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ASCENSION is seeking an experienced Policy and Governance Analyst to provide regulatory research, policy analysis, governance, compliance, risk, and executive advisory support to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

This position is designed for a professional who can interpret complex regulatory and policy requirements, determine how those requirements affect organizational operations, and translate findings into practical recommendations for senior government leaders. The analyst will support HUD as the Department addresses reorganization, operational efficiency, accountability, modernization, and other executive-level initiatives.

HUD’s Executive Support Services requirement is intended to enhance operational capabilities, improve efficiency, and align departmental activities with HUD’s mission and long-term objectives. The successful candidate must therefore be more than a policy researcher. ASCENSION is seeking someone capable of connecting regulations, policy, governance structures, operational processes, internal controls, risk, and executive decision-making.

The ideal candidate is intellectually curious, highly analytical, organized, comfortable working with incomplete or evolving information, and skilled at distinguishing regulatory requirements from policy choices and operational practices. The individual should be capable of working independently, managing multiple research and analysis assignments, identifying potential compliance or governance issues before they become problems, and explaining complex findings clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

This role is particularly well suited for someone with experience in federal management consulting, regulatory affairs, public policy, compliance, governance, internal controls, program analysis, or management analysis.

Contractor Role Summary

The Policy and Governance Analyst will support two closely related HUD executive support functions.

Under Regulatory Assessment and Policy Formulation, the analyst will review existing regulations, identify opportunities for clarification or improvement, analyze the operational effects of proposed policy changes, research recognized practices, benchmark policies or governance approaches, engage stakeholders, and develop evidence-based recommendations for HUD leadership.

Under Governance, Compliance, and Assurance Support, the analyst will help establish and maintain frameworks that support adherence to applicable laws, regulations, and internal policies. Activities may include compliance assessments, risk monitoring, audit support, internal control reviews, regulatory documentation, emerging-requirement analysis, and recommendations to strengthen accountability and transparency.

The role is advisory. HUD retains responsibility for inherently governmental policy and management decisions. The PWS specifically establishes the work as non-personal services and reserves Government decision-making authority to HUD.

The analyst should therefore be able to research, assess, document, advise, and recommend, while clearly distinguishing contractor analysis from Government policy decisions.

Anticipated Day-to-Day Activities

• RESEARCH federal laws, regulations, executive directives, HUD policies, strategic plans, guidance, Government Accountability Office or Office of Inspector General findings, and other authoritative sources relevant to assigned policy questions.
• REVIEW existing regulations, policies, directives, governance structures, standard operating procedures, and internal controls to identify inconsistencies, gaps, duplication, ambiguities, or opportunities for improvement.
• ANALYZE proposed regulatory or policy changes to determine potential effects on HUD programs, organizational structures, business processes, stakeholders, resources, risk, and mission outcomes.
• ASSESS organizational compliance with applicable laws, regulations, internal policies, governance requirements, and established controls.
• DEVELOP regulatory crosswalks, policy comparison matrices, compliance checklists, assessment instruments, governance models, decision papers, issue briefs, and executive summaries.
• BENCHMARK HUD policies, processes, governance practices, and controls against federal requirements and relevant public- or private-sector practices.
• IDENTIFY regulatory, policy, operational, governance, and compliance risks and document recommended mitigation strategies.
• EVALUATE the effectiveness of existing governance structures and internal controls and identify opportunities to strengthen accountability, oversight, and transparency.
• MONITOR emerging regulatory and policy developments that could affect HUD programs, operations, organizational responsibilities, or executive priorities.
• SYNTHESIZE qualitative and quantitative information from multiple sources into concise findings and actionable recommendations.
• DRAFT policy recommendations, analysis memoranda, regulatory assessments, briefing papers, executive summaries, presentations, and supporting documentation.
• PREPARE documentation needed for compliance reviews, audits, regulatory inquiries, or executive governance activities.
• FACILITATE interviews, working sessions, and stakeholder discussions to obtain subject matter expertise and validate policy or governance findings.
• COORDINATE with program offices, functional stakeholders, subject matter experts, project managers, and other consultants to obtain information required for assessments.
• MAINTAIN policy inventories, requirements matrices, risk registers, issue logs, research repositories, action trackers, and supporting documentation.
• PRESENT findings, alternatives, impacts, risks, and recommendations in formats suitable for senior executive review.
• RESPOND to questions from leadership by conducting focused research and developing defensible, evidence-based analyses.
• TRACK stakeholder comments and incorporate approved revisions into draft and final deliverables.
• VERIFY that analytical products are accurate, supported by authoritative sources, logically structured, and traceable to underlying evidence.
• SUPPORT quality reviews to ensure deliverables incorporate HUD comments, reflect comprehensive research and analysis, and meet required accessibility standards.