Administrative Contract Specialist/Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO)

Administrative Contract Specialist/Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO)

These Administrative Contract Specialists positions are with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Acquisition, Administration and Facilities Contracting Division, located in one of the following locations: Washington, DC; Indianapolis, IN; and Ashburn, VA.

***Eligibility: This opportunity is open to all U.S. citizens, as well as Career Transition Assistance Plan DHS employees, those on the Federal Reemployment Priority List, and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Federal Employees.

***This announcement will be utilized to fill positions through Direct Hire Authority.

The duties and responsibilities of this position focus on the administration of existing contracts and performing a full range of contracting services and functions that improve the efficiency of acquisition programs. You will be employed as an Administrative Contracting Officer, Senior Administrative Contract Specialist, with the responsibility of serving in a key liaison role for contract solicitation, selection, and post-award administration for CBP contracting missions.

You will be a key team member of Homeland Security professionals who focus on the administration of existing contracts, and you will be CBP's senior representative for day-to-day contract administration management, including facilitating communication and resolving issues during the life of contracts and supporting a variety of tasks that improve the overall acquisition process.

Typical work assignments include, but are not limited to:

• Managing highly complex, high-dollar acquisitions, programs, and construction projects with large funding levels and long-term commitments of significant importance to the agency, exercising authority as a Warranted Contracting Officer and overseeing all phases of the acquisition lifecycle.
• Managing post-award contract administration, including negotiating contract modifications, addressing equitable adjustments, and resolving termination settlements while acting as a business advisor for DHS/CBP major acquisition programs, balancing cost, schedule, and performance concerns, while ensuring compliance with agency policies.
• Resolving critical contractual issues, negotiating and executing contract modifications and supplemental agreements, ensuring compliance with agency policies and regulations.
• Monitoring contractor performance and ensuring adherence to contract terms, addressing issues such as cost overruns, delays, and disputes.
• Providing leadership, advanced strategic thinking, and managing sensitive and politically charged issues while maintaining the integrity of CBP's acquisition processes.

Salary and Benefits

This Administrative Contract Specialist position starts at a salary of $125,776 (GS-14, Step 1) to $163,514 (GS-14, Step 10). Salary reflects the "Rest of U.S." scale on the federal pay tables and will be adjusted to meet the locality pay of the duty location upon selection.

Recruitment Incentive: Upon appointment, you may be eligible to receive a recruitment incentive of up to $20,000, pending budgetary approval and terms outlined in Agency policy.

Employees receive the full package of federal employment benefits that include health and insurance plans, a generous annual and sick leave program, and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan, a retirement plan akin to a traditional 401(k) offering.

Additional Information

Contract Warrant: You must be able to obtain and maintain a Contracting Officer's Warrant.

Travel and Work Environment: Work is typically performed in an office environment, with frequent travel to attend meetings or conferences, conduct site visits to review acquisition operations, and visit program operations or contractor facilities.

Telework: Exemptions related to telework may be available in very limited cases.

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 four (4) years' experience in contracting or related positions. At least one (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 the work of the position successfully.
AND
B. A four-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.
OR
C. Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 contracting 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.
You qualify for this position if you meet the basic requirements listed above and possess one year of specialized experience, as described below.

Specialized Experience Requirement: You qualify for the GS-14 grade level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Serving as an Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO) with robust expertise in construction contracts.
• Managing post-awards for complex procurements that include construction contracts.
• Overseeing and performing a full range of contract services, as part of an acquisition team, involving pre- and post-award administration and a range of contract specializations such as negotiation, cost, and price analysis, and administration.
• Managing the life cycle of contracts, with a focus on post-award administration, monitoring contractor performance, compliance, contract modifications, auditing, claims, delivery schedules, change orders, and close-out activities.
• Serving as a liaison between the Contracting Office, Contracting Specialist, and the Contractors to facilitate and lead effective communications with authorities, resolving critical contract issues and shifting priorities.

NOTE: When you apply, your two-page resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this specialized experience, otherwise you will be found ineligible. A resume describing your job-related qualifications is required and will be used for the purpose of reviewing your qualifications and determining what training, if any, would be required when placed.

Limit your resume to no more than two pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages.

See the official Job Opening Announcement (JOA) at USAJOBS.gov for complete details and guidance on preparing your documentation.

How to Apply

Click this site's APPLY link to access the official JOA at USAJOBS.gov, the Federal Government's official employment site. You will learn exactly how to create a USAJOBS account and how to submit your application package to include your resume, an online assessment questionnaire, your transcripts, and possibly other documents. You will also learn about the required competencies that should be reflected in the information you provide in your resume.

• You must meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process.
• Your two-page resume must explicitly indicate how you meet the Experience requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible.
• You must meet all applicable Time in Grade requirements (current federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band in the federal service).

Note: This opportunity closes on February 17, 2026. Apply TODAY.

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