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Contract Specialist

Department of Labor
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management
Office of the Senior Procurement Executive (OSPE)

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Labor's (DOL), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management (OASAM), Office of the Senior Procurement Executive (OSPE). OSPE is responsible for the management and direction of DOL's acquisition system and mission; providing effective, ethical, and prudent business advice; and robust acquisition policies and services.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/17/2026 to 03/23/2026
Salary
$102,415 to - $133,142 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
5 vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy. This is not a remote position.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
DH-26-CHI-OSPE-12907637-JLU
Control number
861309700

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This position is being filled through Direct Hire Authority and is open to all U.S. Citizens and ICTAP/CTAP eligibles in the local commuting area.

Duties

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The GS-12 Contact Specialist is responsible for contracting actions within contracting divisions, actively engaged in all phases and activities related to the procurement process.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Conduct initial planning by requirements definition, testing, prototype procurement, initial production, full production, spare and repair parts, construction, architecture, and engineering, information technology acquisition, software support, technical data, off-line product improvement, sustaining engineering, training equipment and materials.
  • Conduct procurement planning by considering acquisition background and objectives including delivery requirements, tradeoffs, cost, and risks. Determine the method of procurement, method of source selection, and contract type. Establish milestones and schedules for each procurement.
  • Research trends in supply/demand, production lead times, information technology, and factors that affect market prices. Consider special contracting methods such as incrementally funded long-term contracts and indefinite-quantity contracts.
  • Select the type of contract to solicit, such as possible price competition; ability to establish a realistic price through the use of price analysis; ability to realistically estimate cost; type and complexity of the requirement; the urgency of the requirement; etc.
  • Coordinate with appropriate personnel to exercise contract options, including preparation of preliminary notice by the Government to exercise an option; review and critique of the technical performance evaluation prepared by the program office; evaluation of the option price/estimated cost; preparation of the required determination and findings; and preparation of the contract.
  • Other duties as assigned.


This position is inside the bargaining unit. The position will be included in the Local 12, AFGE bargaining unit.

This position has a full performance level of GS-13. Promotion to the GS-13 is not automatic nor guaranteed and requires additional qualifications. Applicants must meet additional educational and training requirements to be eligible for promotion to the GS-13 grade level.


Below are the additional requirements for the GS-13 grade level.

  1. Completion of all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to GS-13 or higher-level contracting positions, including at least 4-years of experience in contracting or related positions. At least 1 year of that experience must have been specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level of the position, and must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the work of the position.
AND
  1. A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, that included or was supplemented by 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.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be at least 16 years old.
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen.
  • Candidate required to obtain the necessary security/investigation level.
  • Requires a probationary period if the requirement has not been met.
  • Subject to financial disclosure requirements.
  • Must hold a Federal Acquisition in Contracting Certification (FAC-C) or Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification. Failure to maintain this certification may be grounds for dismissal.
  • FAC-C certified professionals must complete 100 CLP hours in each 2 year period.

Qualifications

You must meet the Basic Education Requirements listed in the education portion of this announcement AND the Specialized Experience to qualify for the Contract Specialist position, as described below. Please read these requirements carefully.

Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal Service.

Specialized Experience: In addition to the basic requirement, to qualify for this position you must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 which is the next lower grade level of the normal line of progression of this position in the Federal government. Specialized experience is experience that is related to the work of this position and has provided you with the competencies required for successful job performance. Qualifying specialized experience for the GS-12 Contract Specialist includes:

  • Experience analyzing pre-award and post-award functions involving highly specialized acquisitions;
  • Experience evaluating responses to solicitations for price reasonableness, compliance with terms and conditions, and adequacy of competition;
  • Experience conducting acquisition planning and contract pre-award functions to include: determining method of procurement and contract type, documenting the acquisition strategy, and obtaining appropriate approvals;
  • Experience administering contracts to include contract scope determinations, contract modifications, supplemental agreements, justifications, approval reviews/fair opportunity evaluations and claims disputes, and contract terminations;
  • Experience interpreting and applying the Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overhaul (RFO), relevant laws, regulations, policies, standards, or procedures to specific contracting issues.

Education

Basic Education requirement:

A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field;
OR
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 a 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 the GS-12. This includes positions at other agencies and promotions up through grade 12. However, they will have to meet the basic requirements and specialized experience requirements in order to qualify for promotion to a higher grade, unless granted a waiver under Paragraph D.

Any applicant falsely claiming an academic degree from an accredited school will be subject to actions ranging from disqualification from federal employment to removal from federal service.

If your education was completed at a foreign college or university, you must show comparability to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States and comparability to applicable minimum course work requirements for this position.

Click Evaluation of Foreign Education for more information.

Additional information

The mission of the Department of Labor (DOL) is to protect the welfare of workers and job seekers, improve working conditions, expand high-quality employment opportunities, and assure work-related benefits and rights for all workers.

Refer to these links for more information: GENERAL INFORMATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION, ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION, FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

As a condition of employment, all personnel must undergo a background investigation for access to DOL facilities, systems, information and/or classified materials before they can enter on duty: BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION


Click here for Career Ladder Promotion Information

Non-Supervisory Financial Disclosure: This position is subject to the confidential financial disclosure requirements of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-521). Therefore, if selected, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) to determine if a conflict or an appearance of a conflict exists between your financial interest(s) and your prospective position with DOL. This information will be required annually.

Click here for Telework Position Information. This is not a remote work position. The selectee will report to an assigned DOL office location on a regular basis and is eligible for participation in telework as determined by management in accordance with DOL policy.

Based on agency needs, additional positions may be filled using this vacancy.

The Fair Chance Act (FCA) prohibits Federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment. If you believe a DOL employee has violated your rights under the FCA, you may file a complaint of the alleged violation following our agency's complaint process Guidelines for Reporting Violations of the Fair Chance Act. Note: The FCA does not apply to some positions specified under the Act, such as law enforcement or national security positions.

All Department of Labor employees are subject to the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Program under Executive Order 12564 and Public Law 100-71.

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, based on your adjudication decision. 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. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-In%E2%80%A6).

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

This position is being filled through the Direct Hire Authority. Applicants meeting the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements and scoring above the USAHire cut score will be referred to the selecting official. Traditional rating/ranking and veterans' preference does not apply to this position.

The information you provide may be verified by a review of your paid, unpaid, volunteer, as it demonstrates the competencies or skills required for the position to be filled. Your evaluation may include an interview, reference checks, or other assessment conducted by HR specialists, subject matter experts, or panel members and may include other assessment tools (ex. interview, structured interview, written test, work sample, etc.).

USA Hire
You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Decision Making
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork


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.

All candidates who have provided a complete application, meet the minimum qualification requirements and score above the USAHire cut score will be referred for consideration.

Click here for Evaluation details.

INFORMATION FOR ICTAP/CTAP ELIGIBLE(S) ONLY: If you are eligible for special priority selection under ICTAP/CTAP, you must meet the basic and minimum qualification requirements for this position and score above the USAHire cut score to receive consideration. Be sure to review the eligibility questions to reflect that you are applying as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible and submit supporting documentation.

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