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Summary

This vacancy is for a Contract Specialist position in the Acquisition Division located at the U.S. Census Bureau Headquarters in Suitland, Maryland. The Census Bureau is accessible from the Metro Rail Green Line - Suitland Station.

This Job Opportunity Announcement may be used to fill other Contract Specialist, 1102-9/11/12/13, FPL GS-13, positions within the Census Bureau in the same geographical location with the same qualifications and specialized experience.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/09/2026 to 04/23/2026
Salary
$70,623 - $158,322 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 13
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Suitland, MD
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
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
26-BOC-12921229-ST-MG
Control number
864569000

Duties

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  • Provides guidance to technical personnel in the development of Performance Work Statements, Statements of Work, and Statements of Objectives.
  • Assists technical personnel with Market Research and formulates the acquisition strategy that satisfy the requirement.
  • Determines the sources to solicit, prepares applicable file documentation and approvals. Reviews and recommends special clauses, and/or terms and conditions and develops the solicitation.
  • Prepares award documents and ensure all applicable pre- award review and approvals are obtained in accordance with established governance policies.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
  • U.S. Citizen.
  • Suitable for Federal employment.
  • Registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
  • Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by closing date.
  • A one-year probationary period may be required.
  • This is a BARGAINING unit position.
  • This position may be covered by one or more of the following bargaining units: American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2782(HQ) or AFGE Local 1438(DN). If you have specific questions, please contact the HR Specialist.

Qualifications

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: For GS-9, applicant must have one (1) year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal services.

To be fully qualified for this position, you must meet two (2) of the below specialized experience statements:

  • Providing business advice to customers, reviewing price estimates, performing market research, and completing pre- award or post award actions;
  • Serving as a contract specialist responsible for pre-award and/or post award functions for a variety of supplies or service contracts;
  • Managing contracts that require special handling provisions or other specialized terms and conditions (i.e. equipment or services needed to support a research and development activity, software, and related services; negotiated contracts with disadvantaged business firms).

OR

2 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or master's or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B. or J.D in one or more of the following fields is required: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.

OR

A combination of specialized experience and graduate education in one or more of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management that when combined together, qualify me for this position.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: For GS-11, applicant must have one (1) year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal services.

To be fully qualified for this position, you must meet ALL of the below specialized experience:

  • Providing business advice to customers, reviewing price estimates, performing market research, or completing pre-award or post-award contract actions;
  • Serving as a contract specialist responsible for pre-award and/or post-award functions for a variety of supplies and services contracts for several activities; and
  • Managing contracts that require special handling provisions or other specialized terms and conditions (i.e equipment or services needed to support a research and development activity, software, and related services; negotiated contracts with disadvantaged business firms).
OR

3 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or PH. D (or equivalent doctoral degree) in one or more of the following fields is required: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.

OR

A combination of specialized experience and graduate education in one or more of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management that when combined together, qualify me for this position.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: For GS-12, applicant must have one (1) year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal services.

To be fully qualified for this position, you must meet two (2)of the below specialized experience:
  • Performing pre-award functions, developing acquisition strategies and documents to procure common goods and services
  • Communicating with internal customers and industry representatives for review of proposals and evaluations, and preparation of source selection and contract award decision documents
  • Planning or coordinating negotiations for contracts, contract modifications, or termination actions, (e.g., those which accommodate possible changes in program requirements, involve subcontractors, require accounting for Government equipment, or involve consolidated requirements for several agencies or departments)
  • Addressing procurement issues that require analysis of conditions
  • Participating in the development and/or review of policies and procedures (including the merging of subsystems and components and the meeting of scheduled goals)
Education: Education cannot be substituted for specialized experience at this grade level.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: For GS-13, applicant must have one (1) year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal services.

To be fully qualified for this position, you must meet three (3) of the below specialized experience.
  • Leading pre-award functions, developing acquisition strategies and documents to procure common goods and services
  • Communicating with internal customers and industry representatives for review of proposals and evaluations, and preparation of source selection and contract award decision documents
  • Leading negotiations for contracts, contract modifications, or termination actions, (e.g., those which accommodate possible changes in program requirements, involve subcontractors, require accounting for Government equipment, or involve consolidated requirements for several agencies or departments)
  • Addressing procurement issues that require analysis of conditions
  • Establishing procedures for implementing procurement policies or regulations.

Education: Education cannot be substituted for specialized experience at this grade level.


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.

After you submit this application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement, 04/23/2026, to complete the assessment as this assessment is part of your application.

Education

Minimum Education Requirement:

Basic Requirements for GS-5 through GS-12: (Must provide Transcripts)

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.

Note - For positions at GS-7 through GS-12, applicants who are qualifying based on experience must possess at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level, that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position, in addition to meeting the basic requirements in paragraph A or B, above.

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.

Basic Requirements for GS-13 and Above
A. 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' 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

B. 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,

C. Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. This also applies to positions at the same grade in the same agency or other agencies if the specialized experience requirements are met. 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.

D. Waiver: When filling a specific vacant position, the senior procurement executive of the selecting agency, at his or her discretion, may waive any or all of the requirements of Paragraphs A and B above if the senior procurement executive certifies that the applicant possesses significant potential for advancement to levels of greater responsibility and authority, based on demonstrated analytical and decision-making capabilities, job performance, and qualifying experience. With respect to each waiver granted under this Paragraph D, the senior procurement executive must document for the record the basis of the waiver. If an individual is placed in a position in an agency on the basis of a waiver, the agency may later reassign that individual to another position at the same grade within that agency without additional waiver action. Approved waiver must be provided with application.

Additional information

Applicants who apply under this Job Opportunity Announcement may opt-in (at their request) to allow the sharing of their resume, and other associated documents with other Federal Agencies who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade and pay band (or its equivalent), and full performance level in the same duty location or commuting area of the duty location listed on the Job Opportunity Announcement.

Additionally, the following links provide information on various hiring authorities that may enable you to apply through merit assignment procedures, or be eligible for a non-competitive appointment.


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.

The Department of Commerce also 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 Human Resources Office. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. TTY users can contact the Human Resources Office via the Federal Relay Service, 1-800-877-8339.

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.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

Online Assessment: Applicants must complete the online USA Hire Competency Based Assessments measuring critical general competencies required to perform the job. Examples used in the assessment may include general situations not directly related to this position.

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.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

CTAP and ICTAP candidates: CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website, The Employee's Guide to Career Transition.

If you are invited for an interview, you may be asked to bring a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.

Due weight shall be given to performance appraisals and awards in accordance with 5 CFR ยง 335.103(b)(3).

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

We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process.

Do NOT include the following types of information in your application
if included on your resume you will not be considered for this position:

  • Social Security Number (SSN)
  • Date of Birth (DOB)
  • Photos of yourself
  • Personal information: such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12921229.

U.S. Census Bureau

The U.S. Census Bureau serves as the nation's leading provider of quality data about its people and economy. We are guided on this mission by scientific objectivity, strong capable workforce, devotion to research-based innovation, and abiding commitment. We offer competitive salaries, flexible hours/work arrangements, developmental opportunities, a variety of benefits/health insurance plans, and incentives. If working in an environment that allows you to achieve your professional goals appeals to you, then the U.S. Census Bureau is the place for you.

Agency contact information

Michelle Gamble
Phone
301-763-4481
Email
michelle.gamble@census.gov
Address
Acquisition
4600 Silver Hill Road
Washington, DC 20233
US

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