Careers

Ascension LLC is seeking a responsive, customer-centered Help Desk / Support Specialist to support the Maryland Department of Labor’s Federal Worker Loan Program. This role will provide front-line applicant and awardee support for individuals using the loan application portal, repayment platform, and related program communications.

The ideal candidate will bring strong customer service skills, technical troubleshooting ability, professional communication judgment, and the patience to support applicants who may be navigating urgent financial circumstances related to federal employment disruptions or shutdowns. This role is important because MD Labor’s program requires timely applicant assistance via email and phone, bilingual support in English and Spanish, accurate ticket tracking, escalation of complex eligibility or tax questions, and sustained customer support during high-volume shutdown periods. The RFP specifically requires applicant support in English and Spanish, dedicated email and telephone support, ticketing platform management, and escalation of programmatic questions beyond the customer support team’s knowledge.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Help Desk / Support Specialist will serve as a key member of the customer support team responsible for helping applicants, borrowers, and awardees successfully use the Federal Worker Loan Program’s online systems. The role will support applicants with account access, portal navigation, document upload questions, additional documentation requests, repayment questions, FAQs, and general troubleshooting. The position will also document support interactions in the ticketing system, monitor case status, escalate issues to MD Labor or the appropriate technical/program lead, and help ensure applicants receive accurate, timely, and respectful support.

This role requires a detail-oriented and service-minded professional who can work in a structured remote environment, follow approved scripts and FAQs, protect sensitive applicant information, and maintain composure during periods of increased public demand. The program may need to support up to 5,000 applications during a four-week shutdown scenario, while also maintaining year-round support for the lower-volume Federal Worker Emergency Loan Program.

Position’s Day-to-Day Activities

The Help Desk / Support Specialist is expected to:

• Respond to applicant and awardee inquiries via email and telephone during assigned support hours.
• Provide customer support in English and, where applicable, Spanish for applicants using the portal, application review process, and repayment platform.
• Assist applicants with portal navigation, account access, document upload questions, application status questions, repayment reminders, and basic technical troubleshooting.
• Document all customer interactions, actions taken, and case status updates in the designated support ticketing platform.
• Monitor support tickets to ensure timely response, proper routing, and closure in accordance with MD Labor response time expectations.
• Escalate complex programmatic questions, eligibility questions, tax-related questions, disputed determinations, or unresolved technical issues to MD Labor or designated project leads.
• Use approved FAQs, scripts, knowledge articles, and training materials to ensure consistent and accurate applicant communications.
• Support applicant communications related to additional documentation requests, missing information, repayment reminders, late notices, and other approved message templates.
• Track recurring applicant issues and recommend updates to FAQs, user guides, scripts, or knowledge articles.
• Protect applicant data, personally identifiable information, tax-related information, and case details in accordance with program privacy and security requirements.
• Participate in onboarding, refresher training, quality reviews, and surge-readiness activities before and during high-volume shutdown periods.
• Coordinate with the Customer Support / Training / Communications Lead and Bilingual Customer Support / Surge team members to maintain service levels during peak demand.
• Support reporting by ensuring ticket categories, issue types, resolution notes, and escalation reasons are accurately entered into the system.
• Maintain professionalism, empathy, and accuracy when communicating with applicants experiencing financial stress or uncertainty.

Ascension LLC is seeking a detail-oriented QA / Testing Specialist to support the testing, validation, and quality assurance of a secure, AI-enabled SaaS solution for the Maryland Department of Labor’s Federal Worker Loan Programs. This role is critical to ensuring that the applicant portal, application review system, repayment workflows, file transfer processes, dashboards, customer support integrations, and AI-enabled eligibility features operate accurately, securely, and consistently before launch and throughout contract performance.

The ideal candidate will bring hands-on experience developing and executing test plans, user acceptance testing, manual and automated testing, defect tracking, regression testing, and production readiness validation for public-sector, financial assistance, benefits, loan, case management, or customer-facing SaaS platforms. This individual will help ensure the platform is fully tested and ready for use by the required launch date, supports high-volume application processing, and maintains compliance with data security, accessibility, privacy, and workflow requirements.

The RFP requires the selected solution to be fully tested and ready for use by March 10, 2027, and specifically calls for automated and manual UAT, test case development, test execution, issue tracking, retesting, and sign-off support.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The QA / Testing Specialist will support Ascension’s project management, software engineering, implementation, cloud/security, and customer support teams by validating system functionality across the full application lifecycle. The role will focus on ensuring the Federal Worker Loan Program platform performs as intended for applicants, State reviewers, administrators, customer support staff, and reporting users.

This position will support test planning, test case development, manual and automated testing, defect documentation, regression testing, UAT coordination, workflow validation, accessibility testing, data validation, file transfer testing, AI-enabled process validation, and post-launch monitoring. The specialist will help verify that the solution supports application intake, document upload, W-2 parsing, deduplication, automated data comparisons, applicant communications, payment tracking, repayment servicing, reporting, dashboards, and secure data exchange through State-approved methods.

The ideal candidate should be highly organized, methodical, quality-driven, and comfortable working in a fast-paced implementation environment where the system must support surge application volume during federal shutdown events. The candidate must be able to translate requirements into test scenarios, communicate defects clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders, and support timely resolution of issues that could affect program launch, applicant experience, eligibility determination, payment processing, reporting, or compliance.

Ascension’s capabilities in Agile software development, application design and development, data analytics, dashboard development, business process automation, and customer experience solutions directly align to the type of testing and validation support required for this role.

Position’s Expected Day-to-Day Activities

The QA / Testing Specialist is expected to perform the following activities:

• Develop test plans, test scripts, test cases, and acceptance criteria based on RFP requirements, user stories, workflows, business rules, system designs, and MD Labor-approved processes.
• Execute manual functional testing across the applicant portal, application review system, document upload workflows, reviewer workflows, appeals processes, correspondence functions, payment tracking, repayment features, reporting tools, and administrative dashboards.
• Support automated testing activities by helping define repeatable test scenarios for workflow validation, regression testing, data validation, application routing, notifications, and system-triggered actions.
• Validate AI-enabled and automation-supported features, including document processing, confidence scoring, application summaries, discrepancy flags, automated routing, applicant self-service assistance, and reviewer-facing recommendations.
• Test data parsing and extraction workflows for uploaded documents, including W-2 document parsing, SSN validation, employer EIN capture, address capture, and automated comparison against applicant-entered data.
• Verify deduplication logic using SSN/ITIN, mailing address, bank account information, and other applicant data fields.
• Confirm that USPS address validation, identity verification integrations, document upload formats, and automated data comparison workflows operate as expected.
• Perform user acceptance testing support by coordinating test cases, documenting test results, capturing issues, tracking retesting outcomes, and preparing UAT status summaries.
• Document defects using clear reproduction steps, screenshots, severity levels, expected results, actual results, affected requirements, and recommended resolution priorities.
• Track defects through resolution using the project’s approved issue management tool, ticketing system, backlog, or defect tracker.
• Conduct regression testing after configuration updates, workflow changes, bug fixes, security updates, or enhancements to verify that existing functionality remains stable.
• Validate file transfer requirements, including SFTP data exchanges, incremental file generation, transmission reports, retransmission capability, manual export to CSV, and file format compliance.
• Support accessibility testing to verify that forms, content, and web experiences meet WCAG 2.1 AA and State of Maryland Digital Accessibility Policy requirements.
• Review applicant communications, stored templates, automated notifications, additional documentation request workflows, repayment reminders, and late notice triggers.
• Test customer support workflows, including support ticket creation, escalation routing, dashboard visibility, customer support reporting, and applicant response mechanisms.
• Coordinate with software engineers, implementation specialists, project managers, cloud/security engineers, customer support leads, and MD Labor stakeholders to resolve testing issues.
• Prepare QA status updates, testing metrics, defect reports, readiness summaries, risk logs, and acceptance recommendations for project leadership.
• Support post-launch monitoring by reviewing issue patterns, system performance indicators, user feedback, defect trends, and operational risks.
• Ensure testing activities support privacy, security, data quality, fraud prevention, and accurate eligibility determination.

Ascension LLC is seeking a Cloud/Security Engineer to support a mission-critical public sector technology initiative for the Maryland Department of Labor. This role will help safeguard a secure, scalable, and privacy-conscious SaaS environment supporting loan application intake, eligibility review, identity verification, payment data exchange, repayment tracking, reporting, customer support workflows, and audit-ready data management.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on cloud and security professional with strong experience supporting secure SaaS platforms, cloud hosting environments, encrypted file transfer, identity and access controls, privacy protections, and compliance-driven system operations. This role is well-suited for a detail-oriented engineer who understands that security is not a back-office function. It is central to public trust, applicant confidence, data integrity, and successful program performance.

Ascension is looking for a candidate who can work effectively in a fast-moving implementation environment, collaborate with software engineers, project managers, customer support teams, data/reporting specialists, and State stakeholders, and translate security requirements into practical technical controls. The selected candidate must be comfortable supporting systems that process sensitive applicant information, identity documents, tax-related data, banking/repayment information, and audit records.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Cloud/Security Engineer will support the design, configuration, monitoring, and continuous improvement of the secure cloud and application environment used to operate the Federal Worker Loan Program. The role will help ensure that the platform protects applicant data, supports secure identity verification, enables encrypted file transfer with State systems, maintains appropriate access controls, and aligns with applicable security, privacy, accessibility, AI governance, and data handling requirements.

This position will support cloud security architecture, secure configuration management, encryption, privacy controls, system monitoring, incident response readiness, vulnerability coordination, audit logging, user access governance, secure integration, and data transfer validation. The role will also support compliance documentation, security testing, background check verification tracking for personnel with access to sensitive data, and coordination with MD Labor and State stakeholders regarding security and data protection expectations.

The successful candidate should be self-driven, organized, risk-aware, and capable of operating with minimal supervision. They should be able to anticipate security and privacy issues before they become operational risks, document technical decisions clearly, and help the project team balance program speed with strong governance and system integrity.

Position’s Day-to-Day Activities Expected or Anticipated

The Cloud/Security Engineer will be expected to:

• Configure secure cloud hosting environments, access controls, storage, encryption, monitoring, and logging capabilities for the SaaS solution.
• Implement security controls that support protection of sensitive applicant information, identity documents, tax-related verification data, payment data, repayment records, and audit logs.
• Support compliance with State security, privacy, responsible AI, data classification, digital accessibility, and secure file transfer requirements.
• Administer identity and access management controls, including user roles, least privilege access, privileged account management, and periodic access reviews.
• Validate secure file transfer processes using SFTP or other State-approved secure transmission methods for eligibility, payment, repayment, reconciliation, and reporting files.
• Monitor system security events, access logs, transmission reports, and exception activity to identify potential risks or suspicious behavior.
• Coordinate vulnerability management activities, including scan review, remediation tracking, patch coordination, and security configuration updates.
• Support secure integrations with identity verification tools, payment processing channels, State-approved systems, ticketing platforms, reporting tools, and data export functions.
• Document cloud architecture, data flows, security controls, encryption methods, access permissions, incident response procedures, and system dependencies.
• Participate in user acceptance testing, security testing, data validation, and production readiness reviews prior to launch.
• Assist with implementation of AI governance safeguards, including monitoring, guardrails, auditability, and expert review provisions for AI-enabled features.
• Develop and maintain incident response support materials, escalation procedures, security checklists, and remediation workflows.
• Verify that system audit logs, timestamps, schema, and data exports are available to support MD Labor audit, archival, and close-out requirements.
• Coordinate with project managers, developers, data analysts, customer support leads, and State stakeholders to resolve technical risks and security issues.
• Support background check compliance tracking for personnel requiring access to sensitive State data, including documentation of completion prior to assignment.
• Prepare security-related status updates, risk summaries, technical notes, and recommendations for project leadership and customer stakeholders.

Ascension LLC is seeking a Senior Full-Stack Software Engineer to support the design, configuration, integration, testing, and sustainment of a secure SaaS-based platform for the Maryland Department of Labor’s Federal Worker Loan Programs. This role is ideal for a hands-on technical professional who can support both front-end and back-end solution delivery, configure application workflows, integrate data exchange processes, support AI-enabled eligibility review capabilities, and help deliver a reliable user experience for applicants, reviewers, program administrators, and customer support teams.

The ideal candidate will bring strong experience with SaaS platforms, secure web applications, application portals, workflow automation, data parsing, API/SFTP integrations, reporting dashboards, user acceptance testing, accessibility compliance, and production support. This role is especially important because the solution must support rapid application intake and review during federal shutdown events, continuous administration of emergency loan applications, secure transfer of applicant and payment data, repayment tracking, and real-time program reporting.

Ascension is seeking a technical professional who is detail-oriented, highly organized, security-minded, and comfortable working in a fast-paced public-sector environment where accuracy, privacy, accessibility, and timely implementation are mission-critical.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Senior Full-Stack Software Engineer will support the technical implementation and sustainment of a secure SaaS platform that enables eligible applicants to apply for no-interest loans, upload identity and eligibility documents, sign loan agreements, receive communications, track application status, and repay loans electronically. The role will also support the application review system used by MD Labor staff to verify identity, employment, residency, eligibility documentation, duplicate records, repayment activity, and exception cases.

The engineer will work closely with the Project Manager, Product/Platform Lead, AI/Automation Engineer, data/reporting resources, customer support lead, and MD Labor stakeholders to configure workflows, build forms, validate integrations, support file transfers, troubleshoot defects, and maintain system performance. The role requires the ability to translate business rules into technical configurations, ensure data flows are accurate and secure, support WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility requirements, and participate in UAT and post-launch monitoring. The RFP specifically requires application portal functionality, automated data comparison, document upload, data parsing, deduplication, secure SFTP file exchange, reporting, repayment tracking, and project closeout data export capabilities.

This position will be performed under Ascension prime oversight and in coordination with a subcontractor technical team responsible for SaaS platform and AI/data/automation responsibilities, as applicable.

Position’s Expected Day-to-Day Activities

The Senior Full-Stack Software Engineer will be expected to:

• Configure applicant portal workflows, application review workflows, user roles, form logic, status rules, notifications, and reviewer queues within the selected SaaS platform.
• Develop and maintain front-end portal components that support applicant intake, document upload, eligibility certification, loan agreement submission, application updates, withdrawals, and appeals.
• Support back-end configuration and integrations needed for identity verification, eligibility checks, data parsing, deduplication, automated comparison, payment tracking, repayment reporting, and secure file exchange.
• Implement application logic to parse required data from uploaded documents, including W-2 name, address, SSN, and Employer EIN fields, where supported by the platform and approved AI/automation tools.
• Build automated validation rules, reason codes, confidence scores, mismatch flags, duplicate indicators, and workflow routing logic to support human reviewer decision-making.
• Integrate platform functionality with State-approved identity verification, payment, repayment, reporting, and secure file transfer mechanisms, including SFTP, API, CSV, Excel, or other approved data exchange methods.
• Configure applicant communications, pre-written message templates, automated correspondence triggers, repayment reminders, late notices, and two-way communication mechanisms.
• Support multilingual portal content, FAQ pages, applicant communications, and customer support workflows in English, Spanish, and other languages required by Maryland law.
• Ensure portal pages, forms, content, documents, and web experiences meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards and the State of Maryland’s Digital Accessibility Policy.
• Develop or support dashboards, extracts, reports, reconciliation files, payment activity files, delinquency reports, exception reports, audit logs, and final data export packages.
• Execute unit testing, system testing, integration testing, regression testing, accessibility testing, and user acceptance testing in coordination with the project management team.
• Document technical configurations, workflows, data mappings, integration specifications, release notes, issue resolutions, and system operating procedures.
• Troubleshoot production defects, data discrepancies, portal performance issues, failed transmissions, user access problems, customer support escalations, and repayment reporting exceptions.
• Collaborate with project leadership to assess technical risks, support change control, implement approved changes, and maintain platform readiness before launch and throughout the contract period.
• Participate in post-launch monitoring to confirm system performance, data accuracy, user adoption, issue resolution, and continuous improvement opportunities.
• Support project closeout activities, including final data exports, audit logs, schema documentation, transition materials, and system access support for MD Labor audit or archival needs.

Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension LLC is seeking a Project Manager / Business Analyst to support a mission-critical Maryland Department of Labor initiative focused on implementing and maintaining an IT and customer support solution for the Federal Worker Loan Program. This role is designed for a highly organized, detail-oriented professional who can bridge project management, business analysis, implementation support, stakeholder coordination, testing, reporting, and operational oversight.

The ideal candidate will help ensure the successful execution of a secure, user-friendly software solution that supports application intake, eligibility review, document upload, identity verification, customer support, repayment tracking, reporting, and program closeout. The role is especially important because the Federal Worker Loan Program must be able to process high volumes of loan applications quickly, accurately, securely, and with strong customer service during time-sensitive federal shutdown or worker displacement events. The RFP requires the solution to support application submission and review, AI-enabled eligibility assistance, fraud prevention, customer support, payment tracking, dashboards, project management, UAT, training, implementation, and closeout activities.

This position is best suited for someone who understands how to manage ambiguity, translate program needs into clear requirements, coordinate across technical and non-technical stakeholders, manage risks and milestones, and support a public-sector customer through implementation and steady-state operations.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Project Manager / Business Analyst will support Ascension’s delivery team by managing project execution, documenting requirements, coordinating implementation activities, supporting user acceptance testing, tracking risks and milestones, facilitating communications, and helping ensure that deliverables meet Maryland Department of Labor expectations. The role combines project management discipline with hands-on business analysis support to ensure that the solution aligns with program goals, user needs, security expectations, reporting requirements, customer support workflows, and operational timelines.

The contractor will help the client define scope, objectives, success criteria, timelines, dependencies, deliverables, communications protocols, escalation procedures, risk mitigation actions, training needs, and post-launch monitoring activities. The RFP specifically requires project management support for timeline and schedule management, communication management, risk management, test management, change management, documentation and training, post-launch monitoring, data analytics coordination, user acceptance testing, issue tracking, sign-off, closeout, and transition.

The ideal candidate should be self-driven, highly responsive, structured in their approach, and comfortable operating in a fast-moving environment where application volume, customer support demand, reporting needs, and implementation priorities may shift quickly. The candidate should bring the ability to anticipate problems, document decisions, support solution adoption, manage multiple workstreams, and help the customer maintain control over schedule, quality, risk, and accountability.

Position’s Day-to-Day Activities

The Project Manager / Business Analyst will be expected to:

• Develop and maintain project plans, integrated schedules, milestone trackers, action item logs, decision logs, and deliverable status reports.
• Coordinate with MD Labor stakeholders, technical teams, customer support teams, application reviewers, payment/reconciliation stakeholders, and subcontractor resources.
• Document business, functional, reporting, file transfer, customer support, training, and operational requirements.
• Translate program requirements into clear user stories, process flows, acceptance criteria, standard operating procedures, and implementation tasks.
• Track project scope, schedule, risks, issues, dependencies, assumptions, changes, and approvals.
• Facilitate recurring project meetings, stakeholder working sessions, implementation reviews, UAT planning sessions, and closeout meetings.
• Prepare meeting agendas, minutes, action items, executive summaries, briefing materials, status reports, and issue escalation summaries.
• Support configuration, implementation, and validation of applicant portal, application review, customer support, reporting, repayment, and file transfer processes.
• Coordinate user acceptance testing by developing test cases, tracking defects, documenting retesting results, and supporting final acceptance.
• Analyze process gaps, operational risks, stakeholder feedback, and implementation blockers.
• Support change control by documenting requested changes, assessing impacts, routing approvals, and updating project documentation.
• Assist with dashboard and reporting requirements to help MD Labor track application activity, applicant characteristics, outcomes, customer support trends, payment status, repayment status, and exceptions.
• Coordinate training materials, user guides, reviewer instructions, job aids, and knowledge-based resources.
• Monitor post-launch performance, user adoption, customer support trends, issue resolution, and reporting outputs.
• Support project closeout, including lessons learned, transition planning, stakeholder sign-off, data export coordination, and final presentation materials.

Ascension is seeking a highly organized documentation and reporting professional who can support the project team by preparing high-quality written materials, maintaining accurate project records, formatting deliverables, documenting meetings, tracking action items, and supporting compliance-ready documentation throughout the planning effort.

The successful candidate will be comfortable working in a fast-moving, stakeholder-driven planning environment. The candidate should be able to listen carefully, synthesize discussion points, organize technical and non-technical content, and produce clear written documentation that reflects the project’s purpose, decisions, next steps, and outcomes. This person should be self-driven, responsive, and capable of managing multiple documentation priorities with minimal supervision.

This role is well suited for a professional with experience supporting grant-funded projects, public-sector consulting, nonprofit planning, economic development initiatives, community engagement projects, strategic planning efforts, or business plan development teams.

Anticipated Day-to-Day Activities

The CDFI Planning Documentation Specialist will:

• Draft and edit project reports, progress updates, meeting summaries, final deliverables, and administrative documentation.
• Prepare clear meeting notes, decision logs, action item trackers, and follow-up summaries from advisory workgroup meetings, stakeholder interviews, listening sessions, and roundtables.
• Support development and refinement of written deliverables, including the needs assessment, financing gap analysis, governance roadmap, capitalization strategy recommendations, final CDFI business plan, and implementation proposal support materials.
• Review documents for grammar, clarity, consistency, formatting, pagination, headings, citation style, and alignment with project instructions.
• Ensure deliverables are professionally formatted, organized, and ready for client review.
• Maintain project documentation needed to support grant compliance, progress reporting, and project recordkeeping.
• Track deliverable deadlines, version control, comments, revisions, and status updates.
• Convert technical input from subject matter experts into plain-language, client-ready narrative content.
• Assist with development of PowerPoint slides, one-pagers, summaries, tables, and appendices as needed.
• Coordinate with the Project Manager, CDFI subject matter experts, stakeholder engagement leads, and data/research staff to collect inputs for reports and deliverables.
• Support preparation of draft and final submissions in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint, Teams, Adobe PDF, and other standard collaboration tools.
• Identify inconsistencies, missing information, open action items, or unresolved comments that may affect deliverable quality or compliance.
• Maintain a professional documentation structure that allows the project team to easily retrieve source materials, meeting notes, draft content, stakeholder inputs, and final approved documents.

Ascension LLC is seeking a detail-oriented Rural Economic Data & Engagement Analyst to support a regional planning initiative focused on expanding access to capital for rural entrepreneurs in Western Maryland. This role will support the development of a sustainable, community-rooted Community Development Financial Institution model serving Allegany, Garrett, and Washington Counties.

The ideal candidate will bring strong research, data analysis, stakeholder coordination, and documentation skills. This position is especially well suited for a professional who understands rural economic development, small business ecosystems, community development finance, entrepreneurship support systems, nonprofit or public-sector planning, and regional stakeholder engagement.

The Analyst will support research-heavy and coordination-intensive activities across ecosystem mapping, financing gap analysis, listening sessions, stakeholder interviews, roundtables, and documentation of findings. The RFP requires the selected contractor to conduct research and analysis of the entrepreneurial finance ecosystem, identify financing barriers and capital gaps, review public and regional data sources, organize stakeholder engagement activities, and incorporate findings into final recommendations and planning documents.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Rural Economic Data & Engagement Analyst will support the Subject Matter Expert and Project Lead by collecting, organizing, analyzing, and documenting information needed to understand rural capital access conditions across Western Maryland. The role will help translate qualitative and quantitative inputs into practical findings that inform the needs assessment, financing gap analysis, governance roadmap, capitalization strategy, final CDFI business plan, and ARC implementation-phase support materials.

The successful candidate should be a strong writer, structured researcher, and organized engagement support professional who can work independently in a remote-first project environment. The candidate must be comfortable reviewing public data sources, synthesizing interview and listening session notes, tracking stakeholder outreach, preparing analytic summaries, and supporting facilitation logistics. Because the RFP emphasizes community development finance, rural economic development, small business lending ecosystems, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, data analysis, needs assessment, report writing, and multi-county partnerships, candidates with experience in these areas should be prioritized.

The candidate should be comfortable using Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint or similar collaboration tools, survey tools, virtual meeting platforms, and publicly available data sources such as census, economic development, business lending, labor market, regional planning, or small business ecosystem data.

Anticipated Day-to-Day Activities

• Collect public, regional, and stakeholder-provided data related to rural entrepreneurship, small business lending, access to capital, business formation, workforce conditions, economic development assets, and nonprofit/community finance resources.
• Analyze entrepreneurial finance conditions across Allegany, Garrett, and Washington Counties to identify financing barriers, capital gaps, service gaps, and opportunities for alignment.
• Support ecosystem mapping by cataloging lenders, chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, workforce partners, entrepreneurship support organizations, nonprofit partners, public agencies, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Develop draft data tables, summary charts, issue logs, interview trackers, engagement trackers, and research notes to support the needs assessment and financing gap analysis.
• Coordinate stakeholder session logistics, including scheduling support, calendar tracking, attendance lists, participant outreach tracking, materials preparation, and follow-up documentation.
• Document listening sessions, interviews, roundtables, and workgroup meetings by preparing notes, action items, emerging themes, and high-level summaries.
• Synthesize qualitative input from entrepreneurs, small businesses, lenders, chambers, workforce partners, economic development organizations, and other stakeholders into clear themes and findings.
• Support preparation of the written needs assessment and financing gap analysis by drafting sections, compiling evidence, and organizing supporting documentation.
• Maintain well-organized project files, data folders, stakeholder lists, version-controlled documents, and supporting materials necessary for grant compliance and project reporting.
• Prepare draft briefing materials, PowerPoint slides, tables, issue summaries, and written inputs for review by the SME, Project Manager, and Ascension leadership.
• Track open questions, data gaps, stakeholder follow-ups, risks, and dependencies that could affect timely completion of deliverables.
• Contribute to the governance and sustainability roadmap, capitalization strategy, final CDFI business plan, and ARC implementation-phase proposal materials by ensuring that findings are grounded in documented evidence.

Ascension LLC is seeking a Senior CDFI Planning Consultant / Project Manager to lead a 12-month regional planning initiative focused on expanding access to capital for rural entrepreneurs in Western Maryland. This role will support Allegany College of Maryland’s Appalachian Business Builders: Expanding Capital Access for Rural Entrepreneurs in Western Maryland initiative, an ARC-funded planning project designed to develop the framework for a sustainable, community-rooted Community Development Financial Institution serving Allegany, Garrett, and Washington Counties.

The ideal candidate is a senior-level consultant with demonstrated experience in CDFI planning, rural economic development, community development finance, small business lending ecosystems, stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, and business plan development. This person must be comfortable leading a complex planning effort that involves multiple counties, public-sector partners, lenders, chambers, economic development organizations, entrepreneurs, and community stakeholders.

This role is critical because the consultant will serve as the primary technical and project lead responsible for turning stakeholder input, financing gap analysis, governance planning, and capitalization strategy into a practical CDFI business plan and future ARC implementation-phase proposal support materials. The RFP specifically requires leadership across project planning, ecosystem mapping, stakeholder engagement, governance and sustainability planning, business plan development, and reporting/documentation.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Senior CDFI Planning Consultant / Project Manager will provide hands-on leadership for the full planning lifecycle, from project kickoff and workplan development through final business plan and implementation proposal support. The consultant will work closely with Allegany College of Maryland, project partners, and regional stakeholders to assess rural capital access needs, identify financing and service gaps, recommend a sustainable governance model, and develop the roadmap for a future regional CDFI.

The ideal candidate should be a strategic, organized, and self-directed planner who can operate with limited supervision while managing ambiguity, competing stakeholder priorities, and evolving project inputs. This role requires the ability to translate complex economic development and community finance concepts into clear, actionable recommendations. The consultant should be highly skilled in facilitation, research, writing, project controls, relationship management, and executive-level reporting.

The contractor will be expected to solve practical planning questions, including how the proposed CDFI should be governed, capitalized, staffed, partnered, sustained, and positioned for future implementation funding. The role will require strong use of project management tools, structured meeting documentation, stakeholder tracking, research frameworks, needs assessment methods, and professional report-writing processes.

Anticipated Day-to-Day Activities

The contractor’s activities will vary by project phase, but may include the following:

• Lead the 12-month regional planning process and maintain accountability for project execution, milestones, and deliverables.
• Develop a detailed project workplan, timeline, task tracker, meeting cadence, and deliverable schedule aligned to the RFP’s four-quarter timeline.
• Coordinate regularly with Allegany College of Maryland staff, project partners, advisory workgroups, and regional stakeholders.
• Conduct research on the entrepreneurial finance ecosystem in Allegany, Garrett, and Washington Counties.
• Analyze financing barriers, capital access gaps, lending needs, rural entrepreneurship conditions, service gaps, and partnership opportunities.
• Review relevant public, regional, economic development, and lending data sources to support the written needs assessment and financing gap analysis.
• Organize county listening sessions, stakeholder interviews, lender discussions, entrepreneur conversations, and regional roundtables.
• Facilitate stakeholder meetings in a professional, inclusive, and structured manner that produces usable findings and clear next steps.
• Document meeting notes, stakeholder themes, recommendations, decisions, risks, action items, and follow-up requirements.
• Develop a governance framework for the proposed regional CDFI, including board structure, advisory participation, operational roles, and partnership responsibilities.
• Prepare a sustainability and capitalization roadmap identifying potential revenue streams, investment opportunities, leverage strategies, and future funding pathways.
• Draft the regional CDFI business plan, incorporating findings from engagement, data analysis, ecosystem mapping, and partner consultations.
• Support preparation of future ARC implementation-phase proposal materials, including measurable outcomes, partner commitments, and leverage strategy.
• Prepare regular progress reports and final project summary materials for Allegany College of Maryland.
• Maintain documentation needed for grant compliance, project reporting, and institutional recordkeeping.
• Anticipate project risks, stakeholder concerns, scheduling challenges, and information gaps before they affect delivery.
• Present clear findings and recommendations to client leadership, partners, and regional stakeholders.

Ascension LLC is seeking a Data Analyst / Federal Program Support Analyst to support the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (GCERC) in New Orleans, Louisiana. This position will provide hands-on data entry, records management tracking, SharePoint data support, program documentation support, status reporting, and coordination assistance for GCERC program staff.

The selected candidate will work directly in support of GCERC’s Programs Supervisor and help the agency maintain accurate program records, track application assignments and reviews, support COAST SharePoint data incorporation, prepare and quality check datasets, maintain records management tracking tools, and assist with programmatic documents, staff assignments, meeting notes, graphics, presentations, and standard operating procedures. The PWS requires one individual capable of providing executive, operational, and project support to GCERC as the Data Analyst.

This role is ideal for a detail-oriented, organized, and mission-focused professional who is comfortable working in a federal program office environment, handling structured data, coordinating with geographically dispersed stakeholders, maintaining tracking spreadsheets, and producing polished Microsoft Office and Google Workspace deliverables. The right candidate will be self-driven, responsive, able to work independently, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment with evolving program priorities.

Employment Type

Full-Time W2 Employee
Estimated LOE: 1.0 FTE, 40 hours per week
Anticipated Period of Performance: Base year plus four option years, if exercised
Core Hours: Must be available from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays.

Place of Performance

Onsite with Customer

The contractor should reside in the New Orleans area and will primarily work at the GCERC government facility. The PWS states that the contractor will be required to work in the government facility.

Customer Location

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council
500 Poydras Street, Suite 1117
New Orleans, LA 70130

Who Ascension Is Seeking

Ascension is seeking a dependable, mission-aligned Data Analyst / Federal Program Support Analyst who can strengthen GCERC’s ability to manage program data, organize records, support program staff assignments, and improve the quality and consistency of program documentation. This role supports GCERC’s mission to manage and provide RESTORE Act funding to impacted Gulf Coast states and federal partners for ecosystem restoration projects.

The ideal candidate brings a strong blend of data management, administrative precision, document control, SharePoint familiarity, spreadsheet discipline, and professional communication. This person should be comfortable serving as a liaison between program staff and records management stakeholders, tracking action items, supporting bi-weekly reporting, and helping translate program activity into accurate, organized, and usable work products.

Key Responsibilities and Day-to-Day Activities

The selected candidate will be expected to:

• Support program staff tracking of application assignments and reviews by preparing essential datasets for incorporation into the COAST SharePoint site.
• Perform quality control checks on data being incorporated into COAST SharePoint.
• Coordinate with the Records Management contractor and GCERC program staff to identify, sort, and resolve records management issues.
• Maintain a records management tracking spreadsheet that allows the Program Supervisor to monitor progress toward records management requirements.
• Track completion of required field site visits and Field Site Visit Observation Forms.
• Send reminders to program staff regarding outstanding forms, documentation, assignments, and action items.
• Organize program staff documentation and support the development of standard operating procedures.
• Listen actively during staff calls, capture accurate notes, format meeting notes, and publish them in standard office formats.
• Maintain and update staff assignment trackers, task trackers, action item logs, and document development schedules.
• Support drafting, formatting, editing, and finalization of programmatic documents.
• Develop and revise figures, graphics, PowerPoint presentations, Google Slides, and other standard office products.
• Prepare bi-weekly status reports covering tasks, initiatives, project plans, action items, and status updates.
• Participate in bi-weekly meetings with the GCERC Director of Ecosystem Restoration Programs to review status reports, identify action items, and track follow-up activities.
• Apply records management, privacy, CUI safeguarding, and document control practices when handling government information.
• Contribute to timely, complete, and effective performance aligned with the QASP performance standards for completeness, effectiveness, timeliness, and professional communication.

Ascension LLC is seeking a Documentation, Training, and Dashboard Support Specialist to provide targeted surge support for a federal financial improvement and audit support engagement with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. This role is ideal for a detail-oriented business data analyst, reporting specialist, training content developer, or federal program support professional who can translate audit, internal control, risk, and corrective action information into clear dashboards, trackers, briefings, newsletters, training materials, and leadership-ready visual products.

The selected candidate will support work across audit support, financial reporting coordination, enterprise risk management, corrective action reporting, and training and communication materials. The RFQ requires audit status reporting, PBC and sample tracking, audit findings and corrective action reporting, agency audit newsletters, audit progress dashboards, and recurring audit updates. The requirement also includes support for AFR coordination, graphics, collaboration environments, schedule tracking, plain-English content review, and financial reporting materials. For internal control and ERM support, the contractor must help prepare training modules, presentation slides, guides, reference materials, Q&A sessions, and recorded training materials related to audit remediation, internal controls, corrective action planning, and ERM.

This is a strong fit for a candidate who is comfortable working in a structured federal environment, can quickly organize complex information, and can produce polished materials for senior leaders, auditors, risk owners, process owners, and operational stakeholders. The ideal candidate will be self-driven, organized, analytical, visually oriented, and able to work with limited direction during peak reporting windows.

Summary of Contractor Role

The Documentation, Training, and Dashboard Support Specialist will provide part-time surge support to help DNFSB communicate audit readiness, financial reporting progress, corrective action status, and ERM activities in a way that is accurate, traceable, visually clear, and useful for decision-making. The role will support the broader project team by developing and maintaining dashboards, audit trackers, CAP trackers, training materials, newsletters, briefing decks, meeting support materials, and data-driven executive updates.

The candidate will help solve a practical customer challenge: DNFSB needs timely, consistent, and leadership-ready visibility into audit progress, PBC status, findings, corrective actions, AFR milestones, ERM issues, training needs, and remediation activities. The candidate will support that need by structuring data, maintaining trackers, preparing recurring status products, formatting reports, improving documentation quality, and ensuring that visual and written materials are clear, complete, and professionally presented.

This role does not require the candidate to serve as the lead CPA, audit manager, or federal financial reporting lead. However, the candidate should understand the language and operating rhythm of federal audit support, OMB A-123 internal controls, corrective action tracking, ERM reporting, and management briefings. The candidate must be able to work with subject matter experts and convert technical inputs into practical, easy-to-understand products.

Anticipated Day-to-Day Activities

The following activities may be performed weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, or during peak reporting windows based on project need:

• Develop and maintain audit progress dashboards showing PBC status, sample request status, audit findings, corrective actions, upcoming deadlines, overdue items, and responsible parties.
• Prepare recurring audit updates, leadership briefings, and visual summaries for DNFSB stakeholders.
• Create and update CAP trackers that monitor open findings, corrective action milestones, responsible offices, target completion dates, overdue actions, closure status, and validation status.
• Support the development of Agency Audit Newsletters and other communication products that explain audit activities, deadlines, lessons learned, and key reminders.
• Compile meeting materials, action item trackers, status tables, PowerPoint slides, and executive summaries for audit, internal control, AFR, ERM, and CAP-related meetings.
• Maintain structured documentation libraries, trackers, and version-controlled working files to support transparency, traceability, and continuity.
• Translate technical audit, internal control, financial reporting, ERM, and corrective action information into plain-language summaries for non-technical stakeholders.
• Assist with training materials covering audit findings, root cause analysis, corrective action plan development, remediation monitoring, internal control concepts, and agency-specific procedures.
• Develop presentation slides, participant guides, reference materials, checklists, and job aids for training sessions, Q&A sessions, and office hours.
• Support ERM communication and training products, including risk reporting templates, risk profile visuals, issue trackers, and stakeholder briefing materials.
• Coordinate with project leads, analysts, process owners, and SMEs to gather status updates and confirm the accuracy of dashboard data and reporting inputs.
• Review draft documentation for clarity, consistency, formatting, grammar, completeness, and alignment with federal reporting expectations.
• Prepare charts, tables, infographics, and dashboards using Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Power BI, or similar tools.
• Track reporting deadlines and support timely completion of weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual deliverables.
• Apply Section 508-aware formatting practices when developing customer-facing or internally posted federal communication materials.
• Protect sensitive information and follow customer procedures for handling government records, CUI, PII, and audit documentation.

Ascension LLC is seeking a highly analytical, detail-oriented Internal Controls, ERM, and Federal Risk Analyst to support a federal financial improvement and audit support engagement for an independent federal agency. This role is ideal for a professional with hands-on experience supporting OMB Circular A-123, Internal Control Over Financial Reporting, internal control over operations, Enterprise Risk Management, GAO Green Book, Test of Design, Test of Effectiveness, risk/control matrices, SOC/SSAE 18 review, CUEC documentation, Statement of Assurance support, and Corrective Action Plan tracking.

The selected candidate will help the customer strengthen its internal control and ERM programs by assessing business processes, documenting risks and controls, supporting control testing, reviewing service provider control reports, validating corrective actions, and preparing leadership-ready documentation that supports audit readiness and ongoing compliance. This position requires someone who can operate with professionalism, discipline, and judgment in a federal environment where accuracy, documentation quality, and responsiveness are essential.

Ascension is seeking a candidate who is self-driven, organized, consultative, and comfortable working across finance, operations, risk, and audit stakeholders. The ideal candidate will be skilled at translating complex control requirements into practical documentation, identifying risks before they become findings, coordinating across process owners, and producing work products that are clear, defensible, and ready for government review.

Position Summary

The Internal Controls, ERM, and Federal Risk Analyst will support the execution and sustainment of the customer’s internal control and risk management program. The role will perform work across multiple task areas, including Internal Control Over Financial Reporting, Internal Control Over Operations, Enterprise Risk Management, and Corrective Actions. The RFQ requires the contractor to perform a full A-123 cycle annually, including risk-based scoping, business process documentation, internal control documentation, SOC report review, TOD/TOE testing, deficiency tracking, corrective action planning, and Statement of Assurance support.

The role will also support operational internal controls by documenting processes, conducting annual walkthroughs, developing test plans, executing TOD/TOE activities, updating CUECs, supporting Entity Level Control assessments, preparing briefings for leadership, and helping finalize Statements of Assurance. For ERM, the analyst will assist in developing ERM governance documentation, maintaining risk information, supporting the Enterprise Risk Profile, coordinating with risk owners and risk champions, supporting fraud risk assessment activities, and developing ERM communication and training materials.

The candidate must be able to support government stakeholders in a structured, evidence-based manner while maintaining confidentiality and protecting sensitive agency information. The customer requires all contractor personnel to be U.S. citizens and to obtain the appropriate suitability investigation before or during performance, depending on access requirements.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Execute OMB Circular A-123 internal control activities across financial reporting and operational business processes.
• Support annual risk-based scoping, planning, and documentation for the customer’s internal control program.
• Document business processes, control objectives, key controls, risks, control owners, CUECs, and supporting evidence.
• Develop and maintain risk/control matrices, master control catalogs, process narratives, flowcharts, testing plans, and internal control assessment workpapers.
• Perform Test of Design and Test of Effectiveness procedures to determine whether controls are properly designed and operating effectively.
• Assess control gaps, testing exceptions, self-identified deficiencies, and process improvement opportunities.
• Review SOC reports, bridge letters, gap letters, and SSAE 18 reports from service providers and prepare monitoring or analysis documentation.
• Support the development, tracking, and validation of corrective action plans for audit findings, internal control deficiencies, and self-identified deficiencies.
• Conduct limited internal sampling, testing, reconciliation support, and corrective action initiation for operational areas.
• Evaluate Entity Level Controls and support documentation of enterprise-level risk and control considerations.
• Coordinate with Division Directors, process owners, SMEs, and risk champions to gather evidence, validate risk information, and confirm control performance.
• Prepare executive summaries, leadership briefings, testing results, risk reports, CAP status reports, and Statement of Assurance support materials.
• Maintain trackers for deficiencies, CAPs, risks, control testing results, open findings, overdue actions, and remediation status.
• Support ERM activities, including risk identification, risk assessment, risk prioritization, risk monitoring, Enterprise Risk Profile updates, and risk appetite documentation.
• Assist with fraud risk assessment documentation and risk mitigation recommendations.
• Develop internal control and ERM training materials, job aids, presentation slides, guides, and reference materials for agency personnel.
• Facilitate working sessions, walkthroughs, interviews, office hours, and stakeholder discussions related to controls, risks, and corrective actions.
• Identify opportunities to streamline internal control documentation, testing, evidence collection, risk reporting, and ongoing monitoring.
• Protect sensitive information, including CUI, PII, and other controlled information, in accordance with federal and customer requirements.

Ascension LLC is seeking a Federal Financial Reporting / Audit Readiness Analyst to support financial improvement, audit readiness, Agency Financial Report support, reconciliations, variance analysis, audit artifact management, and corrective action tracking for a federal micro non-CFO Act agency.

This role is designed for a detail-oriented federal financial management professional who understands the discipline required to support clean audit outcomes, timely financial reporting, accurate audit responses, and defensible documentation. The selected candidate will support DNFSB’s financial reporting and audit readiness mission by reviewing financial statements, helping manage Provided by Client requests and sample submissions, supporting AFR development, tracking Notices of Findings and Recommendations, and preparing clear status reporting for leadership.

The ideal candidate will bring strong federal accounting knowledge, comfort working with auditors and agency stakeholders, and the ability to organize complex audit and financial reporting information into accurate, complete, and submission-ready work products. This position is important to the customer because DNFSB’s Office of the Executive Director of Operations is responsible for maintaining clean audit opinions, ensuring financial reporting compliance, supporting audit remediation, and improving financial and operational processes. The RFQ specifically requires financial process improvement and audit support, including technical assistance with accounting transactions, internal and external reporting requirements, process remediation, internal control, ERM, and audit support activities.

Position Summary

The Federal Financial Reporting / Audit Readiness Analyst will perform a consolidated financial reporting and audit liaison function across several PWS task areas, including Task 1, Audit Support; Task 3, Financial Reporting and Analysis; and Task 6, Corrective Actions. The analyst will review quarterly financial statements and notes, support reconciliations, conduct variance analysis, assist with AFR planning and development, manage audit request tracking, maintain audit artifacts, and support CAP and NFR reporting.

This position requires a self-driven, highly organized professional who can work in a structured federal environment while also responding to shifting audit timelines, urgent documentation requests, and cross-functional stakeholder inputs. The candidate must be comfortable working with limited supervision, anticipating documentation gaps, identifying risks before they become late or incomplete submissions, and coordinating with process owners to ensure audit and financial reporting materials are accurate, complete, and traceable.

The role requires strong writing, analytical, reconciliation, and coordination skills. The candidate should be able to support financial statement reviews, compare financial statement line items to supporting documentation, identify unexplained variances, organize audit evidence, track PBC and sample requests, and prepare leadership-ready updates. The candidate should also be comfortable using Microsoft Excel, SharePoint, Teams, PowerPoint, and audit tracking or document repository tools.

Anticipated Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Review quarterly financial statements, including the Balance Sheet, Statement of Net Cost, Statement of Changes in Net Position, and Statement of Budgetary Resources, for completeness, accuracy, and consistency with OMB Circular A-136 and Treasury Financial Manual requirements.
• Validate financial statement line items, footnotes, reconciliations, and supporting documentation to identify rounding errors, footing issues, inconsistencies, or unsupported balances.
• Prepare memoranda for record documenting financial statement and note review results, including findings, open items, assumptions, and recommended follow-up actions.
• Review service provider reconciliations, including SF-133 to Statement of Budgetary Resources, Fund Balance with Treasury, GTAS-ATB to General Ledger, Budgetary to Proprietary reconciliations, and intragovernmental differences.
• Conduct financial statement variance analysis on a quarterly basis, including identifying material changes, researching source data, coordinating with responsible points of contact, and documenting clear explanations.
• Support the annual Agency Financial Report process by helping maintain the AFR schedule, draft outline, content tracker, working group materials, draft letters, MD&A inputs, management response materials, and final review packages.
• Coordinate with agency stakeholders, shared service providers, auditors, and leadership to obtain documentation needed for financial reporting, AFR development, and audit response activities.
• Track Provided by Client requests, audit samples, auditor follow-up questions, audit findings, NFRs, and corrective action status through a centralized tracker or audit response tool.
• Review audit responses for completeness, accuracy, consistency, and traceability before submission to auditors.
• Upload audit documentation, PBC responses, sample support, and related correspondence into the approved audit response tool or shared repository.
• Maintain an organized audit artifact repository that supports transparency, version control, and timely retrieval of documentation.
• Monitor audit request status and follow up with responsible parties to prevent late or incomplete PBC responses.
• Prepare recurring audit status updates, dashboard inputs, meeting materials, leadership briefings, and action item trackers.
• Document audit meetings, walkthroughs, entrance and exit conference discussions, decision points, action items, and open documentation requests.
• Support the drafting and review of audit communications, including management response letters, legal representation letters, NFR responses, and audit lessons learned materials.
• Track open internal and external audit findings, CAP milestones, overdue actions, and remediation evidence.
• Support corrective action plan development by documenting root causes, remediation steps, responsible offices, milestones, target completion dates, and validation evidence.
• Verify that corrective actions are supported by adequate documentation and that remediation evidence demonstrates completion and operating effectiveness.
• Develop clear reports, trackers, spreadsheets, dashboards, and briefing materials that allow leadership to understand financial reporting status, audit readiness risks, and CAP progress.
• Apply strong quality control practices to ensure deliverables are accurate, complete, professional, and submitted on time.

Ascension LLC is seeking a detail-oriented and mission-driven Grants Management Support Specialist, Museum & Native-Tribal Programs to support the Institute of Museum and Library Services in administering grant lifecycle activities for museum, Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Tribal-related grant programs.

This role is ideal for a grants professional with experience supporting federal grant programs, reviewing application materials, tracking performance reports, supporting post-award monitoring, and working with electronic grants management systems. The strongest candidates will understand the importance of accuracy, consistency, confidentiality, and timely execution in a federal grants environment.

The ideal candidate brings working knowledge of 2 CFR 200, federal grants administration, museum or library programs, Tribal eligibility considerations, and grant data systems. IMLS specifically identifies that Native support requires tribal eligibility expertise and familiarity with tribal governance requirements, while museum support requires demonstrated museum administration expertise.

Summary of Contractor Role

The Grants Management Support Specialist will provide administrative, technical, analytical, and data support across the full IMLS grant lifecycle. This includes pre-award application review support, draft eligibility analysis, eGMS data entry and validation, award processing support, post-award monitoring assistance, administrative change request processing, report tracking, file preparation, and weekly/monthly/annual status reporting.

This position does not make final eligibility determinations, select peer reviewers, approve funding recommendations, approve monitoring actions, execute awards, or obligate federal funds. The contractor’s work is advisory and administrative in nature, with all final decisions reserved for federal staff.

The successful candidate will be self-driven, organized, comfortable working remotely, and able to operate with precision in a structured federal environment. This role requires strong written communication, sound judgment, excellent data entry skills, comfort working with Adobe PDF files, and proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 tools, including Excel, Teams, and OneDrive. The solicitation also requires proficiency with Adobe Acrobat Pro and experience working with complex proprietary relational databases.

Expected Day-to-Day Activities

The selected candidate will be expected to:

• Conduct administrative completeness checks for museum, Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Tribal-related grant applications.
• Prepare draft eligibility analyses for federal review and final determination.
• Enter, update, validate, and quality check application and award data in eGMS.
• Review required application documentation, including strategic plans, attachments, budgets, and supporting files.
• Use IMLS review tools, such as First Check and Final Check tools, to support eligibility, completeness, and budget analysis.
• Recommend potential peer reviewers and support draft panel configuration activities.
• Set up review panels in eGMS with reviewers and assigned applications.
• Troubleshoot reviewer issues by email, phone, and virtual collaboration tools.
• Prepare panel support materials, project descriptions, spreadsheets, and files for upload.
• Prepare data and visualizations that support federal decision-making.
• Develop funding recommendation spreadsheets and conduct pre-award budget checks for federal review.
• Review assigned interim and final performance reports and document administrative findings.
• Identify issues, risks, missing information, or non-compliance indicators and prepare draft recommendations for federal review.
• Prepare administrative correspondence templates for grantee outreach.
• Track grantee reporting compliance and support follow-up on overdue submissions.
• Maintain monitoring logs documenting issues, status, and supporting actions.
• Review and process administrative personnel change requests.
• Identify eGMS data anomalies and recommend corrections.
• Prepare datasets, tracking reports, and internal program reports as requested.
• Log received reports, evaluations, and plans in tracking spreadsheets.
• Update report statuses and upload related materials in eGMS.
• Prepare evaluations and plans for Section 508-compliant web posting.
• Contribute to weekly status reports, monthly SLA tracking and risk logs, and annual performance accomplishment reports.
• Protect confidential information, personally identifiable information, and sensitive but unclassified materials in accordance with IMLS requirements.
• Follow IMLS policies, procedures, guidance, job aids, and federal grants management standards.

Ascension LLC is seeking a Federal Grants Management Specialist, Library Programs to support the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ grant lifecycle operations for the Office of Library Services, including Grants to States support. This role will provide administrative, analytical, and documentation support across pre-award, award processing, post-award monitoring, administrative change requests, eGMS data management, reporting, and annual performance support.

The ideal candidate will bring hands-on federal grants experience, strong attention to detail, and the ability to work independently in a remote environment after initial orientation. This position requires someone who can manage high-volume grant documentation, interpret agency procedures, identify data anomalies, support completeness and budget checks, prepare draft analyses for federal review, and maintain accurate tracking records without making inherently governmental decisions. IMLS specifically requires contractor support to assist with grant lifecycle tasks, while federal employees retain final authority over eligibility determinations, peer reviewer selections, funding recommendations, award decisions, and other inherently governmental functions.

The successful candidate will be comfortable working with electronic grants management systems, Microsoft Office 365, Excel, Teams, OneDrive, Adobe Acrobat Pro, structured data fields, PDFs, spreadsheets, reports, and confidential grant-related information. The role is well suited for a detail-oriented grants professional with library program experience, federal grant compliance knowledge, and the judgment to prepare high-quality draft work products for government review.

Anticipated Day-to-Day Activities

• Conduct administrative completeness checks for grant applications and supporting documentation.
• Prepare draft eligibility, completeness, and budget analyses for federal staff review.
• Enter, update, and validate application, award, monitoring, and reporting data in eGMS or another electronic grants management system.
• Review required grant documentation, including strategic plans, budgets, attachments, reports, evaluations, and plans.
• Support Grants to States reporting by logging received reports, tracking status updates, uploading materials, and preparing documentation for Section 508-compliant web posting.
• Prepare draft project descriptions, correspondence templates, monitoring notes, and administrative findings.
• Track grantee reporting compliance, overdue submissions, monitoring actions, change requests, and pending administrative actions.
• Identify data anomalies, documentation gaps, non-compliance indicators, or reporting issues and recommend corrections for federal review.
• Develop spreadsheets, trackers, reports, and data summaries to support internal program management.
• Prepare funding recommendation spreadsheets, pre-award budget check materials, and decision-support data visualizations under government direction.
• Support peer review administration by preparing panel support materials, setting up reviewer and application information in eGMS, and troubleshooting reviewer issues by phone or email.
• Maintain monitoring logs, workload trackers, SLA data, and supporting documentation.
• Contribute to weekly status reports, monthly overview reports, SLA tracking, risk logs, lessons learned, and annual performance accomplishment reports.
• Handle confidential and sensitive grant-related information in accordance with IMLS confidentiality, nondisclosure, privacy, and security requirements.
• Coordinate virtually with IMLS personnel and Ascension leadership during standard Eastern Time business hours.

Ascension LLC is seeking a CPA Project Manager / Federal Financial Management Lead to support a federal financial improvement and audit support engagement for the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board in Washington, DC. This role is ideal for a licensed CPA and seasoned federal financial management professional who understands the discipline required to sustain clean audit outcomes, strengthen internal controls, manage audit communications, improve financial reporting processes, and guide a small independent agency through complex compliance requirements.

The selected candidate will serve as the senior technical and management lead for the engagement. This individual will provide hands-on leadership across audit liaison support, Agency Financial Report coordination, OMB Circular A-136 compliance, OMB Circular A-123 program execution, internal control testing, corrective action plan governance, ERM support, and stakeholder communications. The role requires a professional who can move confidently between executive-level advisory support and detailed technical review, ensuring that deliverables are accurate, defensible, timely, and aligned with federal financial management requirements.

Position Summary

The CPA Project Manager / Federal Financial Management Lead will be responsible for managing and guiding contractor support across DNFSB’s Financial Improvement and Audit Support requirement. The role supports DNFSB’s Office of the Executive Director of Operations and its goal of maintaining an unmodified, clean audit opinion while improving financial management, internal control, enterprise risk management, and audit remediation practices.

The successful candidate will lead project planning, client engagement, audit strategy, quality control, AFR oversight, A-123 and ERM integration, corrective action governance, and technical review of all major deliverables. The role will also coordinate with DNFSB leadership, financial reporting stakeholders, auditors, service providers, process owners, and contractor team members to ensure timely execution of contract tasks.

The candidate must bring strong knowledge of federal accounting, financial reporting, Treasury reconciliation, internal controls, audit readiness, and federal compliance frameworks, including OMB Circular A-123, OMB Circular A-136, GAO Green Book, GAGAS, FASAB/SFFAS, SSAE 18/SOC reporting, and FMFIA. The candidate should also be able to develop and maintain project schedules, risk registers, deliverable trackers, audit request logs, corrective action plan dashboards, meeting materials, and executive briefings.

Expected Day-to-Day Activities

The CPA Project Manager / Federal Financial Management Lead will be expected to:

• Lead overall contract execution across audit support, internal control, financial reporting, ERM, corrective action, and training/communications tasks.
• Manage the project schedule, staffing coordination, deliverable tracking, risk management, quality control, and recurring status reporting.
• Serve as the primary technical liaison with DNFSB leadership, the COR, financial management stakeholders, process owners, auditors, and contractor staff.
• Coordinate audit liaison activities, including Provided by Client requests, sample requests, audit meeting preparation, walkthrough support, response review, and audit status reporting.
• Review audit responses for completeness, accuracy, consistency, and readiness before submission to auditors.
• Support entrance conferences, exit conferences, process walkthroughs, audit meetings, and recurring leadership updates.
• Develop and maintain audit trackers, corrective action trackers, issue logs, status reports, action item registers, and audit progress dashboards.
• Oversee the planning, execution, and reporting of the OMB Circular A-123 Internal Control Over Financial Reporting cycle.
• Guide the development and update of business process narratives, flowcharts, risk control matrices, control catalogs, policies, desk guides, SOPs, and testing plans.
• Lead or review Test of Design and Test of Effectiveness activities, including documentation of testing results, control gaps, and corrective action recommendations.
• Review SSAE 18/SOC reports, bridge letters, complementary user entity controls, and related monitoring documentation.
• Support quarterly financial statement reviews, reconciliations, variance analysis, GTAS-to-GL reviews, SF-133 to Statement of Budgetary Resources reviews, Fund Balance with Treasury reviews, and intragovernmental differences analysis.
• Oversee AFR planning, scheduling, theme development, outline development, content coordination, management letters, financial statement integration, and final publication support.
• Advise on OMB Circular A-136 compliance and plain-language presentation of financial and performance information.
• Support internal control over operations, including risk-based assessments, walkthroughs, internal sampling, testing, Entity Level Control assessments, and Statement of Assurance coordination.
• Guide ERM support activities, including enterprise risk profile development, risk appetite statement support, risk governance documentation, risk validation with SMEs, and risk reporting to leadership.
• Facilitate corrective action plan development, root cause analysis, milestone tracking, implementation monitoring, validation, and closure documentation.
• Prepare executive summaries, leadership briefings, meeting minutes, action item trackers, lessons learned reports, and recurring monthly status reports.
• Ensure all deliverables meet professional standards for accuracy, completeness, timeliness, clarity, and compliance with PWS requirements.
• Maintain appropriate documentation in DNFSB-approved repositories and comply with records management, privacy, CUI, and nondisclosure requirements.
• Train and mentor contractor team members and support knowledge transfer to DNFSB personnel as required.