Acquisition Professional Career Program (APCP)

Why Work for the Department of Homeland Security?

Are you a motivated and talented individual who is ready to take on a position of significant responsibility? At the Department of Homeland Security, you will have more than just a job. You will be a vital part of the solution to our country's security challenges for the 21st century.

We want exceptional individuals for mission-critical positions. You will be part of a team that procures over $20 billion worth of goods and services, the third largest procurement budget in the federal government. 

As a member of the Department's Acquisition team, you will put your education and experience to work. You will be on the front line, directly impacting the mission every day by procuring everything from IT hardware and software to boats and aircraft.

If you are selected for the Acquisition Professional Career Program (APCP), you will be given structured, specialized training from the first day of your new career. Mentorship and guidance from experienced professionals in your acquisition field will give you the tools you need to perform the vital responsibilities you will be entrusted with as a rising leader in the federal government. This accelerated program will put you on a path to professional success well ahead of your peers in the private sector.

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How Does the Program Work?

Acquisition Professional Career Program participants choose between the Business track or Technical track.

Business track participants become 1102 series Contract Specialists, developing requirements, determining the best value between proposals, and finally signing contracts on behalf of the federal government.

Technical track participants train in one of several available occupational series, currently:

• Program Manager (343 series)
• Systems Engineering (801 series)
• Industrial Engineering (896 series) or
• Information Technology Specialist (2210 series).

Each of these series manages the design, development, and deployment of new technologies vital to the protection of the United States.

Starting at the GS-07 grade level, you will be appointed to three one-year rotational assignments in different Department component organizations, giving you the opportunity to gain experience in a wide variety of work environments. You may work in short-notice disaster relief planning efforts at FEMA, long-term ship design projects at the Coast Guard, ongoing screening and detection equipment development, testing, and deployment for the TSA, or other exciting and vital projects and programs throughout the Department. The experience you gain, combined with the training and mentorship detailed below, will enhance your understanding and comprehension of your acquisition career field, preparing you for virtually any situation you may encounter in the course of your career. 

Additionally, it will give you a broader perspective into the many missions going on simultaneously within the Department, allowing you to see both the parts and the whole that work towards the larger Department Mission: protecting against and responding to threats and hazards to the nation.

The following is a full listing of DHS component organizations participating in the APCP:

Upon successful completion of the program, you will be placed into a permanent full time position with promotion potential up to a GS-13.

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Beneficial Training

Join the team and we will provide you with the skills and training necessary to become a sought-after expert in the field of acquisition. We will invest in you with over 400 hours of technical training leading. As you progress through the APCP, you will receive progressively higher certifications within your acquisition career field. These certifications are recognized across the federal government and will serve as your professional credentials as a recognized expert in your field.

Additionally, you will receive more than 100 hours of leadership-specific training. This will give you the training and expertise necessary to become a future leader in tomorrow's government.

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Mentorship

Within your first 90 days, you will be partnered with a senior expert in your acquisition field who will provide you with positive guidance on how to reach your full potential. Along with the experienced professionals you will work alongside and learn from on a day-to-day basis, you will also be able to turn to your mentor for frank discussion, advice and career planning. Together, you will assess your professional strengths and weaknesses to develop a Mentoree Action Plan, laying out your long-term career goals and aspirations. Your mentor will work with you over the length of your participation in the APCP, helping you on the road to your professional success.

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Outstanding Benefits

• School loan repayment or tuition assistance for ongoing education
• Personal leave days for vacation
  • 13 days/yr for first 3 years
  • 20 days/yr for years 4-15
  • 26 days/yr for years 15 or more
• 10 paid holidays per year
• 13 paid sick days per year
• A wide choice of health insurance programs
• Flexible work schedules
• Fully portable Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401K) with matching contributions up to 5%
• Non-taxable Flexible Spending Accounts for out-of-pocket medical or dependent care expenses
• Paid training
• Transportation subsidies
• Employee recognition program
• Life and long-term care insurance

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Position at a Glance

POSITION INFORMATION: Full Time Federal Excepted Service employee.
GRADE: GS-07
STARTING SALARY:  $41,120 per year
PROMOTION POTENTIAL:  Up to GS-13, $86,927-$113,007 per year
DUTY LOCATIONS: Throughout the Washington DC Metro area

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How to Apply

General Information:

APCP representatives will be attending events across the country, and will be happy to answer any questions you may have. A full listing appears below

All Department of Homeland Security jobs require U.S. citizenship and, at a minimum, all Department APCP positions require a Department of Homeland Security clearance. In addition, applicants may be required to submit to a drug test and/or a higher-level background investigation for some opportunities.

Please note that the application/hiring process may take several months, so please apply at the earliest date possible in advance of your eligibility date.

The Department of Homeland Security is an equal opportunity employer.

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APCP Recruiting Events

All information is tentative and may be subject to change.

• Rice University—September 8-9, 2009
• Georgia Tech—September 15, 2009
• University of Illinois (Student Engineering Union Expo)—September 15, 2009
• University of California at Berkeley—September 15-16, 2009
• Pennsylvania State University—September 15-17, 2009
• University of Pennsylvania—September 15-17 and October 9, 2009
• Duke University—September 16, 2009
• University of Notre Dame—September 16, 2009
• West Virginia University—September 16-17, 2009
• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor—September 20-21, 2009
• George Washington University—September 21-23, 2009
• University of Texas at Austin—September 22-23, 2009
• American University—September 24, 2009
• Georgetown University—September 25, 2009
• George Mason University—September 29 and October 7-8, 2009
• Howard University—September 29-30, 2009
• University of Florida—September 29-30, 2009
• University of Pittsburgh—September 30, 2009
• Virginia Tech—September 30-October 2, 2009
• Johns Hopkins University—October 1, 2009
• Princeton University—October 2, 2009
• University of Chicago—October 2, 2009
• University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez—October 2, 2009
• Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico—October 5-7, 2009
• Mississippi Valley State University—October 6, 2009
• University of Maryland, College Park—October 6-8, 2009
• Arizona State University (Tempe Campus)—October 7, 2009
• Drexel University—October 7, 2009
• University of Washington (Seattle Campus)—October 13, 2009
• University of California, Los Angeles—October 21, 2009
• University of Virginia—October 28-29, 2009
• New York Recruiting Consortium 2010—January 8, 2010

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