Contract Specialist (Senior Contracting Officer)

Duties As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.The duties and responsibilities for a Contract Specialist generally include, but are not limited to, the following : Coordinates the procurement of complex, high-dollar contracts for products and a broad array of professional services functional areas including Information Technology (IT); automated litigation support; facilities management; finance and audit; Architect-Engineering; construction, and administrative support.Coordinates with various parties in developing acquisition strategies and mapping out strategic changes in unusually complex or politically sensitive contractual situations.Prepares justifications and determinations for approval by senior officials.Assists in strategic planning / organizational performance assessments by participating in agency-wide acquisition task forces, working groups and committees.Requirements Conditions of EmploymentYou must be a United States Citizen or National.You must successfully pass a security / background investigation and a drug screening.Selective Service registration is required, see the "Requirements" section for full details.Additional selections may be made from this announcement, at any time, if openings occur in other offices serviced by Justice Management Division, HR Operations.Financial Disclosure : If selected, you may be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.Must be able to maintain Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) (Professional) certification. Qualifications To qualify for the position of Contract Specialist (Senior Contracting Officer) at (GS-1102-14), you must meet the basic qualification requirements listed below AND possess the required specialized experience specific to this series and grade.There may also be a positive education requirement for some occupations, please see the Education section for details. If there are licensing or certification requirements, please see the Required Documents section for details on how to verify you license or certificate.BASIC QUALIFICATIONS : A. 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 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.ANDB. 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.C. 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.ANDSpecialized Experience : One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level or equivalent band in the Federal service, which includes : Serves as an expert in the functional area of procurement; Advises management on complex procurement matters; AND Provides and executes acquisition strategies and contract administration plans.Mandatory Training : You must provide proof of an active Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) (Professional) at the time of application. If the applicant holds a valid / current Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) equivalency Level III contracting certification, then the applicant meets the training requirement.You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01 / 21 / 2025.YOUR RESUME MUST support your responses to the online questionnaire and the qualification requirements. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating. See the "Required Documents" section for important notes about what information you must include in your resume!EducationIf you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements, please see the statements below.Education must be reviewed and certified by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, in order for it to be creditable towards your qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and / or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.Foreign Education : If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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 an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For more information about this requirement, please visit the U.S. Department of Education website for Foreign Education Evaluation.All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.Additional informationThis announcement is being advertised under a government-wide Direct-Hire Authority issued by OPM for positions in certain hard-to-fill occupational fields. Veterans Preference and other Category Rating procedures do not apply to this announcement. Applicants must simply be determined to possess the specialized experience and basic qualifications required of the position. The hiring office may interview and select any qualified candidate of their choosing from the qualified pool. See OPM, Direct Hire Authority for more information...Other Information : Reasonable Accommodation Statement : Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. The DOJ Reasonable Accommodation policy can be found here : DOJ EEO Statement / Policy : Selective Service : If you were born male, on or after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at : .This position is excluded from the bargaining unit. Help 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. Review our benefitsEligibility 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 EvaluatedYou will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.Once the job opportunity announcement closes (at 11 : 59 pm ET on01 / 21 / 2025), a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted, the information will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your eligibility for Federal employment, and then whether you are qualified for this particular position. Per Direct-Hire Authority requirements, all qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring office for consideration. The hiring office may select any qualified candidate without regard to special eligibility considerations. Veterans' preference is not applicable.Acquisition Services and AdviceAcquisition Services and AdviceNegotiates and Administer Contracts for Products and ServicesNegotiates and Administers Contracts for Products and ServicesWhen addressing the specialized experience statement, applicants must present evidence of the experience in their resume. If the specialized experience statement is repeated, in the applicant's resume, Human Resources will deem the applicant as ineligible.Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP) : These programs apply to Federal and / or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must : Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria;Be rated well-qualified for the position based on the competencies listed above; andSubmit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility.Well-qualified defined as having knowledge, skills, abilities, and / or competencies clearly exceeding the minimum qualification requirements for the vacancy.