This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of the Chief Procurement Officer. This office is responsible for providing acquisition management services throughout DHS. We are seeking candidates to participate in the Student Hire Internship Pathway (SHIP) for Acquisition Professionals. This program offers current students in relevant educational programs internships in DHS acquisition offices. Before applying, please learn more at www.DHS.gov/SHIP.

Duties

As a Student Trainee (Contract Specialist), GS-1199-4, your typical work assignments may include the following under supervision: Serve on a team specializing in acquisition to negotiate, award, administer, and closeout actions Engineer or cost estimate aspects of programs Assist in requirements planning and the development and review of statements of work Prepare acquisition documents and obtain legal, financial, and staff review Assist higher-graded staff with the day-to-day administration of acquisition activity Participate in special activities as assigned Assure data in information systems for assigned work is complete, current, and accurate Oversee contractor performance under contracts Complete training and career development activities Key features of the SHIP experience include: Cohort based onboarding experience Orientation to DHS mission and cultures Orientation to federal acquisition careers and the professional environment Structured on the job experience Partnership with a mentor Peer support and networking with your "shipmate" counterparts Specialized training External events and activities Mission-connection experiences A management interview of a senior professional A leadership shadowing experience Capstone project that showcases your SHIP experiences Special projects All DHS-HQ announcements have a 5 business day open period due to the number of applications received. This announcement will be open for 5 business days OR until the first 150 applications have been received, whichever happens first. View common definitions of terms found in this announcement: Common Definitions.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• You must submit to a pre-employment drug test.
• You must be 16 years of age or older to apply.
• You must submit a transcript and proof of enrollment with your application and provide continual proof of enrollment to verify student status.
• All interns are required to sign a Pathways Participant Agreement.
• You must serve a trial period.
• Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
• The Pathways Program requires the incumbent to submit official or unofficial transcripts with your application and provide official transcripts prior to entrance-on-duty (EOD).
• This position requires the incumbent to sign a Pathways Internship Participant Agreement, which outlines the work schedule, intern responsibilities, work assignments, and program requirements.
• This position requires you to be enrolled and seeking a degree or certificate in a qualifying educational institution on a half- to full-time basis (as determined by the educational institution.)
• You must maintain at least a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or equivalent (no rounding) per semester in an undergraduate degree program or at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA (or equivalent) per semester in a Master's or Professional Degree Program.
• Student interns must be prepared to meet the Program Eligibility standards outlined under the DHS Acquisition Professional Career Program (APCP) at the time of application and/or graduation.

Qualifications

To be eligible for this internship, ALL of the following requirements must be met: Student Status: You must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an accredited high school, technical or vocational school, two-year or four-year college or university, graduate/professional school, or certificate program equivalent to at least one academic year of full-time study pursuant to 5 CFR 362. You must be considered in good academic standings by the school. Individuals must be taking at least a half-time academic, vocational, or technical course load leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate. "Half-time" is defined by the school in which the student is enrolled. Grade Point Average: You must have at least a 2.0 GPA, or a 3.0 GPA if enrolled in a Master's or Professional degree program. Citizenship: Student Interns must be United States citizens or owe permanent allegiance to the United States. (Currently, natives of American Samoa, Swains Island and certain inhabitants of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are the only groups that owe permanent allegiance to the United States.)Background Investigation: You must successfully complete a background investigation to determine your suitability for Federal employment. Pathways Participant Agreement: All interns are required to sign the Participant Agreement. Age Requirement: You must be at least sixteen years (16) of age. AND You must also meet all qualification requirements: You qualify at the GS-4 grade level if you possess the following: Completion of 2 full academic years of post-high school study or an associate's degree. We highly desire students with majors/degrees closely related to Business, especially programs focused on Purchasing, Procurement, Acquisition, Contract Management, and Supply Chain Management. An academic year is computed as follows: At the undergraduate level, successfully completed education that has not led to possession of a degree is credited based on its relationship to 120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours. For example, 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours is comparable to 1 year of undergraduate education. Four years of progressive study or 120 semester hours meets the degree requirements. Additional credit cannot be given for duplicate course work. For study at a business or technical school, 36 weeks of study (20+ classroom hours per week) is comparable to 1 academic year above high school. An academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 academic year of full-time study. This determination is made based on normal course loads for a full year of study in the graduate program. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. When academic credit is expressed in contract months, units, or other terms that differ from conventional semester or quarter hours, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide an interpretation of such credits from the appropriate institution in order to equate them to the semester or quarter hours specified in the standard. NOTE: If your school's definition of "academic year" differs from above, you must submit proof of this difference (e.g., copy of course catalog that defines an academic year). Absent this documentation, you will screened for academic qualifications based on the hours defined in the bullets above. All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. We highly desire students with courses of study closely related to Business or Law, especially with an interest in Purchasing, Procurement, Acquisition, Contract Management, Supply Chain Management, or Program Management. Students may be offered the opportunity to extend their internships into subsequent periods, but no internship will extend beyond three periods before graduation. After successful completion of the program (SHIP) requirements, the individual may be converted to a term or permanent appointment at the agency's discretion. Only student interns who otherwise meet the criteria for a GS-1102-07 Contract Specialist are eligible for conversion to permanent positions in the APCP program. Basic Requirement for Contract Specialist (1102):Contracting Series, 1102 (opm.gov) In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements for Administrative and Management Positions (General Schedule Qualification Standards (opm.gov)). For all Contracting Series, 1102 positions at GS-05 through GS-12:Selectee must meet position requirements for Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Professional certification within 36 months as of entrance on duty. 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. Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Education

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications; applicant's resumes and supporting documentation should only reflect education received from schools accredited by such institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following Website: https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home.

You must submit a copy of your transcript. An unofficial transcript or a list of courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned can be used as a substitute for the official transcript at the time of application. Official transcripts will be required if you are selected for the position.

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency (a U.S. private organization's interpretation that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to conventional U.S. education programs) with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For more information regarding evaluation of foreign education for federal employment, please visit the U.S. Department of Education webpage on the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

Contacts

• Address Department of Homeland Security Headquarters OCHCO/HRMS/MS #0170 6595 Springfield Center Drive Springfield, VA 20598-0170 US
• Name: Sharon Williams
• Phone: 771-216-1776
• Email: [email protected]