Executive Immigration Overseas Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Summary
Protect your homeland and defend your culture. Join USCIS, America's frontline defense against illegal foreign infiltration and fraud.
As a Lead Contract Specialist, you will serve as a team leader and Contracting Officer providing advice, guidance, workload management, and expertise in one of our two execution divisions. The position reports to the Supervisory Contract Specialist.
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Duties
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• Lead team of contract specialists and a senior contract specialist to award quality contracts timely.
• Ensure compliance with and provide direction for all Federal, DHS and USCIS policy, procedures, and regulations.
• Partners with program offices and legal counsel to ensure effective, efficient, and compliant contracting solutions.
• Advise higher level management on acquisition-related issues that are of concern.
• Participates as lead negotiator of multi-disciplined government negotiation teams and directs the analysis of team evaluations.

Requirements
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Conditions of employment
Conditions of Employment:

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National to apply for this position
• Successfully pass a Background Investigation including financial disclosure
• You must pass a drug screening
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with the Selective Service
• Political appointees may require OPM approval before on-boarding
• USCIS applies the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 to its telework program

This position IS NOT considered "essential" for purposes of reporting to work when the facility might otherwise be closed.
Residency Requirement: There is a residency requirement for all applicants not currently employed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This residency requirement states that candidates must have, for three of the last five years immediately prior to applying for this position; (1) resided in the United States; OR (2) worked for the United States Government as an employee overseas in a Federal or Military capacity, OR (3) been a dependent of a U.S. Federal or Military employee serving overseas.
Probationary Period: You may be required to serve a probationary period of 1 year.
Qualifications
The qualifications for this position must be met by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on 08/31/2026.
Time in Grade does not apply to Delegated Examining Announcements, any reference to Time in Grade in the questionnaire will not apply to the rating and ranking of applicants.
This announcement is issued under the Direct Hire Authority to recruit for positions for which the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, has a critical hiring need.
Basic Requirements: All applicants must meet the following basic requirements: (Must be supported in Transcripts from an accredited institution, Resume and/or Applicable Certificate)

• 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
• A 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Selective Placement Factor: You must possess a FAC-C (Professional) or equivalent certification at the time of application. Copies of certifications must be submitted with the application to be considered. Certification requirements may be viewed at: https://usdhs.sharepoint.com/sites/dhsconnect/org/comp/mgmt/ocpo/TrainingCareerDev/CertificationPrograms/FAC-C1/Documents/23_0119_FAC-C-Modernization-Memorandum.pdf. For a FAC-C (Professional) equivalency, please provide one of the following accepted verification documents:
Do you hold a Legacy FAC-C Certification (Levels I, II, or III), Legacy Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Contracting Certification (Levels I, II, or III) or a Department of Defense (DOD) Contracting Professional Certification?
Waivers will not be accepted. This experience must be documented in your resume. Failure to do so may result in an ineligible rating.
GS-14: You qualify at the GS-14 level if you possess one (1) year of specialized experience, which is equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the federal government, that equipped you with the skills needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. You must have experience performing all of the following duties:

• Providing contracting advice on executing contract actions.
• Working with multiple contract types at various dollar thresholds.
• Providing technical leadership on the acquisition process.

Please read the following important information to ensure you submit everything we need to consider your application: It is your responsibility to ensure that you submit your responses and appropriate documentation prior to 08/31/2026. You must upload your resume under the "Resume" category. Resumes submitted under the "Other Documents" category will not be considered. Your most recently submitted resume will be used to determine your qualifications for the position advertised in this announcement. Therefore, your resume must highlight your most relevant, significant experience related to the requirements found in the qualification section of this announcement, as well as any applicable education. 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. To help ensure your resume remains clear and easy to read, we recommend using margins of at least 0.8 inches and a font size of at least 11 point. Be clear and specific when describing your work history since human resources cannot make assumptions regarding your experience. Your application will be rated and ranked based on your responses to the online questions.
Please ensure EACH work history includes ALL of the following information:

• Job Title (include series and grade if Federal Job)
• Duties (be specific in describing your duties)
• Employer's name and address
• Supervisor name and phone number
• Start and end dates including month, day and year (e.g. June 18 2007 to April 05 2008)
• Start and end dates for each grade/pay level if you've held a federal position.
• Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
• Salary

Determining length of General or Specialized Experience is dependent on the above information and failure to provide the above information may result in a finding of ineligible.
Note: Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.
Federal Experience: If you are using current or prior federal experience as a basis for qualifying for this position, the grade levels and length of employment (mm/dd/year) at each grade level must be listed in your work history. This information will be further validated if selected for this position.
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.
Education
Basic Education Requirement: You must submit a copy of your college transcript(s) (unofficial is acceptable) to support the basic educational requirement or a list of coursework with hours completed. For verification purposes, the transcript submitted must include your name and educational institution.
Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP): Per 5 CFR 576.202, An employee who receives a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) and later accepts employment for compensation with the Government of the United States within 5 years of the date of the separation on which the VSIP is based, including work under a personal services contract or other direct contract, must repay the entire amount of the VSIP to the agency that paid it (proof of payment is required) before the individual's first day of reemployment.
Additional information
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us/articles/45424542500371-How-to-request-a-reasonable-accommodation.
Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a review of financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs. The background investigation process is initiated after a selection is made. For more information visit the OPM Mythbuster Page.
If a SECRET or TOP SECRET clearance is needed or the position is designated a Sensitive National Security position, all selected candidates must meet the requirements for these clearances or Sensitive National Security position prior to placement AND maintain that level of clearance or national security eligibility while encumbering the position.
DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
It is our responsibility to eliminate any risks to national security, public health, and public safety that could be posed by individuals who use illegal drugs. This position may be subject to random testing as a condition of employment. A positive drug test or refusal to be tested will result in disciplinary action, up to and including removal from Federal service.
Note: If you previously retired from the Federal service and are receiving an annuity, your salary may be offset by the amount of your annuity.
The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to our Staffing Helpdesk.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career ve