Summary Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Acquisition, Procurement Directorate, located in one of the following locations: Ashburn, VA Indianapolis, IN Washington, DC Responsibilities Joining Customs & Border Protection (CBP) will allow you to utilize your expertise in serving as a Contract Specialist performing a full range of contracting activities as part of a acquisition team supporting assigned CBP/DHS organizations, programs, projects, and/or activities. This position starts at a salary of $49,960.00 (GS-07, Step 1) to $64,952.00 (GS-07, Step 10) with promotion potential to $115,213 (GS-12 Step 10). Apply for this exciting opportunity to strengthen the Department's ability to perform homeland security functions by purchasing of equipment, systems, supplies, services, or construction for the entity or activity being supported (services related to the solicitation, negotiation, award, and administration of required goods and services through contracts, purchase, task and deliver order, and purchase card transactions). Salary: Salary reflects the Rest of U.S. scale and will be adjusted to meet the locality pay of the duty location upon selection. GS Salary: Visit this link to view the locality pay tables by geographic area. If you do not see your geographic area listed, select the "Rest of United States" pay table. Some positions fall under a special pay rate depending on the series, grade level and location of the position. Please visit this link to view special pay rate charts. In this Contract Specialist position you will become a key team member of Homeland Security professionals involved in performing a variety of contracting actions throughout the pre-award and post-award phases of the contracting process using established contracting procedures; procure diverse customer requirements covering a wide range of construction, technical services, and equipment; obtain sophisticated equipment, components, and services, which require analysis and resolution of a variety of conditions and problems; and to monitor and evaluate the contractor's performance after contract award. Typical Work assignments include: Serving as an advanced trainee contract specialist responsible for all aspects of the contracting transactions from initiation to recommendation of award for CBP. Assisting higher graded Contract Specialists and Contracting Officer in the administration of contracts as well as related actions such as protests, claims or mistakes, disputes, defaults, terminations, wage determinations, labor matters, contract financing, bankruptcy priorities and allocations of materials, matters relating to the equal opportunity, small business and labor surplus area programs, contractor failure to comply with contract requirements, requests for relief funding PL 85-804, matters involving suspension or debarment of contractors, and actions involving fraud of suspicion of fraud. Analyzing and evaluates bids and/or proposals for compliance with specifications or purchase descriptions and applicable clauses. Considers financial responsibility of suppliers by evaluating contract performance on previous contracts. Meets with commercial representatives to discuss procurement needs, quality of items or services, current market prices, or delivery schedules. Coordinating contracting activities with other Government agencies having interrelated requirements, e.g., obtaining wage rate information from the Department of Labor, requesting audit reports or pre-award surveys from Defense Contract Audit Agency or Defense Contract Administration Services, obtaining clearances from the Small Business Administration, and advertising work to be contracted in the Commerce Business Daily of the Department of Commerce. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this position Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with Selective Service Primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years (additional details below) You may be required to pass a background investigation CBP follows the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan for drug testing procedures As an employee of CBP, you will be joining a workforce that is dedicated to accomplishing our mission while maintaining the trust of our Nation by strictly adhering to all government ethics standards. Your conduct will be subject to the ethics rules applicable to all Executive Branch employees, and to CBP employees specifically, as well as the criminal conflict of interest statutes. Once you enter on duty, these rules include obtaining approval for outside employment or business activity, to ensure such employment or business activity is not prohibited and does not interfere or conflict with performance of your official duties. Please review further details via the following link. 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. Financial Disclosure: Financial Disclosure is required. Bargaining Unit: This is a bargaining unit covered position, represented under the National Treasury Employees Unions - NTEU. For local chapter contact information see Chapter Websites - National Treasury Employees Union - NTEU Qualifications Basic Requirement: You must provide supporting documentation in your application to show you meet the basic requirement below. 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. Exception: 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. You qualify for this position if you meet the basic requirement listed above and possess the experience or substitution of education, as described below: Specialized Experience: You qualify for the GS-07 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Providing various methods of contracting and procurement support to assigned CBP/DHS organizations, programs, projects, and/or activities. Performing pre-award and/or post-award functions using a wide range of contracting types and methods to procure purchases in supplies, systems, services, equipment, and/or construction, where work is reviewed and signed by Senior Contract Specialist. Preparing contracting documents for contracting actions that are clearly defined and precedented (e.g., firm fixed-price, time and materials, indefinite delivery, or other contracts of similar complexity). Analyzing and evaluating contract bids and proposals. NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional resume requirements. Education Substitution: GS-07: Successful completion of one year of full-time graduate education or law school from an accredited college or university may substitute for experience required at this level. This education must demonstrate the skills necessary to do the work. Check with your school to determine how many credit hours comprise 1 year of graduate education. If that information is not available, use 18 semester or 27 quarter hours. or Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): You may substitute superior academic achievement for the experience required at the GS-07 grade level. You must have completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a scale, class standing in the upper third of a graduating class or major subdivision, or membership in a national scholastic honor society. Please see www.cbp.gov for additional information. Combining Education and Experience: To combine your education and experience, convert each to a percentage and then add the percentages. If your education is currently described in quarter hours, multiply by the fraction 2/3 to convert into semester hours then divide the semester hours by 18. To determine your percentage of qualifying experience, divide your total months of experience by the required number of months of experience. Add your percentages together. The total must equal at least 100% in order to qualify. 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. You must meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process by 07/29/2025. In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. 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 the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. 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. Background Investigation: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a federal law enforcement agency that requires all applicants to undergo a thorough background investigation prior to employment in order to promote the agency's core values of vigilance, service to country, and integrity. During the screening and/or background investigation process, you will be asked questions regarding any felony criminal convictions or current felony charges, the use of illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, methamphetamines, ecstasy), and the use of non-prescribed controlled substances including any experimentation, possession, sale, receipt, manufacture, cultivation, production, transfer, shipping, trafficking, or distribution of controlled substances. For additional information on the preemployment process, review the following link: Applicant Resources | CBP Careers Residency: There is a residency requirement for all applicants not currently employed by CBP. Individuals are required to have physically resided in the United States or its protectorates (as declared under international law) for at least three of the last five years. If you do not meet the residency requirement and you have been physically located in a foreign location for more than two of the last five years, you may request an exception to determine if you are eligible for a residency waiver by meeting one or more of the following conditions: Working for the U.S. Government as a federal civilian or as a member of the military A dependent who was authorized to accompany a federal civilian or member of the military who was working for the U.S. government Participation in a study abroad program sponsored by a U.S. affiliated college or university Working as a contractor, intern, consultant or volunteer supporting the U.S. government Probationary Period: All employees new to the federal government must serve a one year probationary period during the first year of his/her initial permanent federal appointment to determine fitness for continued employment. Current and former federal employees may be required to serve or complete a probationary period. CONTINUED IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SECTION Education Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position. CONTINUED FROM ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SECTION: 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. CONTINUED FRM REQUIRED DOCUMENTS SECTION: Are you qualifying based on education? Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable at this time; however, official copies will be required prior to entrance on duty) or a list of coursework with hours completed provided from the institution. Education must be from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Education obtained from a foreign university or college is not creditable unless it has been evaluated by an organization that specializes in interpretation of education credentials. Note: If submitting documentation of an evaluation, transcripts are still required. For a listing of some accrediting agencies see NACES | Credentials Evaluations Provided by NACES Members. See https://www.accreditation.info/education-quality/usa-recognition.html for more information. Your transcripts: All applicants are required to submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable at this time; however, official copies will be required prior to entrance on duty) or a list of coursework with hours completed provided from the institution. If you are a current CBP employee within the position series announced, transcripts will not be required at the time of application; however, education will be verified if you are selected and you may be required to submit transcripts at that time. Education must be from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Education obtained from a foreign university or college is not creditable unless it has been evaluated by an organization that specializes in interpretation of education credentials. Note: If submitting documentation of an evaluation, transcripts are still required. For a listing of some accrediting agencies see NACES | Credentials Evaluations Provided by NACES Members. See https://www.accreditation.info/education-quality/usa-recognition.html for more information. CONTINUE FROM HOW TO APPLY SECTION: It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. If a document is not legible, you will not be able to view it in your application and you must again upload it by the closing date. Additional Information Promotion Potential: Positions with known promotion potential do not guarantee promotion, nor is the promise of promotion implied. Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (Professional): The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) modernized the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Program and established the new FAC-C (Professional) certification. The FAC-C (Professional) shall be accepted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in accordance with the Office of Federal Procurement Policy's FAC-C Modernization Memo, dated 02/01/2023 and serve as evidence that an employee meets initial readiness requirements to perform contracting functions. This position will require the completion of the FAC-C (Professional) Program. This is a single-level certification program that includes completion of foundational training, one year of experience, a professional certification exam, and an updated continuous learning requirement. Legacy FAC-C Levels (I, II, or III) may be substituted for completion of the FAC-C (Professional) Certification. DHS recognizes current DAWIA Certifications as equivalent to the FAC-C (Professional), as long as the individual has met the educational and experience requirements. 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. CONTINUED FROM QUALIFICATIONS SECTION: Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (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 within this announcement. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this job announcement.