DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority
If you are interested in a career as a Contract Specialist, where you will serve as a valued member of the Pretrial Services Agency procurement team, focusing on planning, negotiating, awarding, and managing government contracts, then this job is for you!
Bargaining Unit Status: Covered, AFGE Local 1456
This is not a law enforcement position
This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
Summary
DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority
If you are interested in a career as a Contract Specialist, where you will serve as a valued member of the Pretrial Services Agency procurement team, focusing on planning, negotiating, awarding, and managing government contracts, then this job is for you!
Bargaining Unit Status: Covered, AFGE Local 1456
This is not a law enforcement position
This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
1. Manage contracting programs and processes to acquire complex and specialized services in treatment, supervision and other areas that support the pretrial mission. Advise management and work with program staff to define and document requirements and develop procurement objectives; prepare determination findings and prepare and maintain plans and schedules for contract actions.
2. Determine contract vehicles, competition and pricing; oversee pre-award processes including advertisement, solicitation, pre-proposal conferences and evaluation of proposals.
3. Serve as lead negotiator; plan and coordinate negotiation strategy and lead negotiations with contractors to develop contract prices and terms; award the contract.
4. Perform contract administration, making decisions or recommendations on issues such as incremental funding, modifications, coordination of time extensions, incorporation of change orders, evaluation of contractor performance, identification and resolution of possible noncompliance issues, payment approval and contract closeout.
5. Evaluate assigned areas of the contracting program; develop and apply performance measures and other evaluation criteria; analyze results and recommend changes in procurement strategies or plans to address deficiencies.
6. Develop or administer interagency agreements, in coordination with program staff. Represent PSA in negotiation on agreements, ensuring that PSA requirements are met. Advise program staff in administration of agreements and resolve issues that arise during the term of the agreement.
7. Subject to the limitations identified on the individual's Certificate of Appointment as a Contracting Officer, individual may legally bind the agency and commit agency funds by entering into, administering, and /or terminating contracts.
Incumbents must meet all the eligibility requirements to receive and maintain a FAC-C Professional Certification.
1. Must be a U.S. Citizen
2. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
3. Suitable for Federal employment, determined by a background investigation
4. May be required to successfully complete a probationary period, if not already completed
5. All applicants are subject to a comprehensive criminal background investigation, and required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment
6. All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice
7. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
8. Will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Form within 30 days of appointment and annually thereafter.
A candidate appointed at a lower grade level may be promoted up to the full performance level without further competition.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, you must meet the basic professional requirements, and specialized experience requirement below.
Basic Requirement: 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; OR C. 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.
AND
Specialized Experience: You must have at least one year (52 weeks) experience that equipped you with the skills needed to perform the job duties. Specialized experience is defined as experience in pre-award to post-award phases of cradle to grave contracting duties such as negotiating with vendors to acquire products/services and addressing technical requirements; cost/pricing, statement of work, working with procurement plans, and serving as a contract administrator on awarded contracts.
NOTE: Your resume must clearly show the specialized experience related to this position. Failure to demonstrate how you possess the experience requirements will result in an "Ineligible" rating.
Education
There is no education substitution at this grade level. However, this position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcripts by the closing date of this announcement to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.
ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) was taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.
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. For further information, visit:https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/higher-education-laws-and-policy/college-accreditation
Additional information
1. If you are an eligible Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) applicant or Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) applicant, you may apply for special selection over other applicants for this position. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal/PSA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified, you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. Click here for more information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility.
2. If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you should attach a copy of your DD-214 (unedited long version) or other proof of eligibility. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must attach an SF-15, "Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference" plus the proof required by that form.
3. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review in our office, in other Federal agency personnel offices, and on OPM's web site at OPM Qualification Standards .
4. In accordance with Executive Order 14170 and the Merit Hiring Plan guidance issued by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, applicants for this position are invited to respond to four essay questions. These questions are designed to provide you with an opportunity to share your commitment to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution, as well as your dedication to public service. While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question. You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot. Click here to review the questionshttps://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12863870.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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.
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.
*This announcement will be used to fill vacancies through OPM-Authorized Government-Wide Direct Hire Authority. Category rating, veteran's preference, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants DO NOT APPLY for this vacancy. For more information on OPM's Authorization of Direct Hire Authority, please click here. ***
Under this Direct Hire Announcement, all applicants who meet the minimum qualifications at the grade level, will be forwarded to the selecting official for consideration.
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.
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.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your resume listing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, duties performed and salary information. Your resume must not exceed two pages. Resumes that exceeds the two-page limit may be deemed ineligible for further consideration and will result in an ineligible rating.
2. Other supporting documents:
College transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Transcripts must include the school's name, student name, degree and date awarded, if applicable. (Note: If you are selected for the position, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day) May be required to satisfy the basic professional requirement.
DD-214 (member 4 copy) showing honorable discharge, SF-15 Form and VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty from Veterans for consideration under Veteran hiring authorities
Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program Documentation, if applicable (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
Only send documentation as requested/required by this announcement and that directly supports your qualifications for this position.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date (01/29/2026) to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Office of Finance and Administration at (202) 220-5586 or Tara.Stoney@psa.gov to obtain instructions on how to submit an alternative application.
Office of Finance and Administration
633 Indiana Ave NW
Washington, DC 20004
US
Next steps
Once the on-line application and supporting documents are received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. Your resume listing work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment, duties performed and salary information. Your resume must not exceed two pages. Resumes that exceeds the two-page limit may be deemed ineligible for further consideration and will result in an ineligible rating.
2. Other supporting documents:
College transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Transcripts must include the school's name, student name, degree and date awarded, if applicable. (Note: If you are selected for the position, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day) May be required to satisfy the basic professional requirement.
DD-214 (member 4 copy) showing honorable discharge, SF-15 Form and VA letter, or certification of expected discharge or release from active duty from Veterans for consideration under Veteran hiring authorities
Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program Documentation, if applicable (e.g. Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
Only send documentation as requested/required by this announcement and that directly supports your qualifications for this position.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date (01/29/2026) to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account.
You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application.
You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Office of Finance and Administration at (202) 220-5586 or Tara.Stoney@psa.gov to obtain instructions on how to submit an alternative application.
Office of Finance and Administration
633 Indiana Ave NW
Washington, DC 20004
US
Next steps
Once the on-line application and supporting documents are received, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made, you will be notified of your rating and or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required you will be contacted.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
