Ascension is seeking a high-performing Project Manager / Contract Lead to oversee the execution of a federal data analytics contract supporting the U.S. Department of Education’s TRIO programs. This role is critical to ensuring the successful delivery of large-scale statistical analysis, longitudinal data management, and federal performance reporting that directly informs national education policy and program effectiveness.

The ideal candidate brings a strong blend of federal program management, data analytics oversight, and stakeholder coordination, with the ability to lead multidisciplinary teams supporting complex data environments involving Annual Performance Report (APR) datasets and longitudinal student data systems.

This role is essential to ensuring that TRIO program data is accurate, validated, and transformed into actionable insights that support decision-making, compliance, and program improvement across more than 3,000 grant programs nationwide.

Position Summary

The Project Manager will serve as the primary interface with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and will be responsible for end-to-end contract execution, including planning, staffing, performance management, quality assurance, and delivery oversight.

This role requires a detail-oriented, organized, and proactive leader who can manage competing priorities, ensure compliance with federal standards, and maintain high-quality deliverables in a fast-paced, data-driven environment.

The ideal candidate will:

• Be self-driven and capable of operating in ambiguous environments
• Anticipate risks and proactively implement mitigation strategies
• Lead cross-functional teams supporting data analysis, reporting, and system management
• Ensure adherence to federal reporting requirements (e.g., GPRA) and data governance standards

The Project Manager will oversee activities aligned to:

• Project Management and Reporting (Task 1)
• Transition Management (Task 2)
• Data Analysis Oversight (Task 3)
• Longitudinal Data Management (Task 4)
• Federal Reporting (Task 5)

Day-to-Day Activities

• Lead contract execution, ensuring all deliverables meet quality, schedule, and compliance requirements
• Coordinate directly with federal stakeholders, including COR and program staff
• Develop and maintain project management plans, schedules, and deliverable tracking tools
• Facilitate kickoff meetings, status meetings, and stakeholder briefings
• Prepare and submit monthly status reports and performance updates
• Oversee data analytics teams performing APR data analysis and validation
• Monitor progress of longitudinal data file updates and data integration efforts
• Ensure delivery of GPRA reports, dashboards, and statistical outputs
• Identify risks, issues, and dependencies; implement mitigation strategies
• Ensure compliance with Section 508, data privacy, and federal IT security requirements
• Manage staffing, workload distribution, and performance of contractor personnel
• Support transition-in and transition-out activities, including knowledge transfer
• Ensure accuracy and completeness of all deliverables, especially high-visibility reports