Senior Contract Specialist (Construction)

USAJOBS
USAJOBS

Remote

Posted on Aug 20, 2026

Summary

This position is located in the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), Office of the Chief Security Officer (OCSO), Administrative Services Division. The Senior Contracting official awards highly technical structural and mechanical systems in support of security projects of large occupied office buildings on Capitol Hill, with unlimited range based on approved funding for projects.

Major Duties

The position requires mastery of contracting principles, laws, regulations and procedures applicable to pre-award and post-award actions sufficient to award and administer Architect/Engineer (A/E), Design-Build, Design-Bid-Build, Construction Manager at Risk (CMc), Construction Manager as Agent (CMa) and Utility Energy Savings Contracts (UESC) for construction. Pre-Award Duties Serves as contracting officer with a limited signatory authority to enter into contracts for acquisition of significant systems or programs characterized by: (1) large funding levels and a commitment period extending over a long period of time (approximately five to fifteen years); (2) the magnitude and terms of the contract substantially impact on the economic wellbeing of the AOC; (3) the agency head monitors progress due to criticality and visibility of the program; and (4) the final product is a highly complex security construction project. Analyzes and prepares recommendations and determines requirements, ensures validation of independent government cost estimates, and formulates contracting strategies and objectives to be pursued, taking-into account overall AOC considerations such as socio-economic programs, competition maximization, pricing arrangements, subcontracting and similar considerations requiring the use of innovative and unique acquisition techniques. Plans, develops, and establishes the contractual strategy for the overall acquisition program. Post Award Duties Guides the full range of contract administration actions required for the acquisition program, including the issuance of contract modifications, negotiation of changes, exercise of options, investigation and resolution of delays, contractor performances appraisal, subcontractor surveillance, disposition of claims, commissioning, acceptance, close-out and similar matters. Steakholder Liaison Responsible for preparing briefings for the OCSO to present to Members of Congress and their staff, oversight committees and contractors on the status of contracts and progress in achieving mission critical goals. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Key Requirements

  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.

Education

In addition to meeting the specialized experience requirements for this position, applicants must possess the following: REQUIRED EDUCATION 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 under Paragraph D. D. Waiver: When filling a specific vacant position, the senior procurement executive of the selecting agency, 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. With respect to each waiver granted under this Paragraph D, the senior procurement executive must document for the record the basis of the waiver. If an individual is placed in a position in an agency on the basis of a waiver, the agency may later reassign that individual to another position at the same grade within that agency without additional waiver action. NOTE: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. However, to be creditable, foreign education must have been evaluated by an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. You must provide a copy of your college transcript and the letter containing results of the course by course work and degree equivalency evaluation. Transcripts are required upon selection.

Requirements

“To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet one of the categories below: A citizen of the United States; A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B); A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible; A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States.”

Evaluations

Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions. Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement. The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies: Contracting/Procurement Price Analysis Contract Administration and Management Contract Planning and Evaluating Processes Oral Communication Written Communication Your responses to the self-assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions. Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self-assessment questions. Falsifying your background, education and/or experience is cause for non-selection or disqualification from further consideration. Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application). You may preview questions for this vacancy.

How to Apply

You MUST apply online. FORMS RECEIVED BY FAX, EMAIL OR U.S. POSTAL SERVICE DELIVERY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. If you are a new user to the USAJOBS Site and have never registered for an account; you will first need to create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume to begin applying. You must be a registered USAJOBS user AND you must be signed-in to your account in order to apply for this position. For help with setting up an account or for general assistance in using USAJOBS, go to USAJOBS Help Page. NEED HELP? If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available! If you have problems completing your on-line application, contact the Monster Hiring Management Help Desk at 1-866-656-6831 or by e-mail at MGSHELP@monster.com. The help desk is available Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. You may call and leave a voice mail message at all other times. All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJOBS “Saved Documents” feature. If you are unable to apply on-line, you may visit our Employment Center for technical assistance in entering your application. The Employment Center is located at 441 Second & D Streets S.W., Washington, D.C., Room H2-178, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You may call (202) 226-7000 for directions.

What to Expect Next

You will receive a notice generated by the USAJOBS System when you have successfully submitted your application. We will review your application and transcript(s) (if you are qualifying based on education) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. You can check the status of your application by logging into http://www.usajobs.gov. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJOBS Account, editing your profile and changing the ‘Notification Settings' to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes. Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within two (2) weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.

Required Documents

The Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) job application process is designed to ensure you only provide information necessary to evaluate your qualifications and eligibility for the position vacancy. To apply for this position, you only need to submit: a) your resume and b) answers to the online vacancy assessment questionnaire. The online questionnaire contains eligibility and screening questions and other relevant information. No additional documentation or attachments are required at the time of application. Your resume should list your education, training and work experience including job titles, employment dates, duties and accomplishments. Nothing further is required until it is requested by AOC's Human Capital Management Division. If additional documentation is required for the position, you will be asked to provide it during the interview or selection process. At that time, you may be asked to submit documentation to support statements made in your resume. For example, you may be asked to provide a copy of your diploma, college transcripts, or proof of Federal employment status. If the position requires licensure or certification, you will be asked to provide proof at the time of selection. If Veterans' preference is claimed, you will be asked to submit proof (DD-214, and, if claiming a 10-point preference, a SF-15 and the proof required by that form). Failure to provide the required documents will end further consideration and/or result in the withdrawal of any tentative job offers.

Other Information

Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit http://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetguide.asp#6. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information. DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC's suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not currently an AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide and cover the cost for the drug test. The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol. The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and/or disability. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Moving expenses are not authorized. Relocation expenses are not authorized. Probationary Period - A newly appointed selectee is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency. This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol. All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol.