Contract Specialist

About the role

Joining the Secret Service, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Procurement Division will allow you to provide leadership, oversight, expertise, and advice on acquisition planning and all phases of procurement and contracting. For definitions of terms found in this announcement, please click here.

What you will do

• This announcement will remain open for 30 days, and applications will be accepted throughout the open period.
• The first cut-off date for consideration is 09/10/2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
• Applications received by the cut-off date will be considered and may be referred to the selecting official.
• Applications received after the first cut-off date will be considered for subsequent vacancies, as applicable, following the JOA closing date.
• The selectee will serve as a Contract Specialist in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Procurement Division.
• Typical work assignments include: Identifies within assigned major program(s) those large-scale subsystems, components, equipment, and services to be acquired by contract; develops procurement objectives for the program in terms of competition and price range; constructs the contractual design; and prepares and maintains current acquisition plans and project timeline/milestone plans.
• Plans and conducts post-award conferences to ensure understanding of contractual requirements.
• Tracks contractors' progress to evaluate performance.
• Administers and monitors contractor performance for compliance with applicable laws, delivery schedules, payment provisions, inspections, and other requirements as stated in the contract.
• Provides guidance to contractors regarding contractual obligations and terms.
• Apply for this exciting opportunity to provide oversight of procurement and contracting within the Procurement Division.
• This Contract Specialist position starts at a salary of $76,463 GS-12 step 1, with promotion potential to $118,204, GS-13 step 10.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service If selected for this position, you will be required to: Obtain and maintain a Top-Secret Tier 5 clearance.
• For more information visit OPM Mythbuster Page.
• Submit a credit check after a conditional offer of employment has been accepted.
• Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
• Submit a financial disclosure report.
• Submit a copy of The Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Professional or equivalent certification.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
• In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
• Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Education

For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for a position by substituting education or training for experience, you MUST submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted that includes your name, the name of the educational institution, course title(s), number of credits, grade, and date of completion.

An official transcript will be required if you are selected.

How you will be evaluated

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

Upon review, your resume and/or supporting documents need to support your answer choices and reflect the one year of specialized experience requirement, in order to be considered. If the one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the next lower grade level cannot be identified in your resume, you will be considered not qualified.

The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are: Accountability Attention to Detail Contracting/Procurement Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Planning and Evaluating Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork 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. Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the Federal government, you are not ICTAP/CTAP eligible. View information about ICTAP/CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.

To be considered well qualified under ICTAP/CTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85.0 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.

Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA): To be eligible for a VEOA appointment, the veteran must be 1) 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. An interview may be required for this position. If an interview is required, failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.

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). After the U.S. Secret Service completes its hiring, the resumes of the remaining candidates referred for selection consideration may be shared with other DHS Components.

During the application process, you may choose to opt-in if you would like your name, application material, and assessment results to be shared. There is no guarantee of further consideration, and you can continue to explore other job opportunity announcements.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring.

These authorities are subject to change.

Documents you must provide

• Resume - Limit your resume to no more than two pages.
• The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages.
• In order to receive credit for experience contained in an uploaded resume, your employment history should show relevant work experience in month/year format (MM/YYYY), reflecting starting date and ending date, and include the number of hours worked per week.
• To learn how to format and submit a two-page resume, please visit the USAJOBS Help Center.
• If tentatively selected for the position, the applicant may be required to provide additional documentation (SF50s) to validate their eligibility for the position.
• Certification: Submit a copy of the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Professional or equivalent certification.
• Are you qualifying based on education or the position has an education requirement, or you are qualifying based on a combination of education and experience?
• Submit a copy of your college/university transcript (unofficial is acceptable) it must show school name, student's name, credit earned, degree, and date awarded.
• Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of 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.
• For example, specific courses accepted for college-level credit by an accredited U.S. college or university, or foreign education evaluated by an organization recognized for accreditation by the Department of Education as education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. college or university.
• It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application.
• See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information.
• Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP)?
• Submit a copy of your agency notice, copy of your most recent performance appraisal (with at least a satisfactory rating), and your most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location.
• Submit Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 or other (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) and/or documentation of service-connected disability.
• If claiming 10-point preference, you will need to submit a Standard Form (SF-15), Application for 10-point Veterans' Preference.
• If applying based on eligibility under the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act, you must submit certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released from active duty within 120 days from the date on the certification.
• This must indicate your dates of service, your rank, and confirm that you will be separated under honorable conditions.
• View VEOA information on Veterans' information.
• Are you a current or former federal employee?
• Submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing your tenure code as career or career-conditional (codes 1 or 2, in block 24), and position occupied in the competitive service (code 1, in block 34) In addition, the SF50s must show the highest grade or promotion potential level attained competitively.
• An award SF-50 does not contain the required information.
• If you are applying for a higher grade, please provide the SF-50s which shows the length of time you have been in your current/highest grade and that supports one year of experience (i.e., With-in Grade Increase (WRI) SF-50).
• You may need to submit more than one SF-50 to comply.
• Also submit your performance appraisals and/or incentive awards.
• Are you claiming special appointing authority, such as Schedule A?
• Submit proof of this eligibility.
• For additional information on special appointing authorities, click here.
• Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee?
• Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment: Position title, Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee), Agency beginning and ending dates of your appointment.

Benefits

DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays.

Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities.

For more information, go to the DHS Careers and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more.

What to expect next

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. To update your application, excluding External Assessment responses, during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account. Find your application record, and click edit my application.

This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. For information on what each Announcement Status means, visit: *** Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your eligibility.

Best-qualified applicants will be referred for further consideration and possible interview. We expect to make a selection within 45 days of the closing date of this announcement. If you are selected, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.

For more information on applying for Federal employment, please click here.

Additional information

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.

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. 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 ***.

More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade and unit occur.

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.

The Secret Service prohibits employees from having visible body markings (including but not limited to tattoos, body art, and branding) on the head, face, neck, hand and fingers (any area below the wrist bone) (exception: a single conservative and unobtrusive tattoo in the form of a ring is authorized on one finger).