# OPM Defines 1102 Qualification Standards

The Office of Personnel Management’s 1102 Contracting Series qualification standard sets education and experience criteria for federal contracting personnel, rather than announcing a vacancy or contract opportunity. For GS-5 through GS-12 positions, the standard generally calls for a bachelor’s degree or 24 qualifying semester hours, with grade progression based on education and/or specialized experience. GS-13-and-above appointments require agency-prescribed training, at least four years of contracting or related experience, and a bachelor’s degree with 24 qualifying semester hours. The standard expressly excludes Department of Defense positions and allows a senior procurement executive to waive specified requirements for qualifying GS-13-and-above appointments. Procurement leaders can use these distinctions in workforce planning and hiring; the standard does not establish requirements for contractors or bidders.

- Agencies recruiting for covered 1102 positions should align candidate screening and grade-level assessments with the education, experience, and training criteria applicable to the position.
- DoD hiring teams should not assume this OPM standard applies to their positions; the source states that DoD positions are excluded.
- For eligible GS-13-and-above appointments, the selecting agency’s senior procurement executive may waive specified requirements when certifying the applicant’s potential for advancement.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Published:** November 07, 2026

### Government Entities
- Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
- Department of Defense (DoD)
- Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP)

### Key Quotes
> 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.
> — Original poster

### Sources
- [Tips for the 1102 career path?](https://www.reddit.com/r/1102/comments/1xqciij/tips_for_the_1102_career_path) - reddit-1102