Contract Specialist

Contract Specialist

Department: Department of Homeland Security

Location(s): Norfolk, Virginia

Salary Range: $108019 - $140426 Per Year

Job Summary: This vacancy is for a GS-1102-13, Contract Specialist located in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, SILC COCO Chief of the Contracting Division in NORFOLK, Virginia.

Major Duties:

• You will serve as aContract Specialist and be responsible for developing and implementing acquisition strategy for the design, construction, maintenance and repair of facilities for some of the most diverse and significant activities in the Coast Guard and preparation and execution of contract documents assuring adherence with acquisition procedures prescribed by applicable regulations. Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team. Typical work assignments include: Prepares and assists Contract Specialists in the preparation and execution of critical documentation as the Contracting Officer Serves as the Contracting Officer and on-site acquisition consultant to the Supervisory Contract Specialist and Senior Leadership on complex acquisition questions Developing and implementing acquisition strategy for the design, construction, and major renovation of facilities. Developing pre-negotiation positions, serving as lead negotiator, and preparing required documentation to support the acquisition action, including Determination and Findings, and pre and post negotiation memorandum. Ability to communicate information and ideas clearly and concisely both verbally and in writing and reviewing other acquisition documents for conciseness. Mandatory training is required which must be successfully completed and other training may occur as necessary for success in the position. A. Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Professional (FAC-C Professional) or management determined equivalent within two years of entry into the position.

Qualifications: Basic Requirements: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience or substitution of education for experience or combination (if applicable) in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements: EDUCATION: You must meet all three requirements listed below; unless you are covered by an exception: 1) Completion of a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field, 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. Official Transcripts must be submitted at time of selection. NOTE: The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) does not grant Academic degrees; therefore, courses completed at the DAU are not creditable towards meeting the 24-semester hour requirement, in the fields identified above, unless the coursework has been evaluated by an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and appears on a college or university transcript. AND 2) Completion of at least 4-years of experience in a contracting or related position, 1 year of which was directly related experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service. Directly related experience must have involved performing cost and price analyses in connection with the request for approval of awards, leases, claims, price adjustments, termination, price determination, escalation, change orders, etc.; evaluating prospective contractor's financial capability as part of pre- and post-award surveys and responsibility determination when appropriate; serving as Business Advisor to program officials in providing guidance/advice in all facets of the procurement process to include the development of the statement of work, requirements for competition, market research and request for information, past performance, preparation of evaluation criteria and safeguarding the interest of the United States in its contractual relationships, utilizing negotiation techniques to ensure contractors receive impartial, fair, and equitable treatment, and the preparation of documentation in these areas. EXCEPTIONS TO QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: Applicants who have been in a GS-1102 position, at or above the GS-13 level, since January 1, 2000 without a break in service only need to meet the 1-year of directly related experience in order to qualify. The educational, training and additional years of contracting experience requirements do not apply to these individuals. AND 3). SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: To qualify at the GS-13 grade level, applicants must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 grade level in the federal sector. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work. NOTE: All experience statements (i.e., duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire) copied from this announcement and pasted into your resume will not be considered as a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. Specialized experience must include the following: Executing projects for the environmental needs, design, construction, maintenance, and repair of facilities Leading and developing negotiation positions, executing negotiations, and ensuring compliance with regulations. Execution of contracts of variety contract types, acquisition strategies, and source selection methods. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work. FAC Professional certificate is required at time of appointment. Applicants will need to submit the FAC-C (Professional) or DoD Contracting Professional certifications or the hiring organization will need to request a waiver for that applicant. Certification requirements may be viewed at click here. NOTE: The agency may obtain a waiver for any individual not meeting the certification requirements. The Coast Guard Head of the Contracting Activity must obtain the waiver from the DHS Chief Procurement Officer prior to the extension of an employment offer. National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

How to Apply: Only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Font size should not be smaller than 10pts & margins no smaller than .5 inches. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. To begin your online application, click "Apply Online" to create a USAJOBS account and follow the prompts or log in to your existing account. Your application packet must include a resume and any applicable and or required supporting documentation. Please see the "Required Documents" section for additional information. We encourage you to apply online. Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. The address below is for inquiries only. You may apply more than once, but the most recent application is the only one that will be used. You must submit your resume, any applicable assessments, and any supporting documents by 11:59 PM EST on 05/13/2026. 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, we will not be able to consider it as part of your application. If claiming eligibility under the VOW Act: The VOW Act requires Federal agencies to treat active-duty service member as veterans, disabled veterans, and preference eligibles, when they submit, at the time they apply for a Federal job, a "certification" of active service in lieu of a DD214. In order to be considered under the VOW Act, the certification must specify that the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application package for this job announcement. The certification must be on letterhead from the appropriate military branch and include the following information: military dates of service and expected discharge or release date, character of service, military rank, type of discharge, and date when terminal leave will begin. Certifications must be signed by, or by direction of military members' military personnel offices, unit commanders or higher headquarters. Agencies are required to verify a qualifying separation from military service prior to appointment, through the DD214 or other appropriate documentation. Your preference and/or appointment eligibility will be verified prior to appointment. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov),all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Britney Kane at britney.kane@uscg.mil to obtain an alternative application.

Application Deadline: 2026-05-13