Careers

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Ascension is seeking a part-time Strategic Communications Transformation Subject Matter Expert to support a federal strategic communications modernization effort. This role is intended for a senior communications, marketing technology, analytics, and organizational capability-building professional who can advise a government communications directorate on how to evolve from a reactive public affairs function into a proactive, data-driven strategic communications organization.

The client’s stated need is to improve integrated communications management, analytics and reporting, social media monitoring, content innovation, and staff skills development. The requirement specifically calls for a centralized communications platform, campaign performance dashboards tied to business outcomes, AI-enabled content tools, social media monitoring, graphic/video design support, data visualization, and hands-on training for communications staff.

This role is important because the client is not only looking for tools; they need expert guidance on how to align people, processes, platforms, data, and training so the communications function can become more strategic, measurable, and self-sustaining.

Summary of Contractor Role

The Strategic Communications Transformation SME will provide senior advisory support to help assess the client’s current communications capability gaps and recommend practical solutions for modernizing workflows, content production, analytics, campaign management, and staff development. The ideal candidate will understand how federal communications teams operate and will be able to translate strategic communications goals into actionable tools, workflows, performance measures, dashboards, training curricula, and implementation recommendations.

The successful candidate should be a self-directed consultant who can work in an ambiguous environment, quickly understand the client’s operating model, identify process and technology gaps, and provide recommendations that are realistic for a federal/defense environment. This person should be comfortable advising senior stakeholders, facilitating working sessions, evaluating communications tools, drafting strategic recommendations, and helping build sustainable in-house capability through knowledge transfer.

Ascension’s SME III labor category requires a Bachelor’s/Master’s degree and 10 years of experience. The LCAT is designed to provide domain and business process expertise, develop business requirements, support process reengineering, solve process and system-related problems, facilitate collaboration, and align solutions to agency mission needs and technical strategy.

Anticipated Day-to-Day Activities

• Assess current communications workflows, tools, content development processes, analytics practices, and skills gaps.
• Advise on an integrated communications management approach that supports multi-channel content creation, editorial calendaring, project management, and workflow coordination.
• Recommend practical toolsets or configurations for communications planning, social media monitoring, AI-assisted writing, graphic/video design, dashboarding, and campaign performance tracking.
• Develop business requirements, process maps, use cases, capability gap findings, and implementation recommendations.
• Support the design of dashboards that connect communication activities to measurable outcomes, such as audience engagement, behavioral adoption, campaign reach, and leadership decision support.
• Facilitate stakeholder discussions with communications staff, leadership, tool owners, data owners, and implementation partners.
• Translate communications objectives into measurable KPIs, reporting structures, and management routines.
• Review or develop strategic campaign management practices, editorial governance processes, content approval workflows, and reporting cadences.
• Support training needs assessment and curriculum design for data analytics for communicators, AI integration in public relations, advanced digital media production, social media best practices, and campaign management.
• Prepare briefing materials, recommendations, decision papers, capability assessments, and implementation roadmaps.
• Provide knowledge transfer so the client can sustain new processes, tools, and measurement practices after implementation.
• Identify implementation risks, including tool adoption risk, data quality risk, workflow disruption, security/compliance constraints, and skills gaps.
• Coordinate with Ascension leadership and project team members to ensure recommendations remain aligned with scope, contract expectations, and client mission needs.

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Ascension is seeking a Project Manager to support a potential strategic communications capability enhancement effort for a federal defense client. This role is intended for a highly organized, client-facing project professional who can manage scope, schedule, cost, deliverables, communications, stakeholder coordination, risks, and compliance while supporting a broader transformation from reactive public affairs support to proactive, data-driven strategic communications.

The ideal candidate will understand how to manage consulting projects that involve communications workflows, digital tools, performance measurement, training, change management, and stakeholder engagement. This person should be comfortable working with communications teams, technical tool implementers, analysts, trainers, and government leaders to keep project activities organized, documented, and moving toward measurable outcomes.

This position is important because the client’s stated challenge is not just a lack of tools; it is a multi-part capability gap involving manual workflows, limited performance measurement, content and tool limitations, and skills gaps in data analytics, AI integration, and strategic campaign management.

Summary of Contractor Role

The Project Manager will help Ascension plan, coordinate, and manage work associated with modernizing strategic communications capabilities. The effort may include implementing an integrated communications management tool, supporting analytics and reporting, coordinating social media/content innovation support, and managing a structured skills development program for government communications staff.

The successful candidate will help translate project goals into organized tasks, schedules, trackers, meeting cadences, risk logs, action items, deliverable calendars, and status reports. The Project Manager will ensure that project activities remain aligned with client expectations, required deliverables, communications priorities, and contract requirements.

This role requires a detail-oriented, organized planner who can operate in a changing environment, anticipate risks, coordinate multiple stakeholders, and communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical audiences. The candidate should be self-driven, responsive, and comfortable supporting workstreams involving communications strategy, digital platforms, dashboards, training, workflow improvement, and organizational change.

The Government’s requirement emphasizes the need for a centralized platform for content creation, multi-channel distribution, editorial calendaring, and project management; analytics that connect communications activity to business outcomes; content creation and social media monitoring tools; and a structured hands-on training curriculum.

Expected Day-to-Day Activities

• Manage project scope, schedule, cost, deliverables, risks, issues, and action items.
• Develop and maintain project plans, schedules, workstream trackers, meeting agendas, decision logs, and status reports.
• Coordinate with Ascension leadership, government stakeholders, communications staff, analysts, trainers, and technical team members.
• Track progress across strategic communications, analytics, workflow, content, and training workstreams.
• Facilitate project meetings, capture meeting notes, document decisions, and follow up on assigned actions.
• Support implementation planning for integrated communications management tools, editorial calendars, project management workflows, and reporting dashboards.
• Monitor project risks, dependencies, and schedule concerns and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Prepare client-ready briefings, progress updates, project summaries, and executive-level materials.
• Support development and review of communications process documentation, standard operating procedures, training plans, and implementation artifacts.
• Coordinate deliverable reviews to ensure quality, accuracy, timeliness, and alignment with government expectations.
• Help ensure that project activities support sustainable knowledge transfer and in-house capability building.
• Maintain organized project documentation in Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Teams, or other approved collaboration environments.
• Support compliance with applicable federal, DoD/DoW, DFAS, Section 508, records management, and information security expectations as directed by the client.

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Ascension is seeking a Technical Writer & Training Specialist to support a federal activity-based costing and financial analytics effort. This role will help document business processes, prepare user-facing materials, support training development, and assist the project team in helping federal staff understand and use ABC-related tools, coding practices, reports, and financial analytics outputs.

This position supports a BSEE requirement focused on maintaining and improving the agency’s current ABC structure and related financial tools, including CostPerform cost models, ABC coding and cost-allocation processes, Tableau dashboards, staff support, ABC code usage review, workforce/position-costing analysis, and optional training material development. The RFI also specifically identifies the need for expertise in activity-based costing, cost modeling, CostPerform, Tableau or similar reporting tools, federal financial/timekeeping systems, and training development and delivery.

Summary of Contractor Role

The Technical Writer & Training Specialist will support the development, editing, formatting, and maintenance of documentation and training products for ABC and financial analytics support. The contractor will work with subject matter experts, analysts, and project leadership to capture technical and business process information and convert it into usable materials for federal staff.

This role should bring strong writing discipline, excellent attention to detail, comfort working with financial/business terminology, and the ability to work in a fluid project environment. The candidate should be self-driven, responsive, and able to manage multiple documentation tasks with minimal supervision.

The role directly aligns with Ascension’s Documentation / Media Specialist I LCAT, which includes drafting, editing, proofreading, formatting, preparing documents through approval chains, coordinating with project teams, and supporting digital and print communication products. Ascension’s past performance also supports this role through work preparing communication products, technical editing, proofreading policies and memoranda, assembling reports, creating training materials, and educating users.

Anticipated Day-to-Day Activities

• Draft SOPs, job aids, user guides, FAQs, desk guides, quick-reference sheets, and training materials related to ABC, cost modeling, coding, dashboards, and reporting processes.
• Translate technical input from financial analysts, cost modelers, Tableau developers, and client SMEs into clear user-facing documentation.
• Edit and proofread reports, briefings, memoranda, process documents, and training materials for clarity, accuracy, consistency, grammar, and formatting.
• Support development of training materials, including slide decks, instructor notes, participant guides, exercises, examples, and knowledge checks.
• Maintain documentation libraries, templates, version histories, and approval trackers in SharePoint or another client-approved repository.
• Prepare meeting summaries, action item logs, and follow-up notes from working sessions with client stakeholders and project SMEs.
• Format deliverables in accordance with client style guides, accessibility expectations, and Ascension quality standards.
• Create or refine process flows, tables, screenshots, examples, and visual aids to help users understand ABC coding, system steps, and reporting outputs.
• Support user adoption by preparing help content for common ABC questions, reporting issues, and system-use scenarios.
• Coordinate with analysts and technical specialists to validate documentation against current processes, tools, and client decisions.
• Assist with updates to training and documentation when ABC codes, cost structures, dashboards, or procedures change.
• Track comments, edits, and client feedback through final delivery.

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Ascension is seeking a Tableau BI Reporting Specialist to support a federal client’s activity-based costing, financial analytics, cost modeling, and reporting environment. This position is aligned to Ascension’s Technical Specialist II labor category and is intended for a hands-on technical professional who can build and maintain Tableau dashboards, support reporting tools, automate data visualization outputs, and assist users with business intelligence and reporting needs.

This role is important because the client requires support to maintain and improve its activity-based costing structure, financial tools, dashboards, and reports. The work includes improving Tableau dashboards and other reports, supporting ABC coding and cost-allocation processes, assisting staff with ABC-related questions, reviewing code usage, and helping with workforce and position-costing analysis.

Ascension is looking for a candidate who understands how to translate financial, operational, and workforce data into clear visual reporting products that help leaders make timely and informed decisions. The ideal candidate will be technically capable, detail-oriented, responsive, and comfortable supporting both technical reporting tasks and business users who need help understanding reports, data outputs, and dashboard functionality.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Tableau BI Reporting Specialist will provide technical execution support for dashboard development, reporting maintenance, data visualization, and business intelligence support in a federal financial analytics environment. The role will focus on building Tableau dashboards, maintaining reporting tools, supporting data visualization outputs, and helping client stakeholders use reports to understand cost, activity, workforce, and financial information.

The candidate should be comfortable working with structured data, financial or operational reporting datasets, Tableau dashboards, Excel-based analysis, and recurring reporting requirements. The role requires someone who can work independently on assigned technical tasks while coordinating with financial analysts, cost modelers, project managers, and government stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will bring strong attention to detail, the ability to organize data clearly, and the judgment to identify when reporting outputs may need validation, correction, or improvement. The candidate should be able to support customers who may not be technical users by explaining dashboard outputs, documenting reporting steps, and helping improve the usability of reporting products.

Tools and processes likely needed for the customer include Tableau, Excel, data quality checks, dashboard refresh procedures, reporting templates, data dictionaries, user guides, issue trackers, dashboard enhancement logs, and recurring reporting processes. Experience with CostPerform, federal financial systems, ABC structures, Quicktime, FBMS, or related timekeeping/accounting systems would be a strong advantage because the RFI specifically asks vendors to note familiarity with BSEE’s IT and accounting systems, including FBMS, Quicktime, ABC, and CostPerform.

Anticipated Day-to-Day Activities

The Tableau BI Reporting Specialist will be expected to:

• Build Tableau dashboards, views, filters, calculations, and visualizations that support activity-based costing, financial analytics, workforce analysis, and cost reporting.
• Maintain existing Tableau dashboards and reporting tools to ensure reports remain accurate, current, and usable.
• Automate recurring data visualization outputs where feasible using Tableau, Excel, Power Query, scheduled extracts, or approved reporting workflows.
• Validate source data, dashboard calculations, and report outputs to identify inconsistencies, missing values, or data quality issues.
• Support ABC coding and cost-allocation reporting by developing visuals that show trends, patterns, exceptions, and code usage.
• Assist users with dashboard navigation, report interpretation, and recurring reporting questions.
• Document dashboard logic, data sources, field definitions, refresh processes, and known reporting assumptions.
• Create or update report templates, job aids, dashboard guides, and user-facing instructions.
• Coordinate with financial analysts, cost modelers, and project managers to convert business questions into reporting requirements.
• Review reporting requirements and recommend practical improvements to dashboard layout, data filters, drilldowns, and report usability.
• Support workforce and position-costing analysis through dashboard development, data tables, charts, and summary visuals.
• Prepare status updates on reporting tasks, dashboard enhancements, issues, and pending decisions.
• Participate in working sessions with client stakeholders to gather feedback, clarify reporting needs, and demonstrate dashboard updates.
• Maintain version control for dashboard files, data extracts, documentation, and reporting artifacts.
• Support ad hoc data analysis and reporting requests using Tableau, Excel, and other approved BI tools.

Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking a Senior Data Analyst (Financial & Cost Analytics / Tableau) to support a federal client’s activity-based costing, financial analytics, cost modeling, reporting, and business intelligence needs. This role is designed for a data-driven professional who can translate cost, financial, workforce, and operational data into clear insights, dashboards, reports, and recommendations that support leadership decision-making.

The ideal candidate will bring hands-on experience with financial or cost analytics, Tableau dashboard development, data quality review, data modeling, and stakeholder-facing reporting. This position is important because the client needs contractor support to maintain and improve its activity-based costing structure, update cost models, support cost allocation and ABC coding processes, develop reporting tools, and help staff understand and use ABC-related data and systems. The RFI specifically identifies needs tied to activity-based costing, cost modeling, financial/business analytics, Tableau or similar reporting tools, training, and reporting support.

This is a strong fit for a candidate who enjoys working at the intersection of data analytics, financial management, business process improvement, and federal mission support.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Senior Data Analyst will support financial and operational decision-making by analyzing cost, workforce, position, timekeeping, coding, and financial data; developing and maintaining dashboards; reviewing ABC code usage; supporting cost model updates; and helping users understand how to apply ABC-related processes and tools. The analyst will work with client stakeholders to identify reporting needs, validate data, develop cost and business analytics products, and recommend improvements to coding, reporting, and cost-allocation practices.

The successful candidate should be detail-oriented, organized, analytical, and comfortable working with imperfect or evolving data sets. The candidate must be able to operate with limited supervision, ask thoughtful questions, identify data issues, recommend practical solutions, and communicate findings to both technical and non-technical audiences. The role requires the ability to manage multiple priorities, support recurring reporting cycles, develop clear visualizations, and help the client improve the tools and processes used to manage activity-based costing and financial analytics.

Tools and processes expected to support this work may include Tableau, Excel, CostPerform or similar cost-modeling tools, Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Power BI or similar BI tools, federal financial/timekeeping data sources, data quality review processes, ABC coding structures, cost allocation models, dashboard development, requirements gathering, stakeholder interviews, data validation, and user support/training materials. Ascension’s Business Data Analyst III LCAT aligns with this role because it requires a bachelor’s degree, six years of experience, data analysis, aggregation, reporting, dashboard development, business workflow improvement, client interaction, and development of data-informed recommendations.

Position’s Expected Day-to-Day Activities

• Analyze activity-based costing, financial, workforce, position-costing, coding, and operational data to identify trends, gaps, inconsistencies, and improvement opportunities.
• Develop Tableau dashboards, reports, data visualizations, and executive-ready analytics products that support cost transparency and decision-making.
• Maintain and update cost models, data tables, coding structures, and related financial analytics tools as directed by the client.
• Review ABC code usage and cost-allocation practices to identify errors, inconsistencies, underused codes, duplicate structures, or opportunities for simplification.
• Validate data from financial, timekeeping, workforce, or business systems to support accurate reporting and analysis.
• Translate business and financial requirements into analytic use cases, reporting specifications, dashboards, and decision-support tools.
• Collaborate with client stakeholders, program staff, financial analysts, and technical users to understand reporting needs and improve usability of analytics products.
• Prepare recurring and ad hoc reports, briefings, and data summaries for leadership review.
• Support workforce and position-costing analysis by connecting staffing, labor, organizational, and financial data.
• Document data sources, assumptions, business rules, calculations, dashboard logic, and reporting procedures.
• Recommend improvements to ABC coding, cost allocation, dashboard design, reporting workflows, and user-facing guidance.
• Support end users by answering ABC-related data and reporting questions and helping staff understand how to use dashboards, reports, and tools.
• Assist in developing training materials, job aids, standard operating procedures, and user guides for ABC, reporting, and analytics processes.
• Identify data risks, reporting gaps, and process issues and propose practical mitigation steps.
• Participate in meetings, working sessions, and reviews with client stakeholders to confirm requirements, review findings, and refine deliverables.

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Ascension is seeking a detail-oriented Activity-Based Costing and Financial Analytics Analyst to support a federal client’s activity-based costing, financial analytics, cost modeling, reporting, and workforce cost analysis needs. This role is aligned to Ascension’s Operations Research / Management Analyst II labor category and is intended for a mid-level analyst with experience supporting cost estimation, performance metrics, data validation, financial reporting, and business process analysis.

This position is important because the client needs support maintaining and improving its current Activity-Based Costing structure and related financial tools. The work includes updating cost models, supporting ABC coding and cost-allocation processes, improving dashboards and reports, helping staff use ABC-related tools, reviewing code usage, and assisting with workforce and position-costing analysis. The RFI specifically identifies activity-based costing, cost modeling and financial analysis, CostPerform, Tableau or similar reporting tools, federal financial or timekeeping systems, and training development/delivery as areas of needed expertise.

The ideal candidate will be comfortable working with financial, workforce, timekeeping, and operational datasets; translating business questions into analytic outputs; validating cost drivers and allocation logic; and preparing reports, dashboards, and recommendations that help federal leaders make better resourcing and financial management decisions.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Activity-Based Costing and Financial Analytics Analyst will provide analytical, operational, and financial support to help the client maintain, validate, and improve its ABC structure and related reporting environment. The analyst will support cost model updates, data validation, ABC code review, cost-driver analysis, workforce and position-costing analysis, reporting, dashboard development, process documentation, and user support.

This role requires a professional who is analytical, organized, self-driven, and comfortable working in a client-facing federal environment. The candidate should be able to work with limited supervision, ask the right questions, identify data issues, document assumptions, reconcile discrepancies, and explain findings in plain language to both financial and non-financial stakeholders.

The candidate will be expected to support tools and processes that may include CostPerform, Tableau, Microsoft Excel, Power BI, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, federal financial/accounting systems, timekeeping systems, data validation trackers, cost model documentation, ABC code review logs, issue/risk trackers, and recurring status reports. Ascension’s GSA labor category for Operations Research / Management Analyst II includes operational advisory support, analysis and reporting, performance metrics, cost estimation, risk identification, stakeholder facilitation, and production of cost models, metric trackers, data tables, meeting summaries, and risk matrices.

Expected Day-to-Day Activities

• Analyze financial, workforce, timekeeping, and operational datasets to support ABC cost modeling, cost allocation, and reporting requirements.
• Build, update, and maintain workforce cost models, position-costing models, and related analytical workbooks.
• Validate financial datasets, cost drivers, ABC codes, and allocation assumptions for accuracy, completeness, and consistency.
• Review ABC code usage and recommend coding improvements to strengthen cost allocation, reporting accuracy, and management visibility.
• Support updates to CostPerform or similar cost modeling tools, including data inputs, model assumptions, outputs, and documentation.
• Develop and maintain Tableau, Power BI, Excel, or similar dashboards and reports to communicate cost trends, workforce costs, activity costs, and variance drivers.
• Conduct variance analysis to identify changes in cost patterns, workforce costs, allocation results, and financial reporting outputs.
• Document data sources, business rules, cost drivers, assumptions, calculations, and recurring reporting procedures.
• Support client staff by responding to ABC-related questions, troubleshooting data or reporting issues, and explaining model outputs.
• Prepare briefing materials, analytical summaries, dashboards, data tables, and recommendations for federal stakeholders.
• Facilitate working sessions with finance, budget, program, workforce, and system users to clarify requirements and validate findings.
• Identify process gaps, data quality issues, and reporting risks; recommend practical corrective actions.
• Maintain issue logs, action item trackers, meeting notes, data validation trackers, and model update records.
• Support optional training material development, user guides, job aids, and demonstrations for ABC tools and reporting processes.
• Assist with process improvement recommendations related to ABC structure, coding practices, data governance, and financial analytics workflows.

Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking a senior-level Activity-Based Costing and Cost Modeling Consultant to support a federal client’s ABC structure, cost allocation processes, financial analytics, and reporting environment. This role is ideal for a finance, economics, analytics, or federal cost management professional who understands how cost models, activity codes, labor/time data, cost allocation rules, and dashboards support leadership decision-making.

The consultant will help maintain and improve the client’s existing ABC structure, support CostPerform-related cost model activities, review ABC code usage, validate cost allocation logic, and recommend practical improvements to strengthen reporting accuracy, usability, and decision support. This position is important because the client relies on ABC and related financial tools to better understand the cost of programs, activities, organizational structures, and workforce resources.

The ideal candidate brings both technical and business judgment: the ability to work with cost model structures and data, explain issues clearly to non-technical stakeholders, identify process or coding weaknesses, and recommend improvements that can be adopted by federal staff.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Senior ABC and Cost Modeling Consultant will provide specialized advisory and analytical support for federal activity-based costing, financial/business analytics, cost modeling, and reporting. The consultant will help the client maintain ABC structures, update cost models, validate coding and cost allocation rules, support Tableau dashboards and reports, and respond to staff questions related to ABC processes and system use.

The consultant should be detail-oriented, organized, and self-driven, with the ability to work in an environment where requirements may evolve as the Government refines its ABC, BOEM, or MMA structure needs. The role requires someone who can quickly understand existing cost structures, identify gaps or inconsistencies, document findings, coordinate with client stakeholders, and propose practical improvements without overcomplicating the solution.

This consultant may also support optional work related to BOEM ABC structure development, training materials, coding improvement recommendations, and potential consolidation of BSEE and BOEM ABC structures into a new MMA structure. Because this work may involve multiple offices and leadership stakeholders, the consultant must be comfortable facilitating discussions, reconciling inputs, and translating financial and operational concepts into clear decision-support materials.

Expected tools and processes may include CostPerform, Tableau, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, federal financial or timekeeping systems such as FBMS and Quicktime if available, ABC coding structures, cost allocation methodologies, data validation processes, dashboard review cycles, SOPs/job aids, and training materials.

Anticipated Day-to-Day Activities

• Maintain and update ABC cost model structures, tables, assumptions, and allocation rules.
• Review ABC coding patterns and identify inconsistent, outdated, duplicative, or underused codes.
• Validate cost allocation logic and recommend improvements to strengthen accuracy and usability.
• Support CostPerform-related analysis, model updates, testing, documentation, and issue resolution.
• Analyze workforce, position-costing, activity, and financial data to support cost visibility.
• Create, review, or improve Tableau dashboards, reports, and management briefing materials.
• Respond to ABC-related staff questions and help users understand coding, reporting, or system processes.
• Document business rules, process steps, model assumptions, data sources, and recommended changes.
• Facilitate working sessions with finance, program, analytics, and leadership stakeholders.
• Develop training materials, job aids, quick-reference guides, and user support content.
• Support BOEM ABC structure design, coding recommendations, and training development, if requested.
• Assist with potential BSEE/BOEM ABC structure consolidation into an MMA structure, if requested.
• Prepare findings, issue logs, decision papers, crosswalks, and executive-ready recommendations.
• Coordinate with Ascension and client leads to track progress, risks, assumptions, and open decisions.

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Ascension is seeking a detail-oriented Project Manager I to support the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s Activity-Based Costing and Financial/Analytics Support effort. This role will help coordinate project activities across BSEE and, where applicable, BOEM stakeholders as the Government maintains and improves its ABC structure, cost models, dashboards, reporting tools, workforce and position-costing analysis, and related financial processes. The RFI specifically identifies support for CostPerform, ABC coding, cost allocation, Tableau dashboards, staff questions, code usage reviews, workforce costing, and optional BOEM/MMA structure development.

This position is best suited for a project professional who can manage schedules, track deliverables, coordinate stakeholder inputs, document risks and issues, and keep technical, financial, and analytics workstreams moving without adding unnecessary overhead. Ascension mapped this role to Project Manager I because the GSA MAS labor category aligns with task execution, schedule control, stakeholder coordination, deliverable tracking, and risk/issue management. The labor category requires a bachelor’s degree and five years of experience, and includes managing quality, schedule, cost, scope, deliverables, client meetings, risks, and project documentation.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Project Manager I will provide day-to-day coordination and project execution support for a federal financial analytics and activity-based costing environment. The successful candidate will work closely with ABC, financial, analytics, and program stakeholders to maintain project visibility, support timely completion of deliverables, document action items, and help ensure the Government receives organized, accurate, and decision-ready project information.

The ideal candidate is organized, responsive, and comfortable working in a technical business environment where financial data, cost allocation, reporting, dashboards, and stakeholder coordination intersect. This role does not require the individual to be the senior ABC or CostPerform expert; however, the candidate must be able to coordinate technical inputs from subject-matter experts, understand dependencies, maintain trackers, and communicate clearly with Government and contractor personnel.

Anticipated Day-to-Day Activities

• Manage project schedules, milestone trackers, action-item logs, and deliverable calendars.
• Coordinate meetings with BSEE, BOEM, technical SMEs, financial analysts, and reporting/dashboard stakeholders.
• Track risks, issues, decisions, dependencies, and follow-up actions through resolution.
• Support status reporting, meeting summaries, briefing materials, and project documentation.
• Maintain visibility into ABC-related workstreams, including cost model updates, coding reviews, reporting improvements, and workforce/position-costing analysis.
• Coordinate inputs for dashboards, reports, training materials, code-usage reviews, and process improvement recommendations.
• Assist with documenting business processes, project assumptions, stakeholder feedback, and change requests.
• Support quality control reviews to ensure deliverables are complete, accurate, timely, and aligned with Government expectations.
• Escalate schedule, data, staffing, or stakeholder coordination risks before they affect delivery.
• Use Microsoft 365, Excel, Teams, SharePoint, project trackers, and reporting tools to support project execution and documentation.

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Ascension LLC is seeking a detail-oriented, user-focused Quality Assurance Specialist to support website testing, accessibility validation, defect tracking, and launch-readiness activities for a Drupal website redesign and implementation effort supporting Maryland Sea Grant.

This role is important because the redesigned website must function reliably across user roles, content types, templates, browsers, devices, and workflows. The Quality Assurance Specialist will help confirm that the website performs as intended before launch, supports Maryland Sea Grant’s content management needs, and provides a stable experience for website visitors, staff content contributors, editors, moderators, and administrators.

The ideal candidate will bring hands-on experience testing websites, CMS workflows, responsive design, accessibility features, search functionality, forms, media/content displays, and user permissions. The candidate should be comfortable working in a collaborative project environment where the prime contractor or technical lead owns final development decisions, while Ascension provides structured QA support, issue documentation, retesting, and acceptance-readiness input.

Summary of Contractor Role

The Quality Assurance Specialist will support testing and quality assurance activities for a redesigned Drupal website. The role will focus on confirming that website pages, templates, navigation, search, media features, content workflows, user roles, and responsive design elements operate as expected. The specialist will also support accessibility checks aligned to Section 508 and WCAG expectations, document defects clearly, coordinate with project stakeholders, and verify corrections after developers implement fixes.

This is a supporting QA role. The specialist will not serve as the final technical authority for the website build, but will provide disciplined testing support to help the project team identify defects, validate corrections, reduce launch risk, and support a smoother transition to production.

The selected candidate should be analytical, organized, practical, and comfortable translating technical findings into clear defect reports and user-facing observations. The candidate should be able to work independently with limited supervision, manage multiple test cycles, anticipate risk areas, and communicate findings in a way that helps developers, project managers, and client stakeholders make informed decisions.

Anticipated Day-to-Day Activities

• Review project requirements, user stories, site maps, templates, content types, and acceptance criteria to understand what must be tested.
• Develop QA checklists, test scenarios, and test scripts for Drupal webpages, content workflows, search, navigation, media displays, publications archive functionality, blogs, forms, ecommerce/bookstore workflows, and user permissions.
• Execute functional testing across approved website sections, templates, page types, and CMS features.
• Validate content moderation workflows, including draft, review, unpublished, and published states for different user roles.
• Test responsive behavior across desktop, tablet, and mobile screen sizes to confirm pages display and function properly.
• Check browser compatibility across commonly used browsers such as Chrome, Edge, Safari, and Firefox.
• Support accessibility testing using manual checks and available tools to identify potential Section 508 and WCAG-related issues, including heading structure, keyboard access, link clarity, color contrast, image alternative text, form labels, and logical reading order.
• Document defects, usability issues, accessibility concerns, and inconsistencies in a clear issue log with steps to reproduce, expected results, actual results, severity, screenshots, and affected pages or components.
• Coordinate with the Project Coordinator, Training and Documentation Specialist, prime contractor technical team, and client stakeholders to clarify defects and confirm testing priorities.
• Retest corrected items and update defect status after developers or technical leads implement fixes.
• Support user acceptance testing by preparing test guidance, collecting feedback, organizing findings, and helping distinguish defects from enhancement requests.
• Verify that CMS training materials and user guides accurately reflect tested workflows for creating, updating, publishing, and deleting content.
• Monitor post-launch issues during the maintenance and user support period and assist with triage, documentation, and resolution tracking.
• Prepare QA summaries, testing status updates, defect reports, and launch-readiness input for project leadership.

Ascension is seeking an Energy Code Outreach & Accessibility Specialist to support Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services’ Energy Code Information Technology, Services, and Consulting effort. This role will help the County improve how it communicates energy code requirements, grant program information, technical assistance resources, and code-cycle performance information to industry professionals, residents, stakeholders, and the public.

This position is important because the County’s energy code program depends not only on technical compliance, but also on clear, accessible, user-friendly communication. The selected specialist will help translate technical energy code, permitting, reporting, and program information into public-facing materials that are easier to understand, visually effective, and compliant with accessibility requirements. The RFP specifically identifies the need to create and enhance guidance documents, support outreach events and surveys, produce consumer-level reports, evaluate outreach effectiveness, and ensure marketing materials meet accessibility requirements.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Energy Code Outreach & Accessibility Specialist will support the development, refinement, and accessibility review of outreach materials, public-facing reports, guidance documents, surveys, event materials, visual content, and web-based communications related to Montgomery County’s building energy code initiatives. The ideal candidate should be a strong writer, editor, visual communicator, and accessibility-focused content developer who can make technical information understandable to non-technical audiences.

The candidate should be detail-oriented, organized, responsive, and comfortable working in a task-order environment where assignments may vary in size, timing, and complexity. This person should be able to work independently, manage multiple deliverables, coordinate with technical staff, and ensure that all materials are clear, consistent, accessible, and suitable for public release.

The role will require strong knowledge of plain language writing, stakeholder outreach, digital accessibility, Section 508/ADA principles, accessible Microsoft Word and PDF preparation, captioning, alt text, keyboard navigation, and content quality control. Familiarity with energy efficiency, building codes, sustainability, climate programs, permitting, or local government communications is preferred.

Expected Day-to-Day / Task-Based Activities

• Develop and improve public-facing energy code guidance documents, fact sheets, reports, outreach materials, surveys, event materials, graphics, and web content.

• Translate technical energy code, permitting, and compliance information into plain-language content for residents, building owners, industry professionals, and public stakeholders.

• Create user-friendly visualizations, charts, graphics, tables, and presentation content to help explain code-cycle progress, grant objectives, compliance trends, and program outcomes.

• Support community outreach events, stakeholder meetings, public education activities, surveys, and engagement campaigns.

• Prepare consumer-level reports that communicate energy code performance, renewables, electrification, compliance pathways, and progress toward grant objectives.

• Review Microsoft Word documents, PDFs, slide decks, web materials, and graphics for accessibility compliance.

• Add and verify alt text for images, charts, graphs, tables, and other non-text content.

• Support captioning, transcript development, and accessibility checks for audio/video or multimedia content, as needed.

• Check documents and web-based materials for keyboard navigation, reading order, headings, link text, color contrast, and screen-reader usability.

• Coordinate with technical SMEs, data analysts, policy consultants, and project management staff to ensure outreach content is accurate and aligned with County objectives.

• Assist with survey development, survey distribution support, and review of outreach/training effectiveness data.

• Edit and proofread outreach content for clarity, consistency, tone, grammar, formatting, and public readability.

• Maintain version control for outreach materials, reports, and accessibility review comments.

• Support quality control reviews before materials are submitted to the County or released to the public.

Ascension is seeking an Energy Code Policy & Program Analyst to support Montgomery County’s Department of Permitting Services in translating energy code data, permit trends, industry feedback, and program findings into actionable policy, process, training, and workforce development recommendations.

This role is important because Montgomery County is using building codes as a major tool to support its climate goals, including net-zero energy and electrification code development across future code cycles. The RFP states that DPS is working across the 2021, 2024, 2027, and 2030 code cycles and needs contractor support for IT, reporting and analysis, policy consulting, and outreach services through grant closeout.

The ideal candidate will understand building energy codes, residential code policy, AHJ practices, code adoption processes, and how data from permitting, inspections, enforcement, and stakeholder feedback can be used to improve program performance. This position is best suited for a candidate who can connect technical energy code requirements with practical implementation needs for local government, industry professionals, homeowners, and workforce partners.

Summary of Contractor Role

The Energy Code Policy & Program Analyst will support policy consulting and program improvement activities associated with Montgomery County’s energy code modernization effort. The role will help DPS use data findings to improve commercial and residential energy code policies, identify best practices from other Authorities Having Jurisdiction, support residential-specific code amendment documentation, and recommend improvements to training materials, processes, documentation, data collection tools, and workforce development planning.

The RFP specifically calls for recommendations to improve DPS IT systems and data collection tools/forms, assistance with commercial and residential energy code policy changes based on data analysis, AHJ best-practice research, residential-specific code amendment support, improvements to training materials/processes/documentation, and workforce development planning and implementation.

The successful candidate should be a detail-oriented, analytical, and practical policy professional who can work in an evolving task-order environment. The candidate must be comfortable reviewing technical findings, synthesizing data and stakeholder input, preparing written recommendations, developing policy-ready documentation, and coordinating with data analysts, energy code SMEs, outreach staff, and project leadership. The candidate should be self-driven, organized, responsive, and able to operate with limited supervision while maintaining accuracy, professional judgment, and strong documentation discipline.

Anticipated Day-to-Day Activities

• Analyze energy code data findings and translate them into policy, program, training, and process recommendations.
• Conduct AHJ research to identify energy code best practices, implementation models, code amendment examples, and local government approaches.
• Support development of commercial and residential energy code policy changes based on findings from data analysis and stakeholder feedback.
• Draft, edit, and refine residential-specific code amendment documentation targeted toward homeowners.
• Review training materials, guidance documents, forms, and process documentation to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Recommend updates to DPS data collection tools, forms, and workflows to improve consistency, completeness, and usability.
• Coordinate with energy code SMEs, reporting analysts, data specialists, and outreach personnel to ensure policy recommendations align with available data.
• Support workforce development planning by identifying training, staffing, skills, and implementation needs for energy code adoption and compliance.
• Prepare briefing materials, policy memos, findings summaries, decision papers, and recommendation trackers.
• Identify recurring barriers in permitting, documentation, training, and compliance processes and propose practical solutions.
• Participate in kickoff meetings, annual program status meetings, working sessions, and task-order meetings as required.
• Maintain version-controlled work products, research logs, assumptions, source documentation, and recommendation matrices.
• Ensure deliverables are clear, editable, accessible, and suitable for County review and revision.

Ascension is seeking an Energy Code Permit Data Analyst to support Montgomery County’s Department of Permitting Services in improving how energy code information is collected, organized, validated, and prepared for reporting. This role is designed for a detail-oriented analyst who can review permit submissions, PDFs, construction drawings, energy model reports, mechanical drawings, residential and commercial building documentation, and related files to identify and extract energy code data.

This position is important because Montgomery County is working to improve its energy code-related data collection and reporting as part of broader climate, permitting, and DOE grant objectives. DPS currently receives energy code information within broader building permit documentation and may not have a dedicated way to isolate energy code data without reviewing multiple files. The analyst will help convert scattered, document-based permit information into structured data that can be used for analysis, reporting, quality review, and future system improvements.

The ideal candidate understands that this role is not simply “data entry.” It requires careful reading, document review, structured data capture, issue flagging, and disciplined quality control. The candidate should be comfortable working with technical building documentation, identifying relevant fields, following a data dictionary, and escalating unclear or inconsistent information.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Energy Code Permit Data Analyst will support the collection, organization, and quality review of energy code-related information from permit submission packages. The role will focus on reviewing PDFs, plan sets, construction drawings, mechanical drawings, energy model reports, inspection or enforcement-related documents, and other residential or commercial permit materials to locate required energy code data elements.

The analyst will manually extract data when automated sources are not available, enter or structure that data in Excel, Access, Power BI, or another agreed DPS format, and document data quality issues such as missing values, inconsistent terminology, unreadable documents, conflicting information, or unclear compliance path references. This role may also support preparation of aggregated datasets used by senior analysts, energy code SMEs, reporting leads, or IT team members.

Ascension is seeking someone who is organized, accurate, patient with document-heavy work, and able to follow defined processes without losing sight of the larger program purpose. The candidate should be self-driven, comfortable working with limited day-to-day supervision, and able to communicate when source documents are incomplete, ambiguous, or inconsistent. Strong candidates will bring a combination of data discipline, permit documentation familiarity, and practical comfort with energy efficiency or building code terminology.

Position’s Expected Activities

• Review permit submission packages, PDFs, construction drawings, mechanical drawings, energy model reports, forms, and supporting documentation to locate energy code-related data.
• Extract required data elements from commercial new construction, commercial alteration, multifamily, and residential permit files.
• Enter, organize, and maintain extracted data in Excel, Access, Power BI, SharePoint lists, or another DPS-approved format.
• Apply the DPS data dictionary and project-specific data collection rules to support consistency across records.
• Flag missing, incomplete, inconsistent, duplicative, or unclear data for review by the Energy Code Data & Reporting Lead or Building Energy Code SME.
• Compare source documents against required data fields to identify gaps in permit documentation or recurring data quality issues.
• Maintain accurate notes on assumptions, document locations, unresolved questions, and data quality concerns.
• Support data validation activities, including spot checks, completeness checks, duplicate review, and reconciliation of manually entered information.
• Prepare intermediate-stage files and supporting documentation needed to re-run or verify data transformations when required.
• Coordinate with project team members to clarify data definitions, reporting fields, file naming conventions, and quality review procedures.
• Assist with preparing datasets that support analysis of compliance paths, energy credits, renewables, electrification, rejection reasons, and other energy code reporting topics.
• Protect County data and follow applicable information security, document handling, and confidentiality procedures.
• Participate in project meetings, data review sessions, and task order check-ins as requested.

Ascension is seeking a Permitting Systems Integration Specialist with hands-on experience supporting permitting, plan review, document management, and local government workflow systems, preferably including Infor, Avolve, and ProjectDox. This position will support Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services’ effort to improve how energy code-related permit data is collected, stored, exported, analyzed, migrated, and reported. The County’s RFP specifically identifies the need to perform system integration with Infor or Avolve and conduct ETL from existing systems such as Infor and ProjectDox, including dataset preparation, SQL querying, validation, and reporting support.

This role is important because DPS is working to improve its systems for collecting, analyzing, and reporting energy code-related data across current and future code cycles. The work supports the County’s ability to understand how building projects comply with energy codes, including compliance paths, energy credits, renewables, and related reporting needs.

Summary of Contractor Role

The Permitting Systems Integration Specialist will support the technical connection between DPS permitting platforms, document repositories, databases, reporting tools, and future energy code data solutions. The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented systems integrator and data professional who understands how permitting workflows, plan review systems, document uploads, inspection records, and database structures connect to downstream reporting needs.

The candidate should be comfortable working in an environment where data may exist across multiple systems, PDFs, permit records, database tables, and manually maintained sources. The role requires the ability to map workflows, identify required data fields, support ETL logic, validate data quality, troubleshoot system access issues, document integration requirements, and support migration planning if DPS replaces or expands its current IT system. The RFP also requires developed solutions to be internet-accessible, user-friendly, accessible, capable of supporting approximately 30 concurrent users, exportable for reporting, and supported by cybersecurity controls.

Day-to-Day / Anticipated Activities

• Analyze permitting workflows, system interfaces, data structures, and business rules across Infor, Avolve, ProjectDox, and County database environments.

• Map permit submission, plan review, document management, inspection, and energy code data flows to identify where required reporting data is created, stored, modified, or missing.

• Support requirements analysis, design, development, testing, integration, and implementation of energy code data solutions.

• Extract, transform, and load data from Infor, ProjectDox, Avolve, SQL databases, spreadsheets, or other County-approved data sources.

• Query SQL databases and prepare data extracts for analysis, dashboarding, reporting, and migration planning.

• Develop or support scripts, Power Query logic, data transformation routines, and repeatable workflows used to aggregate energy code-related permit data.

• Validate data quality, identify missing or inconsistent records, document data issues, and recommend corrective actions.

• Support data migration planning if a developed solution is later replaced by or incorporated into the current DPS IT system.

• Coordinate with the Project Manager, Data & Reporting Lead, Energy Code SME, and County technical staff to confirm data definitions, field mappings, access needs, and integration assumptions.

• Document interface requirements, source-to-target mappings, transformation logic, test results, and technical procedures.

• Maintain awareness of County security, remote access, database access, and data protection requirements.

• Recommend improvements to DPS IT systems, data collection tools, forms, and reporting workflows when system or data limitations are identified.

Ascension is seeking an Energy Code Data Solutions Developer to support Montgomery County’s Department of Permitting Services in improving how energy code information is collected, stored, accessed, exported, secured, and used for reporting. This role is important because Montgomery County is working to strengthen its building energy code implementation, improve energy code-related data collection, and support federal grant reporting tied to new energy codes and process improvements. The RFP states that DPS needs contractor support to help fulfill DOE grant objectives related to reporting on project compliance, improving processes, data collection methods, policies, and guidance materials.

The ideal candidate will be a hands-on developer who can translate business and data requirements into small-scale web/data intake tools, workflow tools, dashboards, accessible forms, export functions, and secure user interfaces. This position requires someone who can work comfortably across requirements analysis, solution design, development, testing, data preparation, cybersecurity-aligned controls, accessibility, and ongoing support.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Energy Code Data Solutions Developer will design, develop, test, maintain, and enhance data solutions that support the collection, management, export, and reporting of building energy code data. The RFP specifically identifies the need for systems that can collect, store, and export energy code data; be internet accessible; include user-friendly interfaces; meet accessibility requirements; support approximately 30 concurrent users; export data for report generation; and implement cybersecurity.

The candidate should bring strong technical judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to work in an environment where requirements may evolve by task order. The role will support tools and processes that help DPS reduce manual work, improve data quality, support reporting, and prepare for possible future migration to the County’s existing IT systems. The RFP also references possible system integration with Infor or Avolve and ETL/data work involving systems such as Infor and ProjectDox.

The successful candidate should be self-driven, organized, quality-focused, and able to communicate clearly with project managers, data analysts, energy code SMEs, and client stakeholders. The person should be comfortable documenting assumptions, identifying data quality issues, supporting user acceptance testing, and maintaining technical documentation needed to rerun transformations, support sustainment, and transfer knowledge.

Anticipated Activities and Responsibilities

The Energy Code Data Solutions Developer will be expected to:

• Design web-based and/or low-code data intake tools to capture energy code information from permit-related workflows.
• Develop user-friendly interfaces, forms, validation rules, and export features that support data collection and reporting.
• Build small-scale workflow tools, dashboards, and reporting interfaces using approved technologies.
• Translate business requirements into functional requirements, user stories, wireframes, data models, test cases, and acceptance criteria.
• Configure data structures that allow users to collect, store, query, validate, and export energy code data.
• Develop ETL or data transformation processes to extract, merge, clean, validate, and prepare datasets for analysis.
• Query SQL databases and support data integration with existing County or permitting-related systems, where authorized.
• Support potential integration or data exchange with systems such as Infor, Avolve, ProjectDox, Microsoft Power Platform, SharePoint, Access, Excel, Power BI, or similar platforms.
• Create accessible user interfaces and documents consistent with Section 508, ADA, web accessibility, keyboard navigability, alt-text, and accessible PDF/Word requirements.
• Implement role-based access, data protection, logging, change control, and other reasonable security practices aligned with County data protection expectations.
• Maintain and support developed solutions, troubleshoot defects, resolve user issues, and document corrective actions.
• Prepare source files, scripts, configuration notes, data dictionaries, transformation documentation, and user/admin guides.
• Conduct unit testing, integration testing, accessibility checks, data validation, and user acceptance testing support.
• Document data quality issues, defects, risks, and recommended corrective actions for project leadership.
• Support migration planning if a developed solution is later replaced by or integrated into the County’s current DPS IT system.
• Participate in kickoff meetings, annual program meetings, task order planning sessions, technical reviews, and client status meetings as requested.
• Coordinate with the Project Manager, Energy Code SME, Data/Reporting Lead, and client stakeholders to ensure the tool supports reporting, analysis, and grant-related needs.

Ascension is seeking an Energy Code Data & Reporting Lead to support Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services’ Energy Code Information Technology, Reporting, and Analysis effort. This role is designed for a senior data professional who can translate complex energy code, building permit, inspection, and compliance data into accurate, usable reports, dashboards, and recommendations that help the County improve data collection, track compliance trends, and support DOE grant reporting.

This position is important because Montgomery County is using energy codes as a key tool to meet its climate goals, including net zero energy and electrification over multiple code cycles. DPS also needs improved systems for collecting, analyzing, and reporting energy code-related data, including compliance paths, energy credits, renewables, permit rejection trends, and Technical Assistance Program comparisons.

The ideal candidate will bring strong data management, Power BI/Power Query, SQL, ETL, and reporting experience, with enough familiarity in building energy codes, construction documentation, permitting, or energy efficiency to understand what the data means—not just how to manipulate it.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Energy Code Data & Reporting Lead will support data dictionary alignment, data extraction and transformation, data quality validation, dashboard development, trend analysis, and reporting support for energy code compliance data. The role will help DPS collect and manage data from permit applications, inspections, enforcement activities, building drawings, energy model reports, mechanical drawings, and related sources.

The RFP specifically identifies the need to extract, transform, and load data from systems such as Infor and ProjectDox; merge datasets; query SQL databases; validate data; and prepare data for analysis and reporting. It also anticipates that some energy code data may need to be manually collected from permit files and construction documents, while allowing vendors to propose more efficient methods if accuracy is maintained.

This position requires a detail-oriented, organized, self-driven professional who can work in an ambiguous environment, document assumptions, identify data quality issues, reconcile inconsistent inputs, and convert fragmented building permit data into credible reports for internal County use, DOE progress reporting, and public-facing analysis.

Expected Day-to-Day / Task Order Activities

• Lead data dictionary alignment with DPS-defined reporting fields, source systems, and required DOE/public reporting outputs.
• Extract, transform, and load data from County systems, including potential sources such as Infor, ProjectDox, SQL databases, Access, Excel, and Power BI datasets.
• Review permit submissions, energy model reports, mechanical drawings, PDFs, and other construction documentation to manually identify and capture energy code data when automated data is not available.
• Build and maintain Power Query transformations, SQL queries, Excel models, Access datasets, and Power BI datasets to support repeatable reporting.
• Validate source data, transformed data, and final reporting outputs for accuracy, consistency, completeness, and traceability.
• Document data quality issues, source limitations, transformation logic, intermediate files, scripts, and assumptions needed to re-run data workflows.
• Develop dashboards, charts, tables, and visual summaries that explain energy code compliance patterns, compliance paths, renewables, electrification, energy performance, and permit/inspection rejection trends.
• Conduct trend analysis to identify problematic code sections, common rejection reasons, recurring data gaps, and patterns in industry feedback.
• Support inputs to DOE progress reports, final grant reporting, and public-facing reports by compiling accurate data and preparing clear visuals.
• Recommend improvements to DPS data collection tools, forms, workflows, and reporting processes.
• Coordinate with the Project Manager, Energy Code SME, IT specialists, and DPS stakeholders to confirm data definitions, reporting requirements, and quality-control expectations.
• Support accessibility expectations for reports, dashboards, and data documentation where deliverables may be posted or shared publicly.
• Follow County security practices for data access, data handling, and protection of County information systems.