Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking an experienced Contract Manager / Program Manager to lead the corporate-level management, coordination, quality assurance, workforce oversight, and Government interface for a multi-disciplinary Military Readiness Support Services program supporting the New Hampshire National Guard.

The ideal candidate is an experienced federal program or contract management professional capable of managing a distributed team of highly specialized professionals supporting financial readiness, behavioral health, physical readiness, and nutritional readiness services for Soldiers, Airmen, and their families.

This individual serves as Ascension’s primary operational interface with the Government Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and is responsible for ensuring that contractual obligations, staffing requirements, schedules, deliverables, reporting requirements, security processes, and quality standards remain on track.

The position requires someone who can operate independently with significant professional judgment. The individual should be organized, responsive, comfortable managing multiple disciplines simultaneously, and capable of identifying potential performance, staffing, compliance, or schedule problems before they affect contract performance.

This is not intended to be a full-time on-site Program Manager position. The PWS specifically establishes the management function as corporate-level oversight performed by the Contract Manager and supporting corporate staff.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Contract Manager / Program Manager will have authority to act for Ascension on matters concerning the daily operation of the contract and will work through the COR to resolve issues, receive technical instructions, and ensure adequate contract performance. Ascension must also designate an alternate Contract Manager.

The role oversees an interdisciplinary workforce delivering specialized readiness services across geographically dispersed NHNG locations. The Contract Manager is responsible for coordinating personnel availability, maintaining continuity of services, supporting up to twelve annual drill weekends, monitoring performance against the Quality Control Plan, coordinating Government-required deliverables, managing risks and issues, and ensuring appropriate reporting and communication with the COR.

A major responsibility is integrating the work of the individual Subject Matter Experts rather than personally performing clinical, financial, nutrition, or fitness services. For example, the PWS specifically requires the CM to aggregate weekly SME content and provide it to the COR for approval and dissemination.

The Contract Manager will also coordinate development and maintenance of the broader program infrastructure, including the Program Architecture Package, SOPs, intake/tracking processes, training curricula, outreach programming, reporting processes, quality controls, and contract transition activities. Section 5.1 requires the management function to maintain contract compliance, quality control, and strategic alignment with NHNG leadership.

This role is especially important under this Firm-Fixed-Price engagement because Ascension is responsible for efficiently managing its workforce and resources while meeting all PWS performance standards. The solicitation identifies the direct service CLINs as FFP.

Anticipated Day-to-Day Activities

The Contract Manager / Program Manager will:

• SERVE as Ascension’s primary operational point of contact with the Government COR for contract performance matters.
• MANAGE the daily administration and overall execution of the Military Readiness Support Services program.
• COORDINATE a multi-disciplinary workforce consisting of financial readiness, mental health, strength and conditioning, nutrition, and supporting program personnel.
• SCHEDULE personnel and allocate workforce coverage to support Government priorities, client demand, unit events, meetings, and up to twelve annual NHNG drill weekends.
• MONITOR staffing levels to maintain workforce continuity and uninterrupted service delivery.
• DEVELOP, IMPLEMENT, AND MAINTAIN the contract Quality Control Plan and associated procedures for identifying, correcting, and preventing recurrence of performance deficiencies.
• REVIEW contractor work products, reports, correspondence, outreach materials, and other deliverables for completeness, accuracy, timeliness, and contractual compliance before Government submission.
• TRACK contract performance measures, service levels, schedules, deliverables, risks, issues, corrective actions, and Government-directed action items.
• COORDINATE preparation of the Program Architecture Package required within 30 days following contract award, including SOPs, required forms, tracking processes, and training curricula.
• LEAD preparation and annual maintenance of the Marketing and Programming Plan required under PWS Section 5.1.3.
• AGGREGATE weekly content prepared by program SMEs and submit the consolidated materials to the COR for Government approval.
• COORDINATE the collection, validation, and consolidation of performance information needed for monthly and quarterly reporting.
• FACILITATE recurring contract status, performance, planning, and problem-resolution meetings.
• IDENTIFY staffing, schedule, compliance, quality, security, data protection, and operational risks before they affect contract performance.
• DEVELOP mitigation and corrective-action strategies and monitor them through closure.
• COORDINATE employee onboarding, required Government access processes, mandatory training, CAC-related activities where applicable, and workforce readiness prior to assignment.
• MONITOR completion of PSIP/e-QIP, installation-access, CAC/TASS, OPSEC, Antiterrorism, Information Assurance, and related personnel requirements where applicable.
• ENSURE appropriate handling and protection of PII, PHI, Government information, contract-generated data, intellectual property, and Government-furnished equipment.
• COORDINATE required local and non-local travel and ensure necessary Government approvals, Trip Reports, and travel-funding controls are followed.
• TRACK travel CLIN execution and elevate funding status when required.
• ATTEND post-award conferences and periodic Government performance meetings.
• RESOLVE performance concerns and outstanding issues raised by the Government.
• COORDINATE phase-out activities, including transition planning, data turnover, Government property disposition, and continuity of services at contract completion.

The PWS places significant responsibility on the contractor for QC, workforce continuity, Government coordination, security administration, and transition management.