Contract Specialist (Contracting Officer)

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

Duties

Designated as a Contracting Officer for the Bureau with specific responsibility for soliciting, awarding, and administering highly technical, complex, multi-year types of contracts.

Responsible for complex contractual work involving the negotiations, administration, and termination of contracts.

Serves as advisor and approving official to program staff to facilitate an Advanced Procurement plan, maintaining current acquisition plan, appropriate milestone charts and related schedules, ensuring adequate resources are available and services are obtained to best meet the need of the Government.

Analyzes settlement proposals, audit reports, technical evaluations and subcontractor claims when applicable.

Investigates problems, disputes and/or labor violations, determines alternative courses of action, prepares impact statements and recommends a pre-negotiation settlement position to higher authority and/or where warranted, terminating contracts assigned for default and/or convenience.

Salary

• $102,415 - $158,322/year

Conditions of Employment

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:

1. Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria;
2. Be rated well-qualified for the position, scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and
3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility:
   • A copy of the agency notice (i.e., separation notice or agency RIF letter),
   • Most recent performance appraisal, and
   • Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location.
   • See USAJOBS' Career Transition Programs for more information.

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: U.S Department of Justice - Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

Key Requirements:

• U.S. Citizenship is Required.
• See Special Conditions of Employment Section.
• Selective Service Requirement

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following:

Basic Requirements:
GS-12:

A. A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field.

NOTE: A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is defined as possession of a bachelor's degree conferred or approved by an
accredited U.S. college or university based on a 4 year course of study. Simply being enrolled and working toward a degree does not meet the qualification standard.

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.

NOTE: When academic credit is expressed in contract months, units, or other items that differ from conventional semester or other terms that differ from conventional semester or quarter hours, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide an interpretation of such credits from the appropriate institution in order to equate them to the semester or quarter hours specified in the standard.

Exceptions: GS-12: Employees currently occupying a GS-1102 position at grades 5 through 12 since January 1, 2000, is considered to have met the basic requirements for other GS-1102 positions up to and including those classified at the GS-12 level. This includes positions at other agencies and promotions up through grade 12. However, employees must meet specialized experience requirements when seeking another position.

GS-13:

A. Completion of all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to GS-13 (the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has defined mandatory training to be FAC-C Level II or a BOP Level III warrant) 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 GS-12 level of the position, and must have provided the qualifications to perform successfully the work of the position.

NOTE: ALL applicants MUST submit a legible Copy of their FAC-C Level II or a BOP Level III warrant. The FAC-C Level II or BOP Level III warrant MUST be electronically uploaded and attached at the time you apply.

NOTE: Applicants are responsible for submitting appropriate documentation when requesting certification for GS-1102 positions at
grades GS-13 and above, e.g. college transcripts, course syllabus, etc.

AND

B. 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester or 36 quarter hours in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management

Acceptability of Higher Education: Education such as foreign education, home study and correspondence courses, academic credit for work
experience, military education, continuing education units, life experience, etc., is acceptable to the extent that it is determined to be equivalent to conventional higher education programs of U.S. institutions. Such education must be accepted for college-level credit by an accredited U.S. college or
university

NOTE: Applicants that meet the basic education requirements for Grades 5 through 12 only and are applying for a position with promotion potential to the GS-13 can be non-competitively promoted to the GS- 13 level once ALL basic requirements for the GS-13 have been met

Exceptions: GS-13: Employees currently occupying a GS-1102 position at certain grade (i.e., GS-13 or higher) since January 1, 2000 is considered to
have met the basic requirements for other GS 1102 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, unless granted a waiver under Paragraph D

Waiver: GS-13: When filling a specific vacant position, the Senior Procurement Executive of the selecting agency (agency is defined as
DOJ), at his or her discretion, may waive any or all of the requirements of Paragraphs A and B above if the Senior Procurement Executive certifies that the applicant possesses significant potential for advancement to levels of greater responsibility and authority based on demonstrated analytical and decision making capabilities, job performance, and qualifying experience

NOTE: The Agency has made a determination that a waiver may be granted for education only as described in Paragraph B of GS-13 Basic Requirements

BOP employees currently occupying a Contract Specialist position on an approved waiver submit a copy of the waiver prior to the closing date of this announcement. Contract Specialists who do not possess a four year degree and the required 24 semester hours, may apply and be considered for a waiver of the educational requirements. The waiver is discretionary tool available to the Procurement Executive as such does not constitute automatic approval

NOTE: Current federal employees not employed by the BOP and former BOP' Employees MUST submit documentation (i.e., SF-50(s) covering the period from January 1, 2000) for verification of the above referenced exception criteria to receive consideration. Failure to provide these documents will result in non-consideration for this vacancy

AND

In addition to the basic requirements, you must have one of the following:

Education:
GS-12 & GS-13:There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this grade level.

OR

Experience:
In addition to the basic requirements, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular qualifications to perform successfully the duties of the position and must typically be in or related to the position to be filled.

Some examples of this qualifying experience are:

GS-12:

• Experience preparing initial agency position on protests from unsuccessful offers and renders or recommends a decision
• Experience in formally advertised procurement, ensure bid schedules are properly structured, prepare the solicitation, determine sources to be solicited, etc
• Experience negotiating settlements for changes and approves contract payments
• Experience assisting in the administration of contracts, including performance of termination actions

GS-13:

• Experience soliciting, awarding, and administering highly technical, complex, multi-year types of contracts
• Experience conducting pre-proposal or pre-bid conferences with prospective contractors to arrive at a clear understanding of solicitation
  requirements pertaining to specifications, terms, conditions, provisions and clauses of the solicitation.
• Experience functioning as the resident technical expert for contracting issues when developing and coordinating pre-negotiation strategy with technical specialists and representative from the respective program area

AND

Quality Ranking Factor:
GS-12 and GS-13:

• Bureau of Prisons Warrant is preferred.

Applicants must clearly address these factors in their resume and provide a copy of certification at the time they apply.

NOTE: The above quality ranking factor is preferred. Therefore, applicants who possess the quality ranking factor can be ranked above those who do not, but no candidates can be rated ineligible solely for failure to possess a quality ranking factor.

If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities.

**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**

Education ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here. Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty. Other Information Special Conditions of Employment Section: The incumbent is subject to geographic relocation to meet the needs of the agency. Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks. Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate. This is a non-law enforcement clerical or administrative support position (one-grade interval). Individuals selected for these positions will lose law enforcement coverage and will need to return to a position with "primary" law enforcement coverage to regain coverage. 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 CompetencyBased 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. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information) Required Documents

Failure to provide legible required documents and/or follow the prescribed format often results in removal from consideration. If uploading documentation, do not identify/save your documents utilizing a special character such as %, #, @, etc. Documentation should be identified/saved as VA Letter, DD-214, or Transcripts.

Veterans' Preference Documentation:
Failure to submit all required documents at the time of application will result in the loss of claimed preference eligibility.

• DD-214: Veterans MUST provide a DD-214 demonstrating that they have been discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions (i.e., the individual must have received either an honorable or general discharge).
• SF-15: If you are a disabled veteran, a Purple Heart recipient, widow/widower of a veteran, the spouse of a disabled veteran or the parent of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit:
  • A completed Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference" AND all required documentation identified on the SF-15. NOTE: A Department of Veterans Affairs letter must contain the Veteran's Name and Combined Service-Connected Evaluation. For a copy of the most current SF-15, Click Here.
  • If you are on active duty and expect to be discharged or released from active duty service within 120 days, you may submit a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty from the appropriate Branch Personnel Office containing the following information:
    1. The military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; and
    2. The character of service (must be an honorable or general discharge); and
    3. Any qualifying service/campaign/expeditionary medals.
• Resume (limited to 2 pages) must include your name, contact information, and relevant experience (cover letter optional). Experience that would not normally be part of the Federal employee's position is creditable when documented by satisfactory evidence of qualifying experience (e.g., a memorandum from the manager, Human Resource Manager, SF- 52, MOU, etc.). If providing a memorandum, it must follow the format below AND clearly cite the duties performed.
  • To receive credit for experience, your resume and/or any satisfactory evidence must
    include:
    • Start date and end date in month/year format (MM/YYYY) AND
    • Number of hours worked per week.
• College transcript: includes the School Name, Student Name, Degree, and Date Awarded (if applicable). NOTE: If you are selected, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day.
• SF-50: If you are a current/former federal government employee, you must provide an unredacted copy of your latest SF-50.
• Proof of ICTAP/CTAP eligibility, Click Here, if applicable.

For more help, visit USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job?

We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, delays in mail service, applicant application errors, etc.

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

1. Click the Apply Online button.
2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
4. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
6. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
7. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
8. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

To update your application, including supporting documentation: 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.

To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

You must apply through the online application system at www.USAJOBS.gov. Follow the prompts to register, answer a few questions and submit all required documents.

Limit your resume to 2 pages. If the only resume(s) received is/are longer than two pages, your application is ineligible for further consideration. Submission of a resume alone is not a complete application. This position may require the completion of additional forms and/or supplemental materials as described under the Required Documents section. Please carefully review the complete job announcement and the "How to Apply" instructions. Failure to provide the required information and/or materials will result in your application not being considered for employment.

We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume.

USAJOBS Help Center - How to Add a Resume to Your Profile

Claiming Veterans Preference? If yes, you MUST claim preference on-line during the application process and upload documentation to support preference claimed. Failure to claim Veterans Preference or provide supporting documentation may result in you not receiving appropriate consideration during the assessment process.

Required supporting documentation must be electronically uploaded or transferred from USAJOBS (uploaded).

All required supporting documentation MUST be received by the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time on08/28/2026. You MUST include the vacancy announcement number on your supporting documentation.

Supporting documentation for announcements with an application limitation MUST be uploaded the same day you apply, as these positions may close earlier than stated in the announcement.

Paper applications: If applying online is impossible, please contact the Consolidated Staffing Unit at the telephone number listed below, prior to the closing date of the announcement for the alternate application procedure.

If applicable see Notice for Preference Eligible Veterans Applicants