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Program Support Specialist (Contracts)

Legislative Branch
Architect of the Capitol

Summary

This position is located in Architect of the Capitol (AOC), Office of the Chief Security Officer (OCSO), Assistant Director, Administrative Services Division. The Program Support Specialist manages the development of contract packages and evaluation review. 

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/15/2026 to 04/30/2026
This job will close when we have received 200 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$85,447 - $133,142 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Telework eligible as determined by agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Permanent, Full-time
Work schedule
Full-time - This is an excepted service position and does not require or confer civil service competitive status.
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
12 - Position has non-competitive promotion potential to the GS-12.
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
OCSO-2026-178
Control number
865328700

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

See Requirements section of this announcement for information on who may apply. Please be advised that federal retired annuitant candidates may only be considered as a temporary employee if the role can be filled in that capacity.

Duties

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Reporting to the Business Operations Manager, the Specialist (Contracts) is responsible for managing and monitoring contracting activities and providing expert administrative, analytical and programmatic support for contract management and acquisition-related activities. Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) certification to meet the needs of this position.

Duties include: 

  • Supports contract management on behalf of OCSO. Provides contracting support for OCSO’s requirements.
  • Monitors compliance with contract terms and conditions, communicate with OCSO staff and across offices and jurisdictions to understand acquisition requests, conducts market research per guidance received to glean pertinent and relevant information about goods and services being requested, assists in the creation of new call orders and contracts through support for scope of work creation, cost estimations, contracting package development and technical evaluation review.
  • Supports the review and application of existing appropriation and contracting regulations as they pertain to the documentation needed to procure supplies and services, to include operation and maintenance, repair of mechanical equipment, campus utilities, telecommunication, data processing and electronic system repairs and security projects under the jurisdiction of OCSO.
  • Tracks and maintains relevant documentation of vendor relationships for the procurement supplies and services.
  • Serves as a subject matter expert in explaining contract performance requirements, technical data, regulations and other guidance. 
  • Identifies trends, risks or performance concerns and elevates issues to appropriate officials for resolution.
  •  Prepares recurring and ad-hoc reports on contract status, acquisition timelines, funding and performance indicators.
  • Serves as an additional point of contact for contractor administrative issues, monitors progress and adherence to contracts and develop modifications under the guidance of others as necessary, monitors administrative requirements of contracts to ensure deliverables are provided. 
  • Develops, drafts and reviews statement of work (SOW) for conformance with required templates, including grammatical review and making corrections to ensure all required documents are included in the request package.
  •  Review projects at all phases for conformance with project and program requirements. 
  • Provides guidance to managers or directors on contracting procedures and translates program goals and objectives in terms of planning and analysis.

Perform other related duties as assigned.

*Duties quoted at GS-12 level; If selected at the GS-11, candidate will have non-competitive promotion potential to the GS-12.* 

This is a career ladder position description; the assignments are progressively more difficult and with less supervision until the full-performance level is reached.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be able to pass a drug test.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • You must meet the definition of specialized experience.

To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below:

  • A citizen of the United States;
  • A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B);
  • A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible;
  • A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or
  • A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States.

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job 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 on the OPM web site at General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, an applicant's one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for successful job performance.

To qualify at the GS-11 level, your resume must clearly demonstrate that you have one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience comparable in difficulty and responsibility to at least the GS-09 level in the federal service. Examples of qualifying experience include the following types of tasks performed on a regular and recurring basis:

  • Performing administrative functions, including compliance with processes and procedures and efficiency and effectiveness of business operations;
  • Conducting contract reviews to evaluate performance; 
  • Monitoring contractor activities through personal contact and/or review to ensure compliance with technical, financial, delivery, and other terms of the contract; 
  • Conducting analyses of contractors' financial and management systems and facilities for ability to perform and for compliance with federal regulatory requirements; and 
  • Preparing statistical and narrative reports and charts/graphs that depict and compare results of programs and initiatives.

OR

Have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or at least 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or an LL.M. To be qualifying, the higher-level graduate education must be in a major field of study with course work directly related to the work of this position; OR

Have an equivalent combination of the above specialized experience AND higher level graduate education that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

To qualify at the GS-12 level, your resume must clearly demonstrate that you have one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience comparable in difficulty and responsibility to at least the GS-11 level in the federal service. Examples of qualifying experience include the following types of tasks performed on a regular and recurring basis:

  • Performing contract administration activities for procurements;
  • Using a financial management system to perform purchasing-related activities for an organization;
  • Managing program operations and allocation of resources and program results;
  • Managing and reviewing budgets and fiscal analysis; and
  • Reviewing Statements of Work (SOW) for conformance to standards and ensuring all required documents are included in the request packages.

Education

GS-11: Education may be substituted for specialized experience as indicated above. If using education to qualify, candidates must provide transcripts if selected.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: 

Education completed outside of the United States must be deemed equivalent to that gained in conventional/accredited U.S. education programs to be acceptable for Federal employment.

Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part of foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree.

You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course-by-course listing if selected.

Additional information

Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit Vet Guide for HR Professionals.

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System.  If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC’s suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not currently an AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide and cover the cost for the drug test.
 
The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol.
 
The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm.

The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and/or disability.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
 
Moving expenses are not authorized.
 
Relocation expenses are not authorized.
 
Probationary Period: A newly appointed selectee is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol.

All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol.

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.

Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions. 

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relate to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement. The self-assessment questions relate to the following competencies:

  • Contract Administration
  • Planning and Evaluation
  • Program Management 
  • Oral/Written Communication

Your responses to the self-assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions.  Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self-assessment questions. Falsifying your background, education and/or experience is cause for non-selection or disqualification from further consideration.

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).


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Architect of the Capitol

The mission of the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is to serve Congress and the Supreme Court, preserve America's Capitol and inspire memorable experiences. The AOC is responsible for the maintenance, operation, development and preservation of 18.4 million square feet of buildings and more than 570 acres of land throughout Capitol Hill. The AOC provides a welcoming and educational environment for millions of visitors through the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center and the US Botanic Garden. Learn more at www.aoc.gov.

The AOC prides itself on its Core Values of Respect, Integrity, Safety, and Empowerment (RISE).

Agency contact information

Clarissa Anderson
Phone
202-215-4316
Email
clarissa.anderson@aoc.gov
Address
Architect of the Capitol
United States Capitol
Washington, District of Columbia 20515
United States

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