The federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has authorized new Government-wide, direct hire appointing authority for GS-1102 grades 11 to 15 in an October 11, 2018 memorandum.
GS-1102 is the federal government’s job classification series for contracting and acquisition personnel. More information on this job classification can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1100/contracting-series-1102.
The direct hire appointing authority supports the White House’s effort to recruit and retain mission critical occupations and streamline the hiring of qualified individuals where there are severe shortages of acquisition candidates and/or critical hiring needs.
The new hiring authority means federal agencies may appoint individuals into acquisition/contracting occupations at the specified grade levels (or equivalent) nationwide. Individuals may be appointed to competitive service career, career-conditional, term, or temporary positions, as appropriate, without regard to provisions of 5 U.S.C. 3309-3318 or 5 CFR 211 and 337, subpart A.
See the OPM memo on this subject here: https://chcoc.gov/content/announcing-government-wide-direct-hire-appointing-authorities
