Supervisory Contract Specialist (Branch Chief)

About the role

This position is located in U.S. Department of Agriculture's Departmental Administration, Office of Contracting and Procurement, Procurement Operations, within a contracting division. Divisions may include but are not limited to Service and Supply, Construction and Architecture, Information Technology, or Land Management and Stewardship.

This announcement may also be used to fill vacancies in the Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Commodity Procurement Program (more info in Education section).

What you will do

• As the subject matter expert in contracting and in the Branch’s assigned program of work, the employee is responsible for exercising independent judgment to accomplish a myriad of contracting responsibilities in support of the USDA mission.
• Serves as a contracting officer with signatory authority for lower-grade subordinates, which may include awarding contracts for critical acquisition programs.
• Oversees all aspects of contracting including requirements development, evaluation and award, pre and post award, administration, and closeout.
• Conducts internal reviews of pre- and post-award contract files within the Branch, in accordance with the guidance provided by the procurement compliance team in OCP.
• Maintains responsibility for ensuring the quality and accuracy of all contract file reviews for the Branch.
• Reviews Branch data from automated systems for accuracy, timeliness, and completeness and takes appropriate corrective action, when necessary.
• Applies a wide range of qualitative and/or quantitative methods to assess and improve operational effectiveness and/or complex management processes, projects, and systems.
• Regularly communicates with Branch customers regarding the quality of their procurement packages, providing them opportunities for feedback on the Branch’s procurement operations and level of service.
• Works with other Branch Chiefs to identify process improvements and operational challenges and develops solutions for a more efficient organization.
• Supervises a group of contracting professionals performing all aspects of the contracting process for a variety of types of acquisitions.
• Provides administrative and technical supervision and training necessary for accomplishing procurement operations.
• Ensures subordinates are trained and fully comply with the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation and acquisition policies and initiatives.
• Job duties may vary slightly depending on assigned mission area.
• For additional information regarding mission areas participating in this recruitment effort, please review the Education section.

Requirements

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Direct Deposit - Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check.
• To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit ***
• If selected, you may be required to serve a probationary or trial period as applicable to appointment type.
• Refer to Next Steps section for additional information.
• Subject to one year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable.
• New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.
• Incumbent must obtain a Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) within six months of entry to the position and must maintain this certification throughout their tenure.
• If assigned to Information Technology (IT) contracting, the incumbent will also be required to obtain a FAC-C Digital Services specialization within 12 months and maintain this certification throughout their tenure.
• Depending on the nature of the work and forthcoming Federal Acquisition Institute credentials, the position may also be required to obtain and maintain other Contract Specialist credentials as needed.
• If selected for this position, you will remain in your current USDA office location / official duty station of record, except National Capital Region.
• Selectees in the National Capital Region may require additional conversations.

Education

All applicants must meet the educational requirement for the Contracting Series, 1102 as outlined in the above Qualifications section.

Transcripts must be supplied with application materials.

The following mission areas will be participating in this Shared Recruitment effort, mission area descriptions are as follows - Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP) is responsible for providing a full range of cradle-to-grave contracting support to all USDA agencies, with contracts ranging from simple to complex, high dollar contracts for services, supplies, construction, architecture and engineering, IT, and stewardship.

MRP Commodity Procurement Program (CPP) contracts for various agricultural products and related services that support nutrition assistance, humanitarian food aid, market support, and disaster assistance programs.

CPP acquisition activities support nutrition and food aid programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

How you will be evaluated

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), your responses to the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

All applicants are required to complete the online USA Hire assessment administered by OPM in order to be considered for this vacancy.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Accountability Customer Service Decisiveness Flexibility Interpersonal Skills Problem Solving Resilience Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: ***

Documents you must provide

• The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete.
• Encrypted documents will not be accepted.
• Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.
• Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; Work Experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications.
• Resume cannot exceed 2 pages.
• If education is required or being used to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts.
• An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, official transcripts will be required prior to entering on duty.
• Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university.
• If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards.
• There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service.
• For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website.
• All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
• USDA Federal employees: Most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing you are/were in the competitive service, highest grade held (or promotion potential) on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND Most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) showing the official rating of record, signed by a supervisor, or statement why the performance appraisal is unavailable.
• A performance plan is not an acceptable substitute.
• Current permanent FSA County employees must submit your most recent non-award Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) showing your highest grade (or promotion potential) held on a permanent basis, position title, series and grade AND most recent performance appraisal (dated within 18 months) per above.
• Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP or RPL priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

What to expect next

Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS account to check your application status.

You must choose to turn on email notifications in your USAJOBS profile if you want to receive important email notifications that may impact your applicant experience (e.g. If you start an application and do not submit it prior to the closing date, USAJOBS will send an email reminder that the closing date is approaching and your application is in an incomplete status).

Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer.

An applicant may submit a complaint or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance.

To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to ***, subject line: Fair Chance Act. Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement and this announcement may to used to fill additional like vacancies within additional USDA organizations.

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 (as applicable to appointment type) 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 your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Additional information

If selected for this position, you will remain in your current USDA office location / official duty station of record, except National Capital Region. Selectees in the National Capital Region may require additional conversations.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP or RPL eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors.

CTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.

If selected, you will be required to submit Form OGE-450 within 30 days of your initial appointment date, and annually thereafter.

Selectee is subject to financial Disclosure Requirements in accordance with 5 CFR, Part 2635, Sub part E regarding business or personal transactions with applicants, borrowers, or business contacts who have or who are seeking business with this Agency. Selectee must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

If selected you will be subject to a National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI) and a credit report. The salary ranges vary according to the geographic area locality adjustments; therefore, rates advertised represent base pay only as pay will depend upon the selectee's duty location. Please see the 2026 General Schedule (GS) Pay Tables for more 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. Incentives may be authorized.