This position is being filled through the Office of Personnel Management's delegated Direct Hire Authority (SEE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BELOW).
Serves as a senior technical advisor to the Head of Strategic Sourcing and agency and component senior managers. Provides program expertise and program management, direction and oversight for major acquisition policy-related and operational acquisition-related projects/programs with an agency-wide impact.
Summary
This position is being filled through the Office of Personnel Management's delegated Direct Hire Authority (SEE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BELOW).
Serves as a senior technical advisor to the Head of Strategic Sourcing and agency and component senior managers. Provides program expertise and program management, direction and oversight for major acquisition policy-related and operational acquisition-related projects/programs with an agency-wide impact.
Directs the acquisition improvement initiative for agency acquisition operations.
Directs the evaluation of agency grant activity including Government-wide streamlining and simplification activities for agency grants and cooperative agreements.
Directs the strategic planning for timely and effective implementation of Administration initiatives.
Provides advice and guidance to the Head on a wide variety of policies, procedures, and issues having a major impact on the agency’s acquisition management processes.
This announcement serves as public notice. Applications received in response to this announcement will be placed into a pool and will remain on file for selection as positions become available.
Vacancies may be filled for up to 6 months after the closing date of this announcement. Applicants may not receive notifications of referral status until the full 6-month eligibility period has elapsed.
STEM position(s) are being filled through the Office of Personnel Management's delegated Direct Hire Authority and are open to all U.S. citizens.
Selections made under this bulletin will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees selected under this bulletin will be processed as new appointments to the civil service.
Under the provisions of the Direct Hire Authority, Veterans Preference and the "Rule of Many" do not apply.
U.S. Citizenship required. Selective Service Registration, if applicable (www.sss.gov) is required.
Fingerprinting and background and/or security investigation may be required. Job offers are contingent on fingerprinting and background / security investigation results.
See QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED and REQUIRED DOCUMENTS for other important information.
Qualifications
Resumes exceeding two pages in length will not be considered. Visit the 'Required Documents' section below for more information.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
To qualify for this GS-15 Senior Technical Advisor position you must demonstrate:
(1) the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for the federal 1102 series and
(2) at least 52 weeks of Specialized Experience
(1) INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (IOR)
A. Successful completion of a 4-year course of study resulting in 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.
AND
B. Successful 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 (described below) at or equivalent to work at the next lower level of the position, and must have provided the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position. (*SSA does not currently have mandatory training requirements for progression to GS-13 or higher contracting positions.)
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.
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, 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.
(2) SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE must have been gained in a federal position at or above GS-14 OR (if your position and/or experience is in another federal pay scale OR outside of federal service) by performing duties at a level of responsibility and difficulty equivalent to GS-14 or above.
Specialized experience includes all of the following:
(a) Developing and implementing large-scale enterprise IT strategic sourcing strategies for mainframes, storage, Software as a Service (SaaS), application software, servers, networking, and maintenance; and
(b) Managing vendor relationships with large-scale IT enterprise vendors (such as IBM, Microsoft, AWS, Dell, Verizon, Cisco, or Broadcom); and
(c) Executing reverse auction, negotiation, communication, and analytical skills in support of large, enterprise IT strategic sourcing contracts; and
(d) Conducting return on investment and breakeven analysis, and calculating Cost per Terabyte (Cost/TB), Cost per Million Service Units (Cost/MSU), and Business As Usual (BAU) analysis.
See EDUCATION, HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED and REQUIRED DOCUMENTS for more information on submitting your application.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (IOR and Specialized Experience) must be met by the closing date of this announcement. (Applicants who do not meet the qualification requirements may be considered for a waiver in accordance with the standard.)
Education
This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) as described under QUALIFICATIONS.
To demonstrate the educational portion of the IOR, you are required to submit a transcript (or transcripts), even if you already hold a position in the federal 1102 series.
TRANSCRIPTS MUST BE LEGIBLE or you may not receive credit for completed courses.
DO NOT SUBMIT A DIPLOMA IN LIEU OF A FULL TRANSCRIPT THAT SHOWS THE REQUIRED INFORMATION.
You must submit a full transcript showing your name, the name of the school, the degree conferred, course title(s), number of credits, grades and date of completion. If you attended more than one college or university, submit transcripts for all schools attended.
Your degree must include (or be supplemented by) 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields:
(1) accounting
(2) business
(3) finance
(4) law
(5) contracts
(6) purchasing
(7) economics
(8) industrial management
(9) marketing
(10) quantitative methods or
(11) organization and management
Since course titles do not always indicate that a course pertains to a creditable field, highlight qualifying courses to ensure they are given consideration.
If your degree is supplemented by 24 semester hours in creditable fields (or any portion of the 24 semester hours was completed as a supplement to your degree) you must submit the transcript for your degree AND the transcript showing the creditable semester hours.
Unofficial or electronic/web transcripts will be accepted at the time of application, but they must show the required information and you must upload your transcripts as part of your application. Transcripts will not be accepted via email or regular mail.
Foreign Education: If your transcripts show education completed in foreign colleges or universities, you must also provide documentation 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 a conventional/accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.
Additional information
This announcement serves as public notice. Applications will be placed into a pool and will remain on file for selection. Vacancies may be filled for up to 6 months after the closing date of this announcement. Applicants may not receive notifications of referral status until the full 6-month eligibility period has elapsed.
Additional selections may be made for this vacancy six months from the closing date of this announcement. This Direct Hire announcement may be used to fill the same or similar position in another office.
This is a non-bargaining unit position.
Selective Service: If you are a male born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt under Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.
OTHER NOTES:
ONLY APPLICANTS WHO MEET QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS WILL BE CONSIDERED.
Selections made under Direct Hire will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees will be given new appointments to the civil service. Veterans Preference does not apply.
Relocation expenses will not be paid; salary will be set in accordance with local pay provisions.
Position is on a full-time, flex-time schedule; Alternate Work Schedules (AWS) may be authorized; telework may be approved after all conditions for telework have been met.
This is a high risk position. If selected, you may be required to complete a Standard Form 85P, Questionnaire for Public Trust Positions, to have the appropriate investigation conducted.
You may be required to file OGE form 450, Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, in accordance with 5 CFR section 2634, subpart i.
Successful performance of work in this position and adherence to conditions of this position will be assessed during the 1-year probationary period that may be served by new appointees (e.g., new to SSA and/or new to this series).
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.
You will be evaluated on the experience you describe in your resume, as well as the education supported by the transcripts you submit.
SEE QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR RESUME AND TRANSCRIPT MUST DEMONSTRATE.
Your resume must clearly describe duties you perform that meet the full experience, including the Specialized Experience, required for this position (see QUALIFICATIONS), as well as duties that demonstrate the following as they relate to the Specialized Experience. It must be evident that the duties you describe are at the required level for at least 52 weeks. Duties not clearly described cannot be credited.
Knowledge of federal contracting and grants laws, regulations, principles, policies and procedures.
Ability to communicate both orally and in writing.
Ability to research, analyze, evaluate and interpret regulations, policies and procedures
Information not specifically stated in your resume cannot be assumed. Information copied or restated from the announcement will not be considered. If this occurs, you may be found ineligible.
Applicants who demonstrate the IOR and Specialized Experience will be referred to the hiring manager following *Priority Selection procedures and applicable documents will be forwarded for further review.
Your claimed knowledge, skills and abilities are subject to verification by the selecting official. You may be asked to provide specific examples or documentation or to verify a response by a practical demonstration of your claimed experience.
PRIORITY SELECTION:
Well-Qualified ICTAP eligibles will receive first consideration IF appropriate supporting documents are provided (see Career Transition Guide AND Required Documents below). Well-qualified is defined as having knowledge, skills and abilities that clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position.
Veterans' Preference is not considered under Direct Hire.
See Required Documents for information on how to support these claims.
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.
Resume - all applicants Transcript -- all applicants SF-50 -- recommended for all current and former federal employees ICTAP documents -- if claimed
DOCUMENTS PREVIOUSLY UPLOADED TO YOUR USAJOBS ACCOUNT MAY BE OUTDATED AND CAN CAUSE YOU TO LOSE CONSIDERATION.
RESUME must include:
-- your name and contact information
-- employer name and position held
-- full start and stop dates (month/day/year) for each position
-- full-time or part-time hours worked per week
-- your grade and pay scale (for federal positions) and
- a clear description of the duties you perform that relate to the experience required for this position.
If you no longer hold a position, it must show an ending date.
Since Specialized Experience has a time component, it must be evident that the duties you describe are at the required level for at least 52 weeks.
Do not simply list projects on which you worked or list experience in terms of accomplishments or achievements. You must describe duties you perform that pertain to the requirements for this position.
Information not specifically stated in your resume cannot be assumed.
See QUALIFICATIONS for information on what your resume must demonstrate.
TRANSCRIPT -- see QUALIFICATIONS and EDUCATION sections for information on what you must demonstrate.
SF-50 - recommended for all current or former federal employees
ICTAP (Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan) -- only applies to competitive service employees in the local commuting area displaced from other federal agencies.
ICTAP-eligibles must provide:
-- written notice of eligibility or copy of separation SF-50 (Notice of Personnel Action) and
-- most recent performance rating of at least "fully successful" (Level III) or equivalent
(1) Click APPLY to create a USAJobs Account or log into your existing account
(2) Confirm that your USAJobs Biographic Information is correct
(3) Follow prompts to complete the questionnaire and upload required documents
(4) Click Submit My Answers at the end of the process
(5) "View/Print My Answers" to confirm you have answered every question as intended AND
(6) Print a copy of the announcement for your reference if you are called for an interview (optional).
READ "NEXT STEPS" FOR IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
Applications must be received by 11:59 pm (EST) May 8, 2026 and must include:
(1) responses to online questionnaire
(2) uploaded resume
(3) uploaded transcript
(4) uploaded SF-50 and/or ICTAP documents, if applicable
SEE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
The questionnaire takes about 5 minutes. Answer all questions and follow instructions. Errors or omissions may affect your overall evaluation.
We cannot accept documents submitted via email, fax or standard mail, but you may email inquiries about the position or How to Apply PRIOR TO the closing of the announcement.
Individuals with hearing or speech disabilities may use the listed email or 7-1-1 for TTY-based Telecommunications Relay Services to call the listed phone number. Additional Telecommunications Relay Services options are available in each state: https://www.fcc.gov/general/trs-state-and-territories
Notice Concerning Materially False, Fictitious or Fraudulent Statements -- Anything you claim in the occupational questionnaire, or your resume is subject to verification. By submitting your application, you are certifying that any statements you make are true, complete, and correct to the best of your knowledge and belief and are made in good faith. Materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or representations are subject to disciplinary action.
Finance and Management
6401 Security Blvd.
Woodlawn, MD 21235
US
Next steps
Incorrect information in your USAJobs Account means you may not receive important emails pertaining to this announcement. SSA/HR is not responsible if outdated information in your USAJobs Account causes you to miss emailed notifications or job offers.
No matter what information is provided on your resume, HR and USAStaffing can only contact you using the information in your USAJobs Account. Your Biographic Information for this vacancy cannot be changed once your application has been submitted.
If you apply correctly and provide a valid email address in your Biographic Information, you will receive an Acknowledgement of Occupational Questionnaire. This is not an indication that your application is complete. Follow the instructions in the "How to Apply" and "Required Documents" sections to ensure that you submit a complete application.
Applications will be placed into a pool and will remain on file for selection.
You are responsible for verifying that your application is complete and your documents have been properly submitted.
INTERVIEWS may or may not be conducted, but if an interview is desired, it will be scheduled by the hiring office and a representative from that office will contact you directly.
HR will not have information pertaining to the scheduling of interviews and cannot provide feedback pertaining to completed interviews.
For a status of your application, go to your USAJobs account. Select Application Status then More Information to see if updates are available.
Updates will not be available during the interview/selection process, which may take up to 6 months.
Vacancies may be filled up to 6 months after the closing date of this announcement. Applicants may not receive notifications of referral status until the full 6-month eligibility period has elapsed.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Resume - all applicants Transcript -- all applicants SF-50 -- recommended for all current and former federal employees ICTAP documents -- if claimed
DOCUMENTS PREVIOUSLY UPLOADED TO YOUR USAJOBS ACCOUNT MAY BE OUTDATED AND CAN CAUSE YOU TO LOSE CONSIDERATION.
RESUME must include:
-- your name and contact information
-- employer name and position held
-- full start and stop dates (month/day/year) for each position
-- full-time or part-time hours worked per week
-- your grade and pay scale (for federal positions) and
- a clear description of the duties you perform that relate to the experience required for this position.
If you no longer hold a position, it must show an ending date.
Since Specialized Experience has a time component, it must be evident that the duties you describe are at the required level for at least 52 weeks.
Do not simply list projects on which you worked or list experience in terms of accomplishments or achievements. You must describe duties you perform that pertain to the requirements for this position.
Information not specifically stated in your resume cannot be assumed.
See QUALIFICATIONS for information on what your resume must demonstrate.
TRANSCRIPT -- see QUALIFICATIONS and EDUCATION sections for information on what you must demonstrate.
SF-50 - recommended for all current or former federal employees
ICTAP (Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan) -- only applies to competitive service employees in the local commuting area displaced from other federal agencies.
ICTAP-eligibles must provide:
-- written notice of eligibility or copy of separation SF-50 (Notice of Personnel Action) and
-- most recent performance rating of at least "fully successful" (Level III) or equivalent
(1) Click APPLY to create a USAJobs Account or log into your existing account
(2) Confirm that your USAJobs Biographic Information is correct
(3) Follow prompts to complete the questionnaire and upload required documents
(4) Click Submit My Answers at the end of the process
(5) "View/Print My Answers" to confirm you have answered every question as intended AND
(6) Print a copy of the announcement for your reference if you are called for an interview (optional).
READ "NEXT STEPS" FOR IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
Applications must be received by 11:59 pm (EST) May 8, 2026 and must include:
(1) responses to online questionnaire
(2) uploaded resume
(3) uploaded transcript
(4) uploaded SF-50 and/or ICTAP documents, if applicable
SEE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
The questionnaire takes about 5 minutes. Answer all questions and follow instructions. Errors or omissions may affect your overall evaluation.
We cannot accept documents submitted via email, fax or standard mail, but you may email inquiries about the position or How to Apply PRIOR TO the closing of the announcement.
Individuals with hearing or speech disabilities may use the listed email or 7-1-1 for TTY-based Telecommunications Relay Services to call the listed phone number. Additional Telecommunications Relay Services options are available in each state: https://www.fcc.gov/general/trs-state-and-territories
Notice Concerning Materially False, Fictitious or Fraudulent Statements -- Anything you claim in the occupational questionnaire, or your resume is subject to verification. By submitting your application, you are certifying that any statements you make are true, complete, and correct to the best of your knowledge and belief and are made in good faith. Materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or representations are subject to disciplinary action.
Finance and Management
6401 Security Blvd.
Woodlawn, MD 21235
US
Next steps
Incorrect information in your USAJobs Account means you may not receive important emails pertaining to this announcement. SSA/HR is not responsible if outdated information in your USAJobs Account causes you to miss emailed notifications or job offers.
No matter what information is provided on your resume, HR and USAStaffing can only contact you using the information in your USAJobs Account. Your Biographic Information for this vacancy cannot be changed once your application has been submitted.
If you apply correctly and provide a valid email address in your Biographic Information, you will receive an Acknowledgement of Occupational Questionnaire. This is not an indication that your application is complete. Follow the instructions in the "How to Apply" and "Required Documents" sections to ensure that you submit a complete application.
Applications will be placed into a pool and will remain on file for selection.
You are responsible for verifying that your application is complete and your documents have been properly submitted.
INTERVIEWS may or may not be conducted, but if an interview is desired, it will be scheduled by the hiring office and a representative from that office will contact you directly.
HR will not have information pertaining to the scheduling of interviews and cannot provide feedback pertaining to completed interviews.
For a status of your application, go to your USAJobs account. Select Application Status then More Information to see if updates are available.
Updates will not be available during the interview/selection process, which may take up to 6 months.
Vacancies may be filled up to 6 months after the closing date of this announcement. Applicants may not receive notifications of referral status until the full 6-month eligibility period has elapsed.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
