Supervisory Contract Specialist (Branch Chief)

Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Acquisition, Air Operations Branch, located in one of the following locations:

• Washington, DC
• Indianapolis, IN
• Ashburn, VA

Duties

Joining Customs & Border Protection (CBP), Office of Acquisition, will allow you to utilize your expertise in procurement to provide expert business advice to senior leaders and provide direction/oversight on contracting policy, acquisition strategy development, and contracting execution. In this Supervisory Contract Specialist (Branch Chief) position, you will become a key team member of Homeland Security professionals responsible for providing leadership direction and supervision to contracting professionals.

• Planning, organizing, and overseeing the activities of the branch.
• Exercising supervisory personnel management responsibilities.
• Serving as spokesperson for assigned programs and delivering presentations.
• Participating in special projects, initiatives, and performing special assignments.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this position.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with Selective Service.
• Primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years (additional details below).
• All pre-employment processes will be conducted in English.
• You may be required to pass a background investigation.
• CBP follows the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan for drug testing procedures.
• Your conduct will be subject to government ethics standards and criminal conflict of interest statutes.
• DHS uses E-Verify to confirm eligibility to work in the United States.
• Financial disclosure is required.
• This position is not covered under the bargaining unit.

Qualifications

Basic Requirement: You must provide supporting documentation in your application to show you meet the basic requirement below.

• 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.
• B. 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, or positions at the same grade in the same or other agencies if specialized experience requirements are met.

Specialized Experience: You qualify for the GS-15 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Implementing, managing, and evaluating procurement programs.
• Planning, developing, and establishing contractual strategy, including preparing and reviewing policies.
• Monitoring and directing the full range of contract administration actions for the acquisition program.
• Directing, coordinating, and overseeing work of subordinate staff.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social).

Pay

This position starts at a salary of $147,945.00 (GS-15, Step 1) to $192,331.00 (GS-15, Step 10).

Additional Information

• The vacancy questionnaire includes four short, free-response essay questions (200 words or less each).
• Telework: No - exemptions related to telework may be available in very limited cases.
• Supervisory Probationary Period: You may be required to serve an 18-month probationary period upon appointment.
• Leadership Training: All newly appointed, permanent GS-15s are required to complete mandatory training (5 weeks in residence in Harpers Ferry, WV) within the first 90 days of appointment.
• Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Requirements: Completion of the FAC-C (Professional) Program is required.
• Residency: There is a residency requirement for all applicants not currently employed by CBP. Exceptions may apply under specific conditions.
• Probationary Period: All employees new to the federal government must serve a one-year probationary period.
• DHS encourages persons with disabilities, including disabled veterans, to apply.