Contract Specialist (Direct Hire)

Direct-Hire Authority (DHA) is a hiring authority granted by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to address critical hiring needs or severe candidate shortages. For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit www.justice.gov/usao/. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

Duties

The duties and responsibilities for a GS 1102 11/12 generally include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Performing pre-award and post-award work on a variety of contract actions.
• Developing and documenting acquisition strategy for procuring supplies and services that may require a variety of specialized handling provisions, terms and conditions.
• Reviewing requisitions and determines appropriate contract type, competition requirements, contract vehicle and applicable FAR authorities.
• Preparing all solicitation documents necessary to support a variety of contract actions.
• Monitoring contractual milestones.
• Developing and maintaining familiarity with Government contracting procedures, business practices, the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and other regulations, policies and procedures.
• Performing cost and price analysis, preparing contracts and executing award documents.
• Preparing statements of work and resolving non-complex problems in the pre-award and post-award phases.
• Reviewing technical and cost evaluation reports for accuracy and completeness.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Salary

• $75,431 - $117,535/year

Conditions of Employment

• You 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 "Additional Information" section for full details.
• Financial Disclosure: If selected, you may be required to disclose financial information in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
• You may be required to complete a one-year probationary period. See “Additional Information” section for specific details.

Qualifications

To qualify for the position of Contract Specialist (Direct Hire), at GS-1102-11/12, you must meet the basic qualification requirements listed below.

Basic Requirement:
A. Completion of a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree or higher with a major in any field.
OR
B. Completed 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 your transcripts (unofficial or official) to verify basic qualifications for this position or you will be disqualified.

Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

GS-11:
To qualify for the GS-11 Contracting Specialist position, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-09 level.
Specialized Experience is defined as developing and managing all aspects for pre-award and post-award functions, including price/cost analysis, negotiation, and administration for services, materials, and equipment associated with the organization; using solicitation methods or a combination of methods identified in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement regulations, processes and procedures; assisting with the development and preparation of Statements of Work (SOW) typically involving specialized equipment, professional or technical services; reviewing and analyzing requests for the procurement of off-the-shelf items, items that are manufactured to order, specialized services, expert witness, litigative consultant services, construction, IT and complex equipment and services; determining sole source and other required document; preparing solicitation documents and incorporating specific provisions; analyzing proposals for conformance with the solicitation; conducting negotiations before and/or after contract award; negotiating with potential contractors; awarding contracts within delegated contracting officer authority; and/or administering contracts, including monitoring contractor's performance.
OR
Education: A Ph. D or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a degree accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.
OR
Combination: specialized experience as described above and education as described above, which when combined equal 100% of the requirements. Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. In order to qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of 2 full years.

GS-12:
To qualify for the GS-12 Contracting Specialist, you must have one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 level.
Specialized Experience is defined as performing and leading contracting specialist with the development of all aspects for pre-award and post-award functions, including price/cost analysis, negotiation, and administration for services, materials, and equipment associated with the organization; using solicitation methods or a combination of methods identified in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement regulations, processes and procedures; developing, preparing and overseeing Statements of Work (SOW) or typically involving specialized equipment, professional or technical services; reviewing and analyzing requests for the procurement of off-the-shelf, items that are manufactured to order, specialized services, expert witness, litigative consultant services, construction, IT and complex equipment and services; determining sole source and other required document; preparing solicitation documents and incorporating specific provisions; analyzing proposals for conformance with the solicitation; conducting extensive negotiations before and/or after contract award; negotiating with potential contractors; awarding contracts within delegated contracting officer authority; and/or administering complex contracts.

*** Must be able to attain and retain at least a level 1 (one) Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) as a federal contracting professional. FAC-C has specific training requirements with some courses online as well as classroom courses. To maintain a FAC-C, contract professionals are required to meet the continuous training requirement. ***

You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the 05/03/2026 of this announcement.

Your resume must support your responses to the application 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 must be included in your resume.

Education Basic Requirement: A. Completion of a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree or higher with a major in any field. OR B. Completed 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. If 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 accredited institution. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website. If you are qualifying on foreign education, you MUST submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Transcripts must be uploaded with your application to verify education. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation. Other Information This announcement is being advertised under an agency specific OR a government-wide Direct-Hire Authority approved by OPM for filling vacancies when a severe shortage or critical hiring need exists. Veterans Preference and other Category Rating procedures do not apply to this announcement. Applicants must meet all qualification requirements 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. 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: Be rated well-qualified for the position based on the competencies listed above; and submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. Well-qualified is defined as having knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies clearly exceeding the minimum qualification requirements for the vacancy. Probationary Period: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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: 1) your performance and conduct; 2) the needs and interests of the agency; 3) whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and 4) 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. EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline. DOJ 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: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/reasonable-accommodation#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: www.sss.gov. Required Documents

It is your responsibility to carefully review the list of required documents below and submit the necessary documentation based on your eligibility. Resume

Resume - All Applicants: You must submit a resume (a two page or less resume is required) containing the following pieces of information for each job entry listed in your employment history:

• Official position title,
• Employer name and contact information,
• Start and end dates (including month and year),
• Indicate full-time or number of hours worked per week if part-time,
• A list of duties performed and accomplishments.

CTAP/ICTAP eligibility documentation - If you are a displaced Federal employee claiming eligibility under CTAP or ICTAP, you must submit:

1. A copy of the agency notice (i.e., letter of intent to separate, separation notice, or agency RIF letter),
2. Your most recent performance appraisal, and
3. Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application questionnaire and submit your supporting documentation. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 05/03/2026 to receive consideration.

The application process is as follows:

• Click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
• Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
• After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
• You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

Essay Questions: The following four narrative questions provide an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question (see the application questionnaire). You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot.

1. 1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience.
2. 1. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes.
3. 1. How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.
4. 1. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position.

NEED HELP?
If you need help with USAJOBs or the application process, please see the USAJOBS Help or Application Manager Online Help websites which includes information on managing your account, creating an application, uploading documents, etc.

Reasonable Accommodation: To request reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contactNorthern District of Alabama at Theresa.Bossard@usdoj.gov or for 205-244-2072 assistance.