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Contract Specialist

Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Coast Guard
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Coast Guard (USCG), DIRECTOR OF CONTRACTING & PROCUREMENT, OL-PORTSMOUTH COMMANDANT (CG-9143) (CG-91) located in Portsmouth, Virginia.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
05/28/2025 to 05/30/2025
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$62,020 to - $116,925 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 12
Location
Portsmouth, VA
2 vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
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
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
20250505-43673-048662-AB-EH
Control number
837660400

Duties

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You will serve as a Contract Specialist with complete responsibility to plan and recommend for execution, all contractual actions and phases for assigned programs. Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team. Typical work assignments include:

  • Reviewing procurement requests, prepares and reviews justification and approvals.
  • Preparing solicitations incorporating all the correct provisions and clauses; analyzes bids/proposals.
  • Determining compliance and conformance to the solicitations.
  • Developing pre- and post- negotiation memoranda.
  • Monitoring and administering contracts through final delivery and acceptance, final payments and contract closeouts.
  • Analyzing procurement requests to determine requirements, recommending changes to statements of work, and determining appropriate type of contract.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Key Requirements:

  1. Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  2. Must be registered or exempt from the Selective Service. See www.sss.gov
  3. A one-year probationary period may be required.
  4. Suitable for Federal employment determined by background investigation.
  5. This position requires a background clearance

Qualifications

Basic Education Requirement for GS-9/11/12: 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 TO QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: Applicants 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. NOTE: The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) does not grant Academic degrees; therefore, courses completed at the DAU are not creditable towards meeting the 24-semester hour requirement, in the fields identified above, unless the coursework has been evaluated by an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and appears on a college or university transcript. In addition to meeting the basic educational requirements:

To qualify at the GS-9 grade level, applicants must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level in the federal sector. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work. OR 2 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or masters or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B. or J.D.

To qualify at the GS-11 grade level, applicants must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level in the federal sector. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work. OR Completion of 3 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, if related OR combination of education and experience. To qualify for GS-1102 positions on the basis of graduate education, graduate education in one or a combination of the following fields is required: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.

To qualify at the GS-12 grade level, applicants must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level in the federal sector. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work. Specialized experience should demonstrate:

  • Knowledge of contracting and procurement function required
  • knowledge of the various types of contacts and methods of contracting.
  • Processing and negotiating a variety of procurements including open market purchases, vendor purchases and delivery orders against agency contracts to provide customers with complex supplies, services, and equipment.
  • Participating in negotiations with potential contractors.
  • Preparing award vehicle and file documentation.
National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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 experience. The Office of Personnel management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule, C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Education

This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience or substitution of education for experience or combination (if applicable) in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package.Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications click here

Additional information

E-Verify
DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.

Fair Chance Act
The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to Andrea.D.Benn@uscg.mil.

Suitability Statement
If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.

Shared Certificates Statement
Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

Special Employment Consideration
The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps, VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit.

More than 1 selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 45 days from the date the certificate was issued.

If selection is made below the full performance level, the incumbent may be promoted up to the target grade without further competition, if all legal and regulatory requirements are met and when recommended by the supervisor. However, promotion to the full performance level is not guaranteed and is dependent on successful performance at the lower grade level(s).

If you need a reasonable accommodation for the application and hiring process, please contact 1(888)992-7387. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Visit Reasonable Accommodation

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 for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

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

We will review your résumé and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be referred for consideration. The following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities are needed to perform this job:

  1. Knowledge of a wide range of contracting methods and contract types and of contracting principles, laws, statutes, Executive Orders, regulations and procedures applicable to pre-award and/or post award actions.
  2. Knowledge of Federal, departmental or agency, and local contract laws, regulations and procedures applicable to the acquisition and contract administration of unique equipment and services.
  3. Knowledge of various types of contracts, methods of contracting and selection factors.
  4. Knowledge of report writing techniques sufficient to write procurement memoranda and minutes of meetings and to draft contract provisions and support documentation.
  5. Skill in identifying business practices and market conditions applicable to program and technical requirements.

Your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualification requirements for the position. Under the provisions of direct hiring authority, rating, ranking and veterans' preference does not apply; therefore, your responses to the questionnaire will not be used to determine a scored rating. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications in the job opportunity announcement, will be referred for selection consideration. While veterans' preference does not apply in EHA, preference eligible are encouraged to submit their supporting documentation (DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.).

Applicants applying as CTAP or ICTAP candidates, and are determined CTAP or ICTAP eligible, must exceed the minimum qualification requirements to be referred under this selection priority placement program by attaining at least a rating of 85 out of 100. For those deemed eligible and who meet the minimum qualifications, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/No, Multiple Choice questions). Your resume and/or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles who are not determined well-qualified by scoring at least 85 will not be referred under the CTAP/ICTAP selection priority placement program; however, will be referred for selection consideration with other minimally qualified applicants.Veterans' preference does not apply.

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