Contract Specialist - DIRECT HIRE

Drug Enforcement Administration; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeks a leader in the Office of Acquisition to drive the planning, development, and management of agency-wide regulations and contracting operations in a senior capacity.

Eligible candidates must have substantial contracting experience, a relevant 4-year degree with specialized coursework, and demonstrated expertise in acquisition programs and compliance. This role emphasizes guiding financial systems and program management across DEA acquisitions.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of contracting or related experience with at least 1 year at the next higher grade level, including knowledge to perform the work successfully.
• A 4-year degree with at least 24 semester hours in accounting/finance/law/contracts/purchasing/economics/industrial management/marketing/quantitative methods/organization and management.
• Specialized experience requirements for GS-12/13 including leading development and interpretation of acquisition documentation, guidance on systems operations, program direction, and internal assessments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, review, and interpretation of acquisition documentation to support contract operations.
• Provide authoritative guidance on acquisition systems operations and performance requirements.
• Establish program direction for acquisition programs (purchase card, COR, Acquisition Career Management, small business programs).
• Oversee acquisition compliance reviews and internal assessments to strengthen controls.

Skills

Contracting experience

Legal documentation drafting/review

Acquisition program management

Acquisition compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree with 24 semester hours in accounting/finance/business/law/contracts/purchasing/economics/management

Job description

This position is located in the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Financial Management Division, Office of Acquisition. This position(s) primary purpose is to lead in the planning, development, and management of the DEA's agency-wide regulations.

For more information on eligibility requirements see: DEA Employment Eligibility

Applicants must meet all of the required qualification requirements described below by the closing of this announcement.

If you are qualifying based on education or if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application.

Basic Qualification Requirements:

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, and must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position.

AND

B. 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. This also applies to 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.

Applicants applying for the GS-12 must meet one of the following requirements:

A. Have at least one full year of qualifying specialized experience that is at least equivalent in difficulty and complexity to work performed at the GS-11 grade level. Specialized 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.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

• 1) Drafting and/or reviewing legal documentation supporting contract operations;
• 2) Providing technical assistance and guidance on financial systems to support compliant program execution;
• 3) Managing acquisition programs such as the purchase card program, the Contracting Officers' Representative (COR) program, Acquisition Career Management, small business programs, or similar programs;
• 4) Conducting acquisition compliance reviews and internal assessments.

Applicants applying for the GS-13 must meet one of the following requirements:

A. Have at least one full year of qualifying specialized experience that is at least equivalent in difficulty and complexity to work performed at the GS-12 grade level. Specialized 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.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

• 1) Leading the development, review, and/or interpretation of acquisition documentation support contract operations;
• 2) Providing authoritative guidance on acquisition systems operations;
• 3) Establishing program direction and performance requirements for acquisition programs such as the purchase card program, the Contracting Officers' Representative (COR) program, Acquisition Career Management, small business programs, or similar programs;
• 4) Overseeing acquisition compliance reviews and internal assessments to identify deficiencies and strengthen internal controls.

Additional information on the position qualification requirements are located in the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Qualifications Standards Handbook.