Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Contract Specialist

Department of Homeland Security
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers
#FLETC-Surge
This job announcement has closed

Summary

"The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC), through strategic partnerships, prepares the federal law enforcement community to safeguard America's people, property, and institutions." We are a unique inter-agency organization preparing the next generation of law enforcement officers to meet our Nation's most pressing security challenges." Click here to learn more.

An incentive may be authorized. See additional info section.

Overview

Help
Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
08/26/2025 to 09/09/2025
Salary
$88,621 to - $156,775 per year

Salary will be set based on duty location assigned to.

Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Locations
FEW vacancies in the following locations:
Glynco, GA
Cheltenham, MD
Artesia, NM
North Charleston, SC
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
Yes—You MAY qualify for an incentive in accordance with agency policy.
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
NCS/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
FLETC-MRSD-25-12788745
Control number
844321100

Duties

Help

Serving as a Contract Specialist GS-1102-12/13 makes you a valuable member of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) team and mission. This position is located in the Procurement Division under the Mission and Readiness Support Directorate (MRSD). This position serves as a Contract Specialist responsible to perform a full range of pre-award and post award functions, including price/cost analysis, negotiation, and administration for a wide range of services, supplies, equipment, and construction.

Typical duties include:

  • Performing procurement planning, identifying assigned major procurement projects, components, equipment, and services that will be acquired by contract.
  • Developing procurement objectives for the project(s) in terms of competition and price range and constructing the contractual vehicle (solicitation) including use of pricing arrangements, subcontracting policy, set-aside policies, and similar considerations utilizing advice from technical representatives such as the Small Business Specialist, Engineers, and Attorneys.
  • Performing the contractual strategy to be used and developing the procurement plan considering a wide variety of pertinent issues such as funding, the results of market analysis concerning number and competence of sources, delivery requirements, government furnished property (GFP), and possible follow-up requirements or contingencies.
  • Determining the availability of potential suppliers or developing new sources of supply.
  • Preparing and maintaining current acquisition plans, milestones and any other related schedules, such as network analysis charts. Serving as an advisor to program officials in procurement.
  • Preparing, issuing and incorporating contract modifications and resolving issues that may arise after contract is awarded, such as equitable adjustments in price and delivery schedules for settlements in pre­-award and post-award phases of contracting and unilaterally directed work, contractor damages due to late delivery of Government furnished supplies/property, or similar conditions.
  • Preparing and maintaining current acquisition plans, appropriate milestone charts, and related schedules. Determining the most suitable type of contract and incentive structure to use in the procurement.
  • Reviewing procurement requests to assure clarity, adequacy and completeness.
  • Determining the following needs: clauses to cover special conditions, such as inspection and acceptance, marking and packing, price differential, transportation costs, hazardous waste provisions, Automated Data Processing Equipment (ADPE), and software rights.
  • Revising statements of work or specifications, type of contract, milestones, actions to have all or part of the procurement set-aside for small business performance.

View common definitions of terms found in this announcement: Common Definitions.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • You must successfully pass a background investigation.
  • Current and former federal employees within the General Schedule (GS) must meet the time-in-grade requirements outlined in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement.
  • Bargaining Unit: This is a bargaining unit covered position, represented under the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU).
  • You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you.
  • Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required.
  • Required to complete an OGE 450, Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, within 30 days of starting your federal employment and annually thereafter as long as you occupy a position that requires financial disclosure reporting.
  • Overtime may be required.
  • Occasional travel may be required.
  • Must meet position requirements for a FAC-C (Professional), DoD Contracting Professional, FAC-C Level I, or DAWIA (Contracting) Level I or higher certification.

Qualifications

Please limit your resume to 5 pages. If more than 5 pages are submitted, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Please visit www.fletc.gov/site-page/employment-faqs website for further guidance regarding this page limit.

Selective Placement Factor: You must meet position requirements for a FAC-C (Professional), DoD Contracting Professional, FAC-C Level I, or DAWIA (Contracting) Level I or higher certification. (Please submit a copy of your certificate with your application.)

For all Contracting Series, 1102 positions at GS-5 through GS-12: Selectee must meet position requirements for Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Professional certification within 36 months as of entrance on duty.

For all Contracting Series, 1102 positions at GS-13 and above: Applicants seeking to meet the training requirements for GS-13 and above in accordance with the OPM Contracting Series 1102, Hiring Qualifications are required to provide a FAC-C (Professional) or DoD Contracting Professional or FAC-C Level I or DAWIA (Contracting) Level I or higher certification.

For the GS-12 grade level the following is required:

Exceptions to the Basic Requirements:
Federal Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000.

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.

BASIC EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: You must have successfully completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in any field OR you must possess 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. You must submit a copy of your official college transcript(s) that includes the number of semester or quarter hours completed.

AND

In addition to the basic educational requirements, you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least a GS-11 grade level in the federal service performing the full range of pre-award and post-award functions for a wide range of services, supplies, equipment and construction.

For the GS-13 grade level the following is required:

BASIC EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: You must have successfully completed 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. You must submit a copy of your official college transcript(s) that includes the number of semester or quarter hours completed.

AND

In addition to the basic educational requirements, you must show completion of all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to the GS-13 or higher-level contracting positions, including at least 4 years of experience in contracting-related work. At least one year of that experience must have been equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the federal service performing full range of pre-award and post-award functions for a wide range of services, supplies, equipment and construction (including formulating policies and procedures; developing and presenting terms and conditions in bids or proposals, negotiating and awarding contracts, administering terms and conditions of contracts; and analyzing proposed prices/costs).

All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

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.

Current or Former Political Appointees: 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.

Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP/ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not CTAP/ICTAP eligible. View information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be placed in the well-qualified category for this position, as described above. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

Physical Demands: The work requires some physical exertion, such as walking over rough, uneven or rocky surfaces of the type found at construction sites or other outdoor facilities which the contract specialist must visit on a regular and recurring basis; or conducting intensive negotiations for extended periods of time, i.e., four hours or longer without rest periods, and occasionally late in the evening. Some agility is required in walking around or over building materials, excavation sites, and heavy equipment.

Work Environment: The work is performed primarily in an office setting which involves everyday risks and discomforts.

This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies during the next 90 days. This could result in a few or many vacancies being filled from this announcement.

Note: Current or former Federal employees MUST submit a copy of their SF-50 Form which shows competitive service appointment ("position occupied" block 34 on the SF-50 should show a "1"), tenure group (block 24 should show a 1 or 2), grade, and salary. If you are applying for a higher grade, please provide the SF-50 Form which shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade (examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, With-in Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s dated a year apart within the same grade/job). If you have promotion potential in your current position, please provide proof. Employees applying with an interchange agreement must provide proof of their permanent appointment. IF YOU DO NOT SUBMIT ALL OF THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE CONSIDERATION AS A STATUS CANDIDATE.

Education

Positions with Positive Education: In addition to the qualifications listed above, you must possess the following level of education by the closing date of this announcement: Education Requirement Link Contracting Series, 1102

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.

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications; applicant's resumes and supporting documentation should only reflect education received from schools accredited by such institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following Website: https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/homeYou must submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable) from an accredited institution listing the college/university, degree confirmation date(s) and applicable courses for the position you are applying to.

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency (a U.S. private organization's interpretation that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to conventional U.S. education programs) with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For more information regarding evaluation of foreign education for federal employment, please visit the U.S. Department of Education webpage on the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

Additional information

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 here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

A recruitment or relocation incentive may be authorized.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) is not authorized.

This position may be filled at the GS-12 or GS-13 level. If selection is made at the GS-12 level, promotion to the GS-13 level may occur without further competition.

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.

Pursuant to Executive Order 12564 and FLETC policy, FLETC is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and, therefore, conducts random and other drug testing of its employees in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. Headquarters personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions are subject to random drug testing and all applicants tentatively selected for employment at FLETC are subject to drug testing resulting in a negative test result.

Re-employed annuitants' annual salaries will be reduced by the amount of their retirement annuity and by further cost of living increases. FERS retirees receiving a FERS annuity supplement must also be aware that, like social security benefits, their FERS annuity supplement is subject to an earnings test and may be reduced if the salary earned is more than the social security exempt amount of earnings. Additional information is available on OPM's website or by contacting OPM.




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.

Please limit your resume to 5 pages. If more than 5 pages are submitted, only the first 5 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. 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, and Teamwork

Assessment One: The USA Hire Assessment 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.

Assessment Two:If you pass the USA Hire Assessment then you will be sent to a panel of Subject Matter Experts (SME) for review of your resume, if they determine that you meet the qualifications for the position, then you could be placed on the certificates of elgiables.

If you are the best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview. To preview the application questionnaire, click: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12788745

Due weight will be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards in merit promotion selection decisions in accordance with 5 CFR 335.103(b)(3).

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, the veteran must be 1) be a preference eligible; or 2) be a veteran separated after 3 or more years of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement. (Note: Veteran's preference does not apply under Merit Promotion procedures. View VEOA information on Feds Hire Vets.)

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

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 fletc-jobinfo@fletc.dhs.gov.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.