportunity announcement.

Continued from Required Documents section:
Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP)? You must submit a separation notice; your most recent SF-50 (noting your current position, grade level and duty location); a copy of your most recent performance rating; an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; or a Military Department of National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456.

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

You may be asked to provide a copy of your recent performance appraisal and/or incentive awards. Additionally, if you are a former federal employee, and have been separated from Federal service for over 52 weeks, it is recommended that you submit your most recent rating of record (performance appraisal) when applying.

Additional information

Bargaining Unit: This is a bargaining unit covered position, represented under the National Treasury Employees Unions - NTEU. For local chapter contact information see Chapter Websites - National Treasury Employees Union - NTEU.

Financial Statement: Financial Disclosure is required.

Promotion Potential: Positions with known promotion potential do not guarantee promotion, nor is the promise of promotion implied.

Telework: Telework may be available on a regular recurring or situational basis.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.

DHS uses E-Verify, an internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify including your rights and responsibilities.

The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

Continued in Education section.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants will only be considered for the Eligibilities for which they claim in the job questionnaire AND must provide the supporting documentation. Applicants will not be considered for Eligibilities for which they did not claim, regardless of the documentation submitted with the application. https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12176896

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).

This self-assessment will be used to assess the following technical competencies or KSAs:

  • Acquisition Strategy
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 Assessment will be used to assess the following general competencies:
  • Arithmetic
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Mathematical Reasoning
  • Reading
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be contacted for an interview. As a part of the interview process, additional selection criteria may be administered by the hiring manager. Preview the https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12176896

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.

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.

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