Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking an experienced Backup Facilities Program Analyst / Navy Facilities Subject Matter Expert (SME) to serve as a pre-qualified contingency resource supporting Naval Construction Group ONE's N48 Facilities Division at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, California.

This is not a standing full-time position and does not carry guaranteed hours. The individual will become billable only if formally activated by Ascension to provide continuity of service because of an unexpected vacancy, extended absence, transition requirement, performance replacement, or other circumstance requiring qualified backup coverage.

The ideal candidate is an experienced Navy, Department of Defense, NAVFAC, Public Works, or military installation facilities professional who can step into the assignment with minimal ramp-up and perform at or above the proficiency level expected of the primary Facilities Program Analyst.

Ascension is particularly interested in candidates who understand the intersection of Navy facilities planning, Basic Facility Requirements (BFRs), Military Construction (MILCON), Sustainment/Restoration/Modernization (SRM), facility maintenance planning, DD Form 1391 development, iNFADS, NAVFAC coordination, facility inspections, Maximo, budget planning, and installation-level facilities program administration.

This position is important to Ascension's ability to maintain uninterrupted support to NCG1. The successful backup candidate must therefore be technically credible, dependable, responsive, and capable of transitioning rapidly into an active assignment without degradation of customer service or contract performance.

Position Summary

Upon activation, the Backup Facilities Program Analyst / Navy Facilities SME will provide administrative, analytical, planning, and technical facilities support to the NCG1 N48 Facilities Division.

NCG1 manages facilities supporting Pacific Naval Construction Forces, including active and reserve units. The Facilities Program Analyst supports the maintenance and upkeep of approximately 150 facilities distributed across Point Mugu, Port Hueneme, Fort Hunter Liggett, and China Lake and coordinates extensively with Public Works Department personnel, NAVFAC, subordinate commands, facilities managers, and other engineering organizations.

The position requires a professional who can independently analyze complex facilities requirements; translate operational, personnel, training, logistics, and infrastructure needs into defensible facilities requirements; maintain accurate facilities information; develop planning and budget inputs; coordinate project execution; and present sound recommendations for Government consideration.

The ideal candidate will be a detail-oriented and highly organized facilities professional who is comfortable working in a military command environment, exercising judgment where guidance may not directly address a situation, anticipating potential problems, maintaining multiple competing priorities, and developing practical solutions with limited day-to-day direction.

The individual must understand the contractor's advisory role. Recommendations, draft analyses, funding inputs, and project documentation will support Government decision-making; final policy decisions, funding allocations, contractual commitments, and approvals remain Government responsibilities.

Day-to-Day and Activation Responsibilities

Upon activation, the Backup Facilities Program Analyst / Navy Facilities SME will:

• ANALYZE current and projected facility requirements for active and reserve NCG1 units and contribute to comprehensive Facility Requirements Studies for Government review and validation.
• ASSESS personnel loading, training schedules, deployment and out-loading requirements, logistics information, and mission demands to identify corresponding facility requirements.
• DRAFT and review command-level Basic Facility Requirements (BFRs) and supporting documentation for Government validation.
• PREPARE activity submissions, supporting narratives, and justifications for BFR updates and facilitate transmission of Government-approved information to NAVFAC planners for incorporation into iNFADS.
• DEVELOP draft planning information and supporting documentation for DD Form 1391 packages associated with future MILCON projects, major facility replacements, and long-range master planning.
• SUPPORT execution of the two-year Minor/Major Maintenance Action Plan and the longer-range facilities master planning process.
• ANALYZE Annual Inspection Summary information and develop draft inputs for the annual Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization (SRM) budget execution plan.
• TRACK facilities funding allocations, project funding requirements, execution status, and other resource information while maintaining appropriate separation between contractor analysis and Government funding authority.
• CALCULATE facility operating-cost estimates and prepare draft budget inputs supporting NCG1 fiscal-year planning.
• RESEARCH potential facilities funding sources and develop analytical information supporting Government prioritization decisions.
• RECEIVE, REVIEW, and ANALYZE subordinate-unit requests for space allocations, facility improvements, maintenance, or related facilities support.
• CONSULT with requesters to clarify requirements and RECOMMEND acceptance, rejection, modification, prioritization, or additional analysis for Government determination.
• COORDINATE facilities-project communications among NCG1, Public Works Department personnel, NAVFAC, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, subordinate facilities managers, and other engineering-support organizations.
• TRACK facilities projects from initial requirement identification through planning, funding, execution, inspection, and completion.
• MAINTAIN milestone schedules, project status information, action-item trackers, risk information, and supporting command documentation.
• MAINTAIN physical and electronic facilities records, including engineering drawings, maps, charts, deficiency records, facility asset information, excess-space information, and other program records.
• UPDATE electronic facilities records promptly following inspections, project modifications, or changes to facility status.
• USE Maximo and associated facilities-management databases to support work-order, maintenance, asset, deficiency, and facility-information management activities.
• SUPPORT the NCG1 Camp Maintenance Program, including minor maintenance and repair tracking, Zone Inspection Program activities, Lock and Key Program administration, and subordinate-unit support.
• ANALYZE the basic facilities trouble-ticket backlog and recommend prioritization and resolution strategies designed to achieve required performance objectives.
• MONITOR Inter-Service Support Agreements involving utilities, maintenance, and other host-command support and develop recommended changes for Government consideration.
• CONSOLIDATE NCG1 facilities requirements and supporting information for the Integrated Priority List and other command-level prioritization processes.
• RESPOND to facilities-related data calls and prepare accurate, traceable supporting information for leadership review.
• SUPPORT Navy Expeditionary Combat Command Inspector General facilities assessments and associated Command Assessments.
• PROVIDE technical clarification and facilities-program guidance to subordinate facilities managers, inspectors, and other stakeholders within the limits of the contractor's advisory role.
• ASSIST inspection teams with analysis of facility conditions, deficiencies, documentation, and corrective-action requirements.
• PREPARE justifications for new facilities, preliminary cost information, environmental-impact supporting information, technical reports, and command correspondence.
• GENERATE professional reports, presentations, flowcharts, spreadsheets, correspondence, meeting materials, and other facilities-program documentation using Microsoft Office and approved Government systems.
• DOCUMENT meetings and conferences and maintain accurate action items, decisions, and follow-up requirements.
• CONTRIBUTE to monthly status reports, technical reports, project status briefings, and final reporting when the activation period requires such deliverables.
• BRIEF Government stakeholders on project status, facilities issues, emerging risks, resource requirements, and recommended corrective actions.
• TRAIN or provide technical knowledge transfer to subordinate facilities personnel when requested.
• APPLY Navy, DoD, NAVFAC, NCG1, safety, environmental, logistics, real-property, and facilities-management directives when performing assigned activities.
• PROTECT Government, procurement-sensitive, Privacy Act, PII, sensitive-unclassified, and other controlled information encountered during contract performance.

Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking an experienced Project Manager / Quality Control Manager (PM/QCM) to provide part-time corporate management, contract administration, and independent quality-control oversight for Ascension's support of Naval Construction Group ONE's Facilities Program.

This is a dual-hat internal Ascension management position intended to ensure that the contractor employee performing the Facilities Program Analyst function is properly supported, contract requirements are consistently met, risks are identified before they affect performance, deliverables undergo appropriate quality review, and Ascension maintains effective communication with Government stakeholders.

The ideal candidate understands the distinction between managing contractor performance and directing Government personnel. The individual must be comfortable operating in a federal non-personal-services environment in which Ascension is responsible for supervising its personnel while the Government retains authority for Government decisions, funding allocations, approvals, inspection, and acceptance.

This position is particularly well suited for an experienced federal contractor Project Manager, Program Manager, Quality Manager, or Contract Manager who has managed small professional-services engagements and is comfortable providing senior-level oversight on a limited-hours basis.

The successful candidate will be organized, disciplined, responsive, analytical, and able to identify emerging performance issues before they develop into contract deficiencies. The individual should be comfortable working independently with limited supervision, managing competing priorities, reviewing technical and administrative work products, developing corrective actions, communicating professionally with Government representatives, and maintaining the documentation necessary to demonstrate successful contract performance.

Position Summary

The Project Manager / Quality Control Manager provides Ascension's corporate oversight of the Facilities Program Analyst engagement and serves as the primary internal management interface between Ascension leadership, the assigned Facilities Program Analyst, and Government contract stakeholders as appropriate.

The PM/QCM is responsible for monitoring contract performance against the Performance Work Statement, maintaining Ascension's Quality Control processes, reviewing deliverables and performance metrics, monitoring schedule and contractual obligations, managing contractor personnel issues, coordinating invoicing and contract administration, identifying and mitigating risks, and ensuring corrective actions are completed when performance concerns arise.

Because the Government's QASP places responsibility for quality control on the contractor, this individual will maintain a proactive QC process designed to identify deficiencies before deliverables are submitted to the Government.

Particular attention will be paid to Government-established performance measures involving:

• Accuracy and completeness of facilities records;
• Timeliness and quality of contract deliverables;
• Basic Facility Requirements and facilities-data accuracy;
• Timely processing of facility and space requests;
• Reduction and management of the facilities trouble-ticket backlog;
• Project milestone performance;
• Accuracy of reports, trackers, and supporting documentation;
• Compliance with required training and personnel requirements; and
• Timely identification and correction of performance deficiencies.

The PM/QCM is not intended to replace or duplicate the day-to-day Facilities Program Analyst and is not planned as a separate Government-billable labor category. Rather, this position provides Ascension's internal contractor management, contract governance, supervision, and quality assurance necessary to maintain successful performance throughout the engagement.

Day-to-Day / Recurring Responsibilities

The PM/QCM will be expected to:

• MANAGE Ascension's overall contractual performance for the Facilities Program Analyst engagement.
• SUPERVISE the assigned contractor employee in accordance with the PWS non-personal-services requirements and Ascension corporate policies.
• MAINTAIN Ascension's Quality Control Plan and associated procedures, checklists, review standards, and performance documentation.
• REVIEW contractor deliverables before submission to confirm technical completeness, accuracy, consistency, professional presentation, and compliance with applicable PWS requirements.
• MONITOR contractual schedules, deliverable deadlines, recurring requirements, Government-directed milestones, and performance objectives.
• TRACK PWS and QASP performance measures and identify negative trends before they affect Government acceptance or contractor performance evaluations.
• VERIFY that performance documentation demonstrates compliance with applicable metrics, including records accuracy, deliverable timeliness, data accuracy, request-processing standards, and backlog-management objectives.
• CONDUCT periodic QC reviews of reports, trackers, schedules, project documentation, correspondence, and other contract work products.
• IDENTIFY contractual, operational, personnel, schedule, performance, and quality risks and maintain appropriate mitigation actions.
• DEVELOP and IMPLEMENT corrective-action strategies when deficiencies, missed milestones, inaccurate deliverables, or other performance problems are identified.
• FOLLOW UP on corrective actions to confirm that deficiencies have been resolved and preventive measures are working effectively.
• COORDINATE with the Facilities Program Analyst to resolve workload, scheduling, performance, resource, and documentation issues.
• COMMUNICATE professionally with the Contracting Officer, Contracting Officer's Representative, Government technical representatives, or other authorized Government representatives when required by the contract.
• ENSURE Government direction is received only through appropriate contractual channels and ESCALATE requests that could constitute out-of-scope work, constructive changes, unauthorized commitments, or inherently governmental activity.
• PROTECT Ascension and the Government from performance arrangements that could create a personal-services relationship between Government personnel and Ascension employees.
• REVIEW monthly and other periodic status information for completeness, accuracy, risks, accomplishments, upcoming milestones, corrective actions, and management attention items.
• FACILITATE recurring internal performance reviews with the assigned Facilities Program Analyst.
• PREPARE management-level summaries for Ascension executive leadership regarding contract status, performance, risks, personnel issues, financial performance, and customer concerns.
• MONITOR personnel compliance with required Navy/DoD training, suitability, facility-access, security, and other onboarding requirements applicable to the engagement.
• VERIFY that required annual training remains current, including Information Assurance, Anti-Terrorism Level I, OPSEC, PII, and other required Navy training.
• COORDINATE employee onboarding, replacement, transition, succession, and offboarding activities when necessary.
• MAINTAIN appropriate contract-management records, including correspondence, performance documentation, quality-control records, corrective actions, personnel documentation, Government feedback, and management decisions.
• SUPPORT preparation and review of invoices and verify that invoiced labor and authorized costs are supported by appropriate records.
• MONITOR authorized hours and internal management expenditures against Ascension's contract budget.
• COORDINATE with Ascension accounting and executive leadership regarding invoicing, contract modifications, option periods, funding, and other administrative requirements.
• ASSESS Government feedback, surveillance findings, discrepancy notifications, and performance trends and determine whether additional management intervention is required.
• PREPARE Ascension for periodic Government performance discussions and CPARS-related evaluations by maintaining contemporaneous documentation of performance, accomplishments, issues, and corrective actions.
• PROMOTE continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to improve processes, documentation controls, communications, quality, responsiveness, and contract performance.

Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking an experienced Facilities Program Analyst / Navy Facilities Subject Matter Expert to provide on-site facilities planning, program analysis, maintenance coordination, project tracking, and technical support to Naval Construction Group ONE (NCG ONE) in Port Hueneme, California.

This is not simply an administrative facilities position. The successful candidate will function as a hands-on facilities program professional capable of translating operational requirements, personnel loading, training schedules, logistics requirements, facility conditions, maintenance requirements, and funding information into actionable facilities plans and recommendations.

The individual will support NCG ONE's management and sustainment of approximately 150 facilities under its control and will coordinate facilities matters involving organizations such as Public Works Department/NAVFAC and other engineering support organizations.

Ascension is particularly interested in candidates who understand Navy shore facilities planning and maintenance, are comfortable working with facilities databases and technical records, and can independently organize multiple competing requirements while keeping Government leadership informed of milestones, risks, deficiencies, funding requirements, and recommended courses of action.

The ideal candidate is analytical, highly organized, responsive, tactful, and comfortable operating in an environment where requirements may evolve and where established directives do not always prescribe the exact method for solving a problem. The position requires sound judgment, critical thinking, strong written and verbal communication, and the ability to identify a facilities issue, analyze its operational impact, develop an appropriate recommendation, and follow the requirement through resolution.

2. Summary of the Contractor Role

The Facilities Program Analyst will provide administrative coordination and technical assistance for facilities activities supporting the Pacific Naval Construction Force. The position supports facilities requirements planning, maintenance management, facility funding tracking, command assessments, space allocation, project execution, MILCON planning, Basic Facility Requirements, records management, facilities inspections, budget development, and Camp Maintenance activities.

The Analyst will support preparation and maintenance of products including:

• Facility Requirements Studies;
• facility funding and resource tracking information;
• facility command assessments;
• two-year Minor/Major Maintenance Action Plans;
• DD Form 1391 planning documentation;
• 10-year facility/MILCON master-planning inputs;
• Basic Facility Requirements;
• facility project documentation and milestone trackers;
• facility drawings, maps, charts, deficiency records, and electronic files;
• cost estimates and project justifications;
• facility operating-cost analyses and annual budget inputs;
• Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization budget-planning information;
• Integrated Priority Lists;
• Inter-Service Support Agreement analyses;
• NECC Inspector General Command Assessment support; and
• monthly, periodic, and technical reports.

The position also serves as an important coordination point among NCG ONE, subordinate commands, NAVFAC, Public Works, USACE, facilities inspectors, planners, engineers, and other Government stakeholders. All final Government decisions, funding allocations, approvals, commitments, and determinations remain with authorized Government personnel.

Performance is strongly outcome-oriented. Among other standards, the Government expects approximately a 10% quarterly reduction in the basic facilities trouble-ticket backlog, timely facilities-record updates, high BFR/iNFADS data accuracy, rapid processing of facilities requests, and timely delivery of quality work products with minimal rework.

3. Anticipated Day-to-Day Responsibilities

The selected candidate will:

• ANALYZE current and projected facility requirements for active and reserve NCG ONE units and develop inputs for comprehensive Facility Requirements Studies.
• TRACK facilities funding allocations, project funding requirements, expenditures, and associated resource information for Government review.
• DEVELOP technical and administrative inputs supporting the two-year Minor/Major Maintenance Action Plan.
• PREPARE planning inputs and draft DD Form 1391 documentation supporting the 10-year master plan, future MILCON projects, facility replacements, and other construction requirements.
• ASSESS existing facility deficiencies, excesses, operational requirements, and future demand to recommend appropriate facility solutions.
• PRIORITIZE facility maintenance and trouble-ticket requirements and support achievement of the Government's quarterly backlog-reduction performance objective.
• COORDINATE facility project requirements and technical communications with NAVFAC, Public Works Department, USACE, subordinate commands, engineering organizations, planners, inspectors, and other stakeholders.
• TRACK facilities projects from initial requirement identification through planning, execution, milestone completion, and closeout.
• DRAFT command documentation, project justifications, facilities assessments, technical reports, briefings, budget information, and other decision-support products.
• DEVELOP and REVIEW Basic Facility Requirements for assigned units and prepare supporting documentation for Government validation.
• MAINTAIN accurate physical and electronic facility records, engineering drawings, maps, charts, deficiency logs, asset information, and related documentation.
• UPDATE applicable electronic facilities records following inspections, project modifications, and completed facilities actions in accordance with required turnaround standards.
• FACILITATE transmission and coordination of Government-validated BFR and asset information with NAVFAC planners for entry or update in iNFADS.
• OPERATE Maximo and associated facilities-management databases to track maintenance requirements, facility conditions, work requests, and related information.
• REVIEW requests for space allocations and facility improvements, consult with requesting organizations to clarify requirements, and develop technically supported recommendations for Government determination.
• COMPILE project-support documentation such as facility justifications, preliminary cost estimates, environmental information, and supporting analytical data.
• SUPPORT NECC Inspector General facility Command Assessments and coordinate with facility inspectors and subordinate facilities managers.
• PROVIDE technical guidance and clarification to subordinate facilities personnel concerning applicable facility processes, documentation, and requirements.
• ANALYZE personnel loading, training schedules, mobilization/out-loading requirements, logistics information, and operational needs and translate these inputs into facility requirements.
• RESEARCH potential facility funding resources and develop supporting information for Government consideration.
• CALCULATE facility operating costs and prepare draft budget inputs supporting the upcoming fiscal year.
• MONITOR Inter-Service Support Agreements involving utilities, maintenance, and other support services and recommend modifications when warranted.
• CONSOLIDATE facilities requirements and Integrated Priority List inputs for NCG ONE leadership review.
• ANALYZE Annual Inspection Summary information and prepare inputs supporting the annual Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization budget execution plan.
• SUPPORT Camp Maintenance activities, including Zone Inspection and Lock and Key Program requirements.
• APPLY applicable Navy, NAVFAC, NAVSUP, NECC, environmental, occupational safety, logistics, and facilities-management directives when developing recommendations.
• BRIEF Government leadership on project status, facilities risks, deficiencies, maintenance priorities, funding requirements, and recommended corrective actions.
• TRAIN or provide technical clarification to subordinate facilities personnel when required.

Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking a Federal Acquisition Communications and Training Specialist to support communications, outreach, documentation, training, and stakeholder-engagement activities associated with NIH-wide and multi-agency acquisition contract vehicles.

This position is intended for a communications and training professional who can take complex Federal acquisition information and turn it into clear, accurate, accessible, and user-friendly guidance for Government customers, contracting personnel, program offices, contract vehicle users, and industry partners.

The successful candidate will help NIH make acquisition vehicles easier to understand and use by developing communication plans, standard operating procedures (SOPs), ordering guides, presentations, fact sheets, frequently asked questions (FAQs), website materials, templates, training tools, vendor kick-off materials, road-show content, and other supporting communications.

Ascension is looking for someone who combines strong writing and editing skills with presentation development, training-support capability, stakeholder awareness, and exceptional attention to detail. The right candidate will be comfortable working in a Federal environment where documents may undergo multiple levels of Government review and where accuracy, accessibility, consistency, confidentiality, and timeliness are essential.

This role is particularly well suited to someone who can understand technical or policy-driven information, determine what an audience needs to know, and transform that information into clear and practical communications.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Federal Acquisition Communications and Training Specialist will primarily support NIH/OALM activities associated with category management, strategic sourcing, NIH-wide and multi-agency contract vehicles, communications, outreach, and customer/vendor training.

The specialist will work with Contracting Officers (COs), Contracting Officer's Representatives (CORs), acquisition specialists, program personnel, vendors, and other stakeholders to develop materials that help customers understand available contract vehicles, ordering procedures, responsibilities, requirements, and available acquisition resources.

A major focus of the position will be helping Government personnel successfully introduce, communicate, and sustain contract vehicles through structured communications and training. This may include preparing materials for vendor kick-off meetings, customer training sessions, road shows, quarterly contractor meetings, informational campaigns, website updates, and other outreach initiatives.

The ideal candidate will be a detail-oriented and highly organized communicator who can manage multiple assignments and deadlines while maintaining document quality and consistency. The individual should be self-driven, comfortable working with limited day-to-day supervision, capable of anticipating information needs, and able to identify gaps or ambiguities in communications before materials reach Government stakeholders.

The candidate should also be capable of working in an environment where priorities can change rapidly and where the Government may need materials revised, updated, or produced within short timeframes.

This is a contractor support position. The individual will not have authority to negotiate contracts, make Government acquisition decisions, obligate Government funds, or otherwise act as an agent of the Government.

Key Responsibilities and Day-to-Day Activities

• DEVELOP communication plans supporting the introduction, implementation, use, and ongoing administration of NIH-wide and multi-agency contract vehicles.
• CREATE clear, professional, and user-friendly acquisition communications for Government customers, vendors, program offices, and other stakeholders.
• DRAFT and maintain Standard Operating Procedures, ordering guides, reference guides, job aids, templates, instructions, and other procedural documentation.
• DEVELOP presentations, briefing decks, agendas, talking points, resource materials, handouts, and supporting documentation for vendor kick-off meetings.
• PREPARE customer-training presentations, training aids, instructional materials, reference documents, and supporting tools that enable users to understand how to properly access and use contract vehicles and associated ordering processes.
• DESIGN informative “how-to” presentations that simplify acquisition processes and make contract vehicles more understandable and user-friendly.
• CREATE road-show presentations and supporting materials used to communicate contract capabilities and answer stakeholder questions.
• DRAFT post-award fact sheets, FAQs, announcements, guidance documents, and reference materials explaining contract vehicle capabilities and procedures.
• DEVELOP and update website content, downloadable resources, templates, procedural materials, and other online information supporting acquisition users.
• COORDINATE content required for quarterly contractor/vendor meetings, including meeting topics, communications, agendas, presentations, schedules, and supporting materials.
• SUPPORT communications with contractors and vendors regarding meetings, training, operational guidance, and contract-vehicle administrative activities.
• COLLABORATE with Contracting Officers, CORs, acquisition specialists, program personnel, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders to gather, validate, and translate information into usable communications products.
• EDIT and proofread correspondence, presentations, reports, guidance, training materials, website content, and other Government-facing documents for clarity, grammar, accuracy, consistency, and professional presentation.
• FORMAT documents and electronic materials in accordance with applicable Government standards and Section 508 accessibility requirements.
• MAINTAIN document templates, communications resources, training materials, presentation libraries, FAQs, guides, and other reusable program content.
• TRACK requested changes, Government comments, document versions, approvals, and publication status to maintain effective configuration and version control.
• INCORPORATE Government feedback into revised documents and produce final materials within established delivery schedules.
• SUPPORT transition-in and transition-out activities by organizing communication resources, training materials, background documentation, templates, presentations, and knowledge-transfer materials.
• ASSIST with the preparation of transition training materials and knowledge-transfer sessions when transition activities are exercised.
• ENSURE information presented to Government and external audiences is consistent, accurate, current, accessible, and approved through the appropriate review process.
• PROTECT procurement-sensitive, proprietary, confidential, Privacy Act, and other non-public Government information encountered while performing assigned duties.

Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking an experienced Federal Procurement Analytics & Strategic Sourcing Specialist to provide data-driven procurement, strategic sourcing, category management, and acquisition performance support to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of Acquisition and Logistics Management (OALM).

This position is designed for a professional who understands both Federal acquisition operations and business/data analytics and can turn complex procurement information into actionable recommendations for Contracting Officers, Contracting Officer's Representatives, program offices, and acquisition leadership.

The ideal candidate is more than a reporting analyst. Ascension is seeking someone who can understand what procurement data means operationally, recognize patterns affecting acquisition performance, investigate the causes behind those patterns, and translate findings into practical sourcing, process, workload, and acquisition recommendations.

The successful candidate should be comfortable operating in a Federal acquisition environment where accuracy, transparency, sound judgment, confidentiality, and regulatory compliance are essential. The individual should be organized, analytical, intellectually curious, self-directed, and capable of managing multiple priorities with limited supervision.

This role directly supports NIH's objective of improving the efficiency, integrity, transparency, and compliance of procurement operations while helping the agency make better use of acquisition data to improve procurement cycle times, strategic sourcing decisions, category management, contract-vehicle performance, competition, and stewardship of taxpayer resources.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Federal Procurement Analytics & Strategic Sourcing Specialist will analyze procurement, sourcing, workload, contract-vehicle, and acquisition-performance information to identify trends, risks, opportunities, and areas for improvement.

The specialist will support NIH acquisition leadership and contracting personnel with analysis associated with Procurement Administrative Lead Time (PALT), acquisition workload, spend, sourcing strategies, market conditions, competition, small-business utilization, vendor performance, contract-vehicle usage, and acquisition process performance.

The position will assist in transforming raw acquisition information into dashboards, management reports, executive-level briefings, analytical findings, and recommendations that enable NIH stakeholders to make informed acquisition and sourcing decisions.

The role also supports strategic sourcing and category-management activities associated with NIH-wide and multi-agency contract vehicles. This can include analyzing utilization and performance, supporting market research, identifying sourcing opportunities, developing information for customer and vendor outreach, and contributing to continuous improvement of procurement processes.

The specialist will work closely with acquisition specialists, Contracting Officers, CORs, program personnel, contract-vehicle managers, project leadership, and other stakeholders.

This position does not have authority to negotiate contracts, make source-selection decisions on behalf of the Government, or obligate Government funds.

Expected Day-to-Day Activities

• ANALYZE procurement, acquisition, contract-vehicle, workload, spend, and sourcing data to identify trends, anomalies, risks, opportunities, and performance issues.
• MONITOR acquisition performance indicators, including PALT, procurement cycle times, workload, acquisition milestones, competition, and other management measures.
• DEVELOP dashboards, scorecards, recurring reports, management summaries, and executive-level visualizations that communicate acquisition performance clearly.
• PERFORM spend analysis to identify purchasing patterns, consolidation opportunities, strategic sourcing opportunities, and potential category-management actions.
• SUPPORT category-management and strategic-sourcing analyses for NIH-wide and multi-agency contract vehicles.
• CONDUCT quantitative and qualitative market research supporting acquisition strategies, sourcing decisions, socioeconomic considerations, and procurement planning.
• ASSESS contract-vehicle utilization, vendor participation, procurement volumes, ordering patterns, and performance information.
• IDENTIFY procurement bottlenecks, recurring delays, process inefficiencies, data-quality issues, and root causes affecting acquisition performance.
• RECOMMEND practical process improvements designed to reduce acquisition cycle time, improve visibility, strengthen controls, or increase utilization of appropriate sourcing mechanisms.
• PREPARE analytical findings, briefing materials, presentations, decision-support memoranda, charts, tables, and recommendations for Government stakeholders.
• SUPPORT acquisition planning by providing historical procurement data, market intelligence, spend information, sourcing analyses, and relevant performance metrics.
• ASSIST with cost and price analyses, procurement workload assessments, market analyses, and other quantitative acquisition activities as assigned.
• TRACK acquisition and contract-vehicle performance against established metrics, targets, milestones, and expected outcomes.
• VALIDATE procurement data for completeness, consistency, accuracy, and usability before incorporating information into official reports or management products.
• RECONCILE information across available acquisition systems and reporting sources when discrepancies are identified.
• CREATE repeatable analytical methodologies, templates, data dictionaries, reporting processes, and standard operating procedures where appropriate.
• SUPPORT development of performance evaluation methodologies and key performance indicators for procurement and contract-vehicle management.
• CONTRIBUTE data and analysis to NIH contract-vehicle marketing, road shows, fact sheets, vendor meetings, customer training, and communication activities.
• COLLABORATE with Contracting Officers, CORs, program offices, acquisition specialists, functional experts, vendors, and other stakeholders to understand analytical requirements and translate them into useful products.
• PRESENT findings and recommendations to program and acquisition stakeholders in concise, non-technical business language.
• MAINTAIN appropriate documentation supporting analyses, assumptions, methodologies, recommendations, and management reports.
• PROTECT procurement-sensitive, proprietary, confidential, Privacy Act, and personally identifiable information encountered during performance.

Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking Junior Federal Acquisition Specialists to support the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of Acquisition and Logistics Management (OALM), in delivering efficient, timely, compliant, and well-documented Federal acquisition services.

This position is designed for an early-career Federal acquisition professional who already possesses practical experience supporting Government procurement activities and is ready to assume greater responsibility across the acquisition lifecycle.

The Junior Federal Acquisition Specialist will work alongside Contracting Officers (COs), Contracting Officer's Representatives (CORs), program offices, senior acquisition specialists, and other acquisition stakeholders to develop procurement packages, conduct market research, maintain acquisition and contract files, track procurement milestones, and support pre-award, award, contract administration, and closeout activities.

The ideal candidate understands that successful Federal acquisition support depends upon more than processing documents. We are seeking someone who is organized, detail-oriented, responsive, analytical, dependable, and comfortable managing multiple acquisition actions and deadlines simultaneously.

The successful candidate should be capable of identifying incomplete documentation, recognizing potential schedule or compliance issues, escalating problems appropriately, and helping Government acquisition professionals maintain complete, accurate, and audit-ready procurement files.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Junior Federal Acquisition Specialist provides hands-on acquisition and procurement support under general supervision throughout the Federal acquisition lifecycle.

The position supports NIH's objective of strengthening procurement operations by improving acquisition documentation quality, reducing administrative delays, tracking Procurement Administrative Lead Time (PALT), maintaining effective internal controls, supporting competition and transparency, and ensuring acquisition activities are performed consistently with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), HHS Acquisition Regulation (HHSAR), and applicable NIH policies and procedures.

The specialist will support acquisitions involving services, supplies, equipment, systems, and Information Technology requirements.

Work may include assembling procurement request packages; conducting market research; preparing acquisition documentation; tracking funding, milestones, invoices, contract deliverables, awards, options, and modifications; maintaining procurement files; supporting solicitations and source selections; assisting with post-award administration; and preparing contract closeout documentation.

This is a contractor support position. The employee will not have authority to negotiate contracts, make source-selection decisions reserved for Government officials, obligate Government funds, or otherwise perform inherently governmental functions.

Expected Day-to-Day Activities

The Junior Federal Acquisition Specialist is expected to:

• ASSEMBLE procurement request packages and verify that required acquisition documentation is complete, properly organized, and ready for Government review.
• REVIEW acquisition requests, Statements of Work (SOWs), Performance Work Statements (PWSs), specifications, Independent Government Cost Estimates (IGCEs), acquisition plans, acquisition strategies, and supporting documents for completeness and consistency.
• CONDUCT routine market research and market surveys to identify potential acquisition sources, contract vehicles, socioeconomic considerations, commercial practices, and competitive procurement opportunities.
• DOCUMENT market research findings and assist program offices in preparing small-business capability analyses.
• RESEARCH potential vendors, including small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, 8(a) firms, HUBZone firms, and other socioeconomic program participants.
• SUPPORT preparation and review of Requests for Quotes (RFQs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), combined synopsis/solicitations, notices, amendments, and supporting acquisition documentation.
• PREPARE draft pre-award notices and other procurement information for Government posting through approved acquisition systems and platforms.
• ASSIST with acquisition planning, solicitation, evaluation, award, administration, modification, and contract closeout activities under the guidance of more senior acquisition personnel and Government Contracting Officers.
• SUPPORT source-selection activities by organizing evaluation materials, maintaining appropriate procurement documentation, and helping protect procurement-sensitive information.
• MAINTAIN contract and acquisition files so documentation is complete, accurate, current, properly indexed, and audit-ready.
• TRACK Procurement Administrative Lead Time (PALT), acquisition milestones, solicitation actions, evaluations, awards, modifications, funding, deliverables, invoices, option periods, and closeout requirements.
• ENTER and maintain procurement information within Government-approved acquisition, contract-writing, tracking, and document-management systems.
• PREPARE contract award and administrative documentation for purchase orders, task orders, delivery orders, and other contractual actions for Government review and approval.
• LOG contract awards and modifications and assist with distribution and filing of approved contractual documents.
• SUPPORT post-award administration, including invoice tracking, funding-status monitoring, deliverable tracking, contract file maintenance, correspondence, and post-award meeting support.
• ASSIST in identifying upcoming option periods, expiring funding, overdue deliverables, outstanding invoices, incomplete documentation, and other items requiring Government attention.
• SUPPORT contract closeout activities by assembling required documentation, reconciling file records, tracking outstanding actions, and preparing files for Government review.
• ASSIST with responses to data calls, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, Congressional inquiries, protests, and other acquisition-related inquiries as directed.
• COORDINATE with Contracting Officers, CORs, program offices, acquisition team members, vendors, and other stakeholders to obtain missing information and maintain acquisition schedules.
• COMMUNICATE procurement status, changing milestones, outstanding actions, documentation requirements, and potential schedule impacts to appropriate team members.
• IDENTIFY documentation deficiencies, administrative bottlenecks, scheduling risks, and procurement issues and elevate them to senior acquisition personnel or Government officials.
• PREPARE reports, correspondence, briefing materials, spreadsheets, trackers, status updates, and other acquisition-support products.
• PARTICIPATE in requirements meetings involving acquisition plans, SOWs/PWSs, IGCEs, solicitations, technical evaluations, price reports, award documentation, contract administration, and closeout activities.
• PROTECT procurement-sensitive, proprietary, Privacy Act, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), and other non-public Government information.
• MAINTAIN professionalism when interacting with Government personnel, contractors, vendors, program offices, and senior Government and non-Government officials.

Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking an experienced Federal Acquisition Specialist to provide hands-on acquisition lifecycle support to a major Federal health agency procurement organization.

The ideal candidate is a federal acquisition professional who understands how to move procurement actions efficiently from requirements development and acquisition planning through solicitation, evaluation, award, contract administration, modification, invoice processing, and closeout while maintaining strong compliance with Federal acquisition regulations and agency procedures.

This position is particularly suited for an acquisition professional who enjoys working directly with Contracting Officers, Contracting Officer's Representatives, program managers, technical stakeholders, vendors, and other acquisition professionals to solve procurement challenges and keep acquisition actions moving.

The successful candidate will be analytical, detail-oriented, responsive, highly organized, and comfortable managing multiple acquisitions simultaneously. The individual should be able to recognize incomplete or problematic procurement documentation, identify risks before they affect acquisition schedules, recommend practical solutions, and independently prepare high-quality acquisition work products.

Candidates should also be comfortable operating in a Federal environment where priorities, workloads, and acquisition milestones may change and where accuracy, responsiveness, confidentiality, professional judgment, and documentation quality are essential.

Position Summary

The Federal Acquisition Specialist will provide comprehensive pre-award, award, post-award, and contract closeout support across the Federal acquisition lifecycle.

The Specialist will support the Government in developing and reviewing procurement packages; performing market research; preparing acquisition strategies and solicitation documents; conducting cost and price analyses; supporting source selection activities; preparing award documentation; maintaining contract files; processing modifications and invoices; monitoring acquisition milestones; and supporting contract closeout.

The Specialist will work closely with Contracting Officers and program offices to promote acquisition actions that are timely, well-planned, competitive, properly documented, and compliant with applicable regulations.

Assignments may involve acquisitions for professional services, supplies, equipment, information technology, and other mission-support requirements.

This individual serves in an advisory and support capacity only and will not negotiate contracts, obligate Government funds, or perform inherently governmental functions.

What You Will Help the Customer Accomplish

The Federal Acquisition Specialist will help the customer:

• Improve acquisition cycle times and Procurement Administrative Lead Time.
• Develop complete and defensible procurement packages.
• Maintain consistent acquisition documentation and contract files.
• Conduct effective and well-documented market research.
• Improve acquisition strategy and competition.
• Strengthen cost and price analysis.
• Maintain compliant source-selection processes.
• Resolve procurement documentation and administrative backlogs.
• Improve contract administration and invoice processing.
• Maintain audit-ready procurement records.
• Track acquisition milestones, funding, modifications, options, and closeouts.
• Protect procurement-sensitive, proprietary, Privacy Act, and personally identifiable information.
• Provide surge acquisition capacity during periods of increased workload.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

The Federal Acquisition Specialist will:

• REVIEW procurement requests for services, supplies, equipment, systems, and information technology requirements for completeness, accuracy, and acquisition readiness.
• ANALYZE Statements of Work, Performance Work Statements, specifications, and other requirements documents and recommend appropriate revisions.
• DEVELOP and review acquisition plans, acquisition strategies, milestone schedules, procurement plans, and supporting acquisition documentation.
• CONDUCT market research and prepare written market research reports documenting available sources, acquisition alternatives, competition, and socioeconomic small-business considerations.
• SUPPORT small-business capability analyses, including consideration of 8(a), small disadvantaged business, HUBZone, WOSB, SDVOSB, and other applicable socioeconomic programs.
• PREPARE Requests for Proposals, Requests for Quotations, combined synopsis/solicitations, amendments, notices, and other pre-award documents.
• REVIEW solicitations to verify inclusion of appropriate FAR, HHSAR, agency, and acquisition-specific terms and conditions.
• PREPARE procurement notices and support electronic posting through approved Federal acquisition systems.
• PERFORM cost and price analyses of quotations, proposals, and other contractor submissions and develop supporting pricing documentation.
• SUPPORT technical evaluation teams and source-selection activities while helping maintain the integrity and documentation of the evaluation process.
• PREPARE evaluation documentation, technical evaluation materials, correspondence, award recommendations, and related acquisition records.
• SUPPORT Contracting Officers during exchanges, discussions, clarifications, and other pre-award acquisition activities without independently exercising Government contracting authority.
• PREPARE purchase orders, task orders, delivery orders, stand-alone contracts, award documentation, and supporting contract-file documentation.
• MAINTAIN accurate electronic acquisition and contract files in Government-approved systems.
• TRACK procurement actions, funding status, milestones, options, modifications, deliverables, and closeout activities.
• MONITOR Procurement Administrative Lead Time and other acquisition performance measures and identify actions that may be approaching or exceeding established milestones.
• SUPPORT post-award conferences, vendor meetings, contract administration, contractor-performance monitoring, and corrective-action documentation.
• PREPARE contract modifications involving funding, pricing, delivery schedules, period-of-performance changes, options, and other administrative actions for Contracting Officer review and execution.
• REVIEW contractor invoices and funding status and coordinate resolution of invoice discrepancies with appropriate Government stakeholders.
• SUPPORT contract closeout, including verification of required documentation and maintenance of closed-contract records.
• ASSIST with acquisition-related FOIA requests, protests, congressional inquiries, data calls, and other information requests when assigned.
• IDENTIFY acquisition risks, incomplete documentation, schedule concerns, compliance issues, and process bottlenecks and recommend practical corrective actions.
• COMMUNICATE acquisition status, risks, milestones, changes, and expected completion dates to Government customers.
• COLLABORATE with Contracting Officers, CORs, program managers, legal counsel, technical evaluators, financial personnel, vendors, and other acquisition stakeholders.
• PREPARE acquisition status information and supporting documentation for periodic program and contract reporting requirements.
• PROTECT procurement-sensitive, proprietary, confidential, Privacy Act, and personally identifiable information.
• PARTICIPATE in acquisition planning meetings, requirements meetings, evaluation meetings, post-award meetings, training sessions, and other Government-directed activities.

Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking an accomplished Senior Federal Acquisition Specialist to provide senior-level Federal acquisition advisory, analytical, and operational support to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of Acquisition and Logistics Management (OALM).

This position is intended for an experienced Federal acquisition professional who understands how to move complex procurement actions efficiently and compliantly through the complete acquisition lifecycle—from requirements definition and acquisition planning through solicitation, evaluation, award, contract administration, modification, closeout, and related acquisition support activities.

The Senior Federal Acquisition Specialist will work closely with Contracting Officers (COs), Contracting Officer's Representatives (CORs), program offices, technical evaluators, acquisition leadership, and other stakeholders to strengthen the quality, timeliness, consistency, and audit readiness of NIH acquisition activities.

Ascension is looking for professionals who combine deep knowledge of Federal acquisition regulations and contracting practices with excellent judgment, customer service, analytical ability, written communication, and organizational discipline. The ideal candidate is comfortable working on multiple complex procurement actions simultaneously, identifying problems before they affect acquisition milestones, and developing practical recommendations for Government decision-makers.

This position may also function as an acquisition subject matter expert and senior resource to less-experienced acquisition personnel.

Contractor personnel provide acquisition support and recommendations but do not have authority to obligate Government funds, execute contracts on behalf of the Government, or independently perform inherently governmental contracting functions.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Senior Federal Acquisition Specialist supports NIH in executing timely, well-planned, transparent, competitive, and compliant acquisitions that enable biomedical research, public health initiatives, information technology programs, professional services, equipment procurements, and other mission-critical requirements.

The position provides senior support across the acquisition lifecycle with particular emphasis on complex procurement planning and execution. Responsibilities may include reviewing and developing acquisition strategies; analyzing Statements of Work (SOWs) and Performance Work Statements (PWSs); performing market research and small-business analyses; reviewing Independent Government Cost Estimates (IGCEs); preparing solicitations; supporting source selections; conducting cost and price analyses; preparing award documentation; supporting post-award administration; processing modifications; monitoring contract performance; supporting invoice and funding reviews; responding to acquisition inquiries; and assisting with contract closeout.

The successful candidate must be a detail-oriented, organized, analytical, and self-directed Federal acquisition professional who can operate effectively in a high-volume environment with limited day-to-day supervision. The individual should be able to distinguish urgent issues from routine activities, manage competing acquisition milestones, communicate changes promptly, anticipate regulatory or documentation concerns, and present sound recommendations to senior Government personnel.

The Senior Federal Acquisition Specialist is expected to help NIH reduce procurement delays, strengthen acquisition documentation, maintain effective internal controls, improve Procurement Administrative Lead Time (PALT), preserve procurement integrity, and maintain acquisition files capable of withstanding management, legal, or audit review.

Day-to-Day and Anticipated Responsibilities

• ADVISE COs, CORs, program offices, and other stakeholders regarding Federal acquisition strategies, contracting approaches, competition, acquisition risks, socioeconomic considerations, milestones, and procurement alternatives.
• REVIEW complex and non-complex procurement requests involving services, supplies, equipment, systems, and information technology requirements.
• ANALYZE Statements of Work, Performance Work Statements, specifications, acquisition strategies, acquisition plans, FITARA documentation, justifications, cost estimates, and supporting procurement documentation for completeness and regulatory compliance.
• RECOMMEND appropriate acquisition strategies, contract types, procurement methods, competition approaches, schedules, sources, and risk-mitigation actions.
• CONDUCT market research and market surveys and prepare supporting documentation, including small-business capability and socioeconomic program analyses.
• PREPARE and review Requests for Quotes, Requests for Proposals, combined synopsis/solicitations, acquisition plans, procurement memoranda, evaluation documentation, pricing analyses, award documentation, correspondence, and other acquisition artifacts.
• VALIDATE solicitation packages for required clauses, provisions, approvals, funding documentation, legal concurrence, clearances, and supporting records prior to release.
• PERFORM cost and price analyses and prepare clear, defensible pricing reports and supporting documentation.
• SUPPORT technical evaluation teams and source-selection activities by coordinating evaluation processes, maintaining required documentation, identifying inconsistencies, and helping ensure evaluations follow approved source-selection procedures.
• ASSIST Contracting Officers during exchanges, discussions, negotiations, debriefings, protests, and other pre-award activities while preserving the Government's responsibility for inherently governmental decisions.
• PREPARE contract award packages, task orders, delivery orders, purchase orders, modifications, and supporting contract-file documentation.
• ENTER and maintain acquisition information in approved Government acquisition and contract-writing systems and support required Federal procurement reporting.
• MONITOR acquisition schedules, procurement milestones, funding status, option exercise dates, deliverables, invoice activity, PALT metrics, and other performance indicators.
• SUPPORT post-award contract administration, including modifications, performance monitoring, invoice issues, funding actions, correspondence, contract-file maintenance, post-award meetings, and contract closeout.
• IDENTIFY acquisition problems, documentation deficiencies, schedule risks, compliance concerns, and potential bottlenecks before they negatively affect procurement outcomes.
• DEVELOP corrective-action recommendations and practical solutions that improve acquisition efficiency while maintaining FAR, HHSAR, NIH policy, procurement-integrity, and internal-control requirements.
• RESPOND to acquisition-related information requests, including support for protests, congressional inquiries, Freedom of Information Act requests, data calls, and other authorized acquisition inquiries.
• MAINTAIN complete, accurate, organized, and audit-ready acquisition and contract files.
• COMMUNICATE acquisition status, schedule changes, risks, issues, dependencies, and required Government actions clearly and promptly to appropriate stakeholders.
• COLLABORATE with Government acquisition personnel, program managers, technical personnel, legal counsel, financial personnel, vendors, and other cross-functional stakeholders.
• MENTOR or provide senior technical guidance to mid-level and junior acquisition personnel when requested.
• PROTECT procurement-sensitive, proprietary, personally identifiable, and other non-public Government information in accordance with applicable regulations and NIH requirements.

Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking an experienced Federal Acquisition Project Manager to lead the day-to-day management and coordination of a multidisciplinary acquisition support team supporting the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of Acquisition and Logistics Management (OALM).

The Federal Acquisition Project Manager will provide the operational leadership necessary to ensure acquisition support activities are properly staffed, scheduled, tracked, coordinated, documented, and delivered in accordance with contract requirements and Government priorities.

This role is designed for an organized, responsive, and highly accountable project management professional who understands the Federal acquisition environment and can successfully manage people, workload, deadlines, risks, deliverables, and Government stakeholder expectations simultaneously.

The ideal candidate understands that successful Federal acquisition support requires more than maintaining a schedule. The Project Manager must anticipate staffing and workload issues, establish effective management controls, maintain visibility into ongoing acquisition activities, identify risks before they affect performance, coordinate corrective actions, and provide clear and timely information to Government leadership.

The position is particularly well suited for a professional with experience managing Federal acquisition, procurement, contract administration, acquisition operations, or professional services contracts.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Federal Acquisition Project Manager will serve as Ascension's primary day-to-day management lead for the acquisition support workforce.

The individual will coordinate personnel assignments, monitor workloads and schedules, oversee onboarding and personnel continuity, track contract performance, manage risks and action items, coordinate meetings, and prepare recurring reports and management information for Ascension and Government stakeholders.

The Project Manager will support a Federal acquisition environment involving pre-award and post-award activities, acquisition planning, market research, solicitation development, source selection support, contract administration, strategic sourcing, category management, acquisition data analysis, stakeholder outreach, training, and transition activities.

The Project Manager is expected to create an operating environment in which acquisition specialists can concentrate on completing high-quality acquisition work while management maintains visibility into workload, staffing, schedules, risks, deliverables, and customer priorities.

The successful candidate should be:

• Detail-oriented, highly organized, and comfortable managing multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Self-directed and capable of working effectively with limited supervision.
• Skilled at anticipating problems, developing practical solutions, and escalating issues before they affect contractual performance.
• Comfortable communicating with Contracting Officers, Contracting Officer's Representatives, acquisition professionals, program offices, executives, vendors, and contractor personnel.
• Experienced in managing professional services teams in deadline-driven Federal environments.
• Able to translate contract requirements into practical schedules, assignments, trackers, workflows, controls, and management reports.
• Professional and discreet when handling procurement-sensitive, proprietary, confidential, or personally identifiable information.

Contractor personnel provide acquisition support and advisory services only and will not negotiate contracts, make inherently governmental decisions, or obligate Government funds.

Position Day-to-Day Activities

• MANAGE daily contract operations and coordinate the execution of assigned acquisition support activities across the project.
• ASSIGN work to appropriate personnel based on qualifications, workload, acquisition complexity, deadlines, and Government priorities.
• MONITOR team capacity, workload distribution, schedules, milestones, and acquisition-related deadlines to identify potential performance issues.
• COORDINATE personnel onboarding, badging, suitability processing, Government-directed training, system access, and readiness to perform.
• MAINTAIN integrated project schedules, staffing plans, workload trackers, deliverable calendars, risk registers, issue logs, decision logs, and action-item trackers.
• TRACK progress against contract requirements, milestones, deliverables, Government priorities, and established acquisition lead times.
• IDENTIFY staffing, schedule, quality, dependency, customer, or performance risks and develop appropriate mitigation and corrective-action plans.
• ESCALATE significant risks, delays, resource constraints, or performance issues to Ascension leadership and the appropriate Government point of contact.
• PREPARE accurate biweekly status reports describing completed activities, work in progress, challenges encountered, estimated completion dates, and required management actions.
• COORDINATE information needed to support monthly invoicing, certified timesheets, activity descriptions, accomplishments, issues, and resolutions.
• LEAD internal project management meetings and coordinate required meetings with the Contracting Officer, COR, Government supervisors, acquisition personnel, and other stakeholders.
• FACILITATE kick-off, requirements, quarterly review, transition, staffing, workload, and performance-management meetings as required.
• DOCUMENT meeting decisions, action items, responsibilities, due dates, risks, and follow-up requirements.
• OVERSEE timely completion and quality control of contractor deliverables before submission to Government stakeholders.
• COORDINATE acquisition specialists supporting planning, solicitation, evaluation, award, administration, modifications, invoices, closeout, and related acquisition activities.
• SUPPORT acquisition management activities associated with NIH-wide and multi-agency contract vehicles.
• COORDINATE outreach, communications, training, vendor meetings, customer-support activities, and acquisition-related presentations when required.
• OVERSEE personnel performance, work quality, attendance, customer responsiveness, and compliance with established operating procedures.
• MANAGE personnel continuity and coordinate qualified replacement personnel when staffing changes occur.
• SUPPORT transition-in and transition-out planning, knowledge transfer, documentation inventories, staffing readiness, and turnover activities.
• ENSURE reports, presentations, management documentation, and other applicable deliverables satisfy Section 508 accessibility requirements.
• SAFEGUARD procurement-sensitive, proprietary, Privacy Act, confidential, and personally identifiable information.
• MAINTAIN clear, professional, and timely communication with Ascension leadership and Government stakeholders.
• RECOMMEND process, workflow, tracking, reporting, or technology improvements that increase visibility, efficiency, consistency, and acquisition program performance.

Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking an accomplished Senior Federal Acquisition Program Manager to provide executive-level contract and program oversight for a federal acquisition support engagement.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned federal program management professional who understands how acquisition support organizations operate and can provide senior guidance to a multidisciplinary acquisition team while maintaining productive relationships with Contracting Officers (COs), Contracting Officer's Representatives (CORs), program officials, contractor personnel, and other stakeholders.

This is not a full-time operational Project Manager position. The anticipated level of effort is approximately 36 hours per contract year, and the individual will be engaged at strategically important points throughout performance, including contract startup, executive reviews, quarterly meetings, risk or staffing issues, deliverable reviews, and transition activities.

The successful candidate must be comfortable operating with limited supervision and providing concise, executive-level advice. The individual should be skilled at quickly assessing program performance, identifying risks before they affect delivery, recommending practical corrective actions, and ensuring that contractual commitments are being fulfilled.

Because this position supports federal acquisition activities, the candidate should understand the importance of acquisition integrity, confidentiality, organizational and personal conflicts of interest, procurement-sensitive information, and the distinction between contractor advisory support and inherently Government responsibilities.

Position Summary

The Senior Federal Acquisition Program Manager provides senior-level oversight of Ascension's performance supporting federal acquisition and contract-management activities.

The position advises Ascension leadership and the Government CO/COR on matters involving contract performance, staffing, quality, schedule, risk, reporting, transition, and overall execution. The Program Manager reviews the performance of the contractor team and helps ensure that acquisition-support activities and contract deliverables are performed accurately, timely, professionally, and in accordance with applicable requirements.

The Program Manager supports an environment involving the full federal acquisition lifecycle, including acquisition planning, market research, solicitation development, source-selection support, award documentation, contract administration, acquisition reporting, strategic sourcing, category management, contract-vehicle support, vendor engagement, customer outreach, training, and transition.

The position may also provide senior oversight of communication plans, performance measures, templates, acquisition-file management, data calls, customer relations, vendor interactions, and support for NIH-wide or multi-agency contract vehicles.

The Program Manager serves strictly in an advisory and contractor-management capacity and will not negotiate contracts, obligate Government funds, or perform inherently Governmental functions.

Expected Activities and Responsibilities

The Senior Federal Acquisition Program Manager will:

• PROVIDE executive-level oversight of contract performance, staffing, schedule, quality, risks, deliverables, and overall contractor performance.
• SERVE as a senior contractor-management interface with the Government CO, COR, Contract Supervisor, and other designated Government stakeholders.
• ADVISE the CO/COR and Ascension leadership regarding emerging performance issues, staffing concerns, delivery risks, quality concerns, and potential corrective actions.
• REVIEW acquisition-support program performance to determine whether assigned activities are progressing in accordance with established requirements, schedules, and service expectations.
• MONITOR contract-level risks, issues, action items, staffing concerns, deliverable status, and performance commitments.
• ASSESS trends affecting acquisition performance and recommend proactive risk-mitigation or process-improvement actions.
• OVERSEE contractor staffing and continuity planning, including the timely identification of potential vacancies, performance issues, or replacement requirements.
• VERIFY that required personnel remain appropriately qualified, trained, cleared, badged, and prepared to perform assigned responsibilities.
• PARTICIPATE in quarterly update meetings with the COR, Contract Supervisor, and other Government stakeholders.
• PREPARE FOR and SUPPORT executive-level reviews concerning contract performance, accomplishments, challenges, upcoming priorities, risks, decisions, and corrective actions.
• REVIEW bi-weekly and monthly program reporting, as appropriate, to ensure status, risks, accomplishments, difficulties, and planned activities are accurately communicated.
• ENSURE significant issues identified during quarterly meetings are incorporated into appropriate status reporting and tracked through resolution.
• OVERSEE the timely preparation and submission of contract-level reports, presentations, meeting materials, and other required management deliverables.
• SUPPORT acquisition file management, program performance reporting, data-call investigation, and response development when senior management involvement is required.
• PROVIDE senior guidance regarding customer relations, vendor engagement, acquisition outreach, training activities, and communications supporting Government contract vehicles.
• REVIEW communication plans, customer-facing materials, presentations, templates, SOPs, fact sheets, training resources, and similar products when executive oversight is appropriate.
• SUPPORT Government and contractor stakeholders in resolving significant operational, performance, or coordination issues.
• COORDINATE with acquisition specialists, functional specialists, the Assistant Project Manager, and other contractor personnel to ensure consistent execution across workstreams.
• OVERSEE implementation of approved corrective-action and risk-mitigation strategies.
• SUPPORT contract kickoff activities and provide senior oversight of personnel onboarding and initial contract execution.
• REVIEW transition-in and transition-out strategies and plans to promote continuity of operations and orderly transfer of responsibilities, documents, knowledge, and Government-related materials.
• PARTICIPATE in transition meetings or training sessions when senior management involvement is required.
• ENSURE contractor operations protect procurement-sensitive, proprietary, confidential, Privacy Act, and other non-public Government information.
• IDENTIFY actual or potential organizational or personal conflicts of interest and ensure they are immediately escalated through appropriate channels.
• MAINTAIN professional and effective relationships with senior Government, contractor, vendor, and stakeholder personnel.

Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking an experienced Performance Analytics and Reporting Lead to support the Federal Bureau of Prisons' administration of First Step Act Time Credits. This individual will serve as the program's senior performance analytics resource, transforming operational information from multiple workstreams into accurate, actionable, and executive-ready performance intelligence.

The successful candidate will develop and maintain the performance measurement framework used to assess program operations, inquiry resolution, training effectiveness, audit results, risks, corrective actions, and other indicators affecting successful First Step Act Time Credit administration.

This is not simply a report-production position. Ascension is seeking an analytical professional who understands how to determine what should be measured, why it matters, what the data is indicating, and what leadership should do about it. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working across program management, operational, training, quality assurance, inquiry management, technical, and executive stakeholder groups to produce a reliable enterprise view of program performance.

The role is particularly well suited for an experienced data, business intelligence, or performance management professional who can combine strong quantitative analysis with business judgment, executive communication skills, and the ability to translate complex operational information into clear findings and recommendations.

Contractor Role Summary

The Performance Analytics and Reporting Lead will establish, maintain, and continuously improve the reporting and analytics capability supporting the First Step Act Time Credit Administration program.

The position will integrate information generated by program management, training, inquiry management, audit and quality assurance, system support, risk management, and corrective-action activities to develop recurring performance reports, dashboards, executive briefings, trend analyses, and annual program assessments.

The individual will be expected to identify meaningful Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), establish repeatable data collection and validation processes, evaluate performance against established standards, identify emerging trends and systemic issues, and convert analytical findings into decision-support information for Ascension and FBOP leadership.

The ideal candidate will be highly analytical, organized, inquisitive, and detail-oriented while maintaining an understanding of the larger mission. The individual must be capable of working independently in an environment where information originates from numerous stakeholders and may require validation, reconciliation, or interpretation before it can be incorporated into program reporting.

The candidate should be self-driven, able to work with minimal supervision, comfortable operating in an evolving federal program environment, and skilled at anticipating information needs before they become urgent reporting requirements.

Success in this position requires more than technical proficiency. The Performance Analytics and Reporting Lead must be able to identify what the data means operationally, distinguish isolated events from systemic problems, communicate findings objectively, and provide leadership with information that supports timely decisions and corrective actions.

Primary Responsibilities and Day-to-Day Activities

• DEVELOP and maintain program-wide KPIs, performance measures, definitions, calculation methodologies, reporting criteria, and supporting documentation.
• BUILD and maintain monthly performance dashboards covering operational performance, inquiry activity, training, audit findings, system performance, risks, corrective actions, and other measures directed by FBOP.
• INTEGRATE information from multiple program workstreams into consolidated performance datasets, dashboards, reports, and executive decision-support products.
• COLLECT performance information from program managers, analysts, trainers, inquiry-resolution personnel, quality assurance staff, technical personnel, and other stakeholders.
• VALIDATE reported information for accuracy, completeness, consistency, traceability, and readiness for leadership reporting.
• ANALYZE performance trends, recurring deficiencies, workload patterns, response times, training results, audit findings, operational risks, and corrective-action performance.
• IDENTIFY emerging issues, anomalies, performance deterioration, systemic trends, and areas requiring additional management attention or investigation.
• DEVELOP the analytical portions of the Monthly Program Status Report, including performance metrics, inquiry statistics, training measures, risks, issues, audit findings, and corrective-action status.
• PREPARE the Monthly Performance Metric Dashboard and supporting narratives, findings, visualizations, and management insights.
• SUPPORT quarterly executive briefings by identifying significant trends, systemic issues, operational risks, recurring deficiencies, and decisions requiring leadership attention.
• CONTRIBUTE analytical content to the Annual Program Assessment Report evaluating overall program performance, compliance, training, inquiry management, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• MONITOR corrective-action measures and evaluate progress against established milestones, expected outcomes, and closure criteria.
• ANALYZE training completion rates, participant assessment results, satisfaction measures, remediation requirements, and other indicators of training effectiveness.
• EVALUATE inquiry-management metrics including volume, backlog, response time, complexity, resolution performance, trends, and systemic issues.
• PERFORM ad hoc analysis in response to emerging leadership, operational, policy, audit, litigation-related, or program management information requirements.
• DESIGN executive-level charts, visualizations, scorecards, trend analyses, and briefing products that clearly communicate complex findings.
• TRANSLATE quantitative findings into concise written narratives explaining performance, causes, operational significance, risks, and recommended actions.
• FACILITATE discussions with program stakeholders to clarify reporting requirements, establish data definitions, resolve conflicting information, and improve reporting processes.
• MAINTAIN metric definitions, data dictionaries, reporting methodologies, analytical assumptions, source documentation, version controls, and supporting records.
• RECOMMEND improvements to data collection, reporting workflows, performance measures, dashboards, and analytical processes.
• AUTOMATE, where appropriate and authorized, repetitive data preparation, consolidation, validation, visualization, and reporting processes.
• SUPPORT continuous process improvement by using performance data to identify bottlenecks, root causes, recurring deficiencies, and opportunities to improve program effectiveness.
• PROTECT sensitive program information and comply with applicable DOJ/FBOP security, privacy, records management, acceptable-use, and information-handling requirements.

Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking an experienced Software Systems and Technical Support Lead to provide technical leadership for software, systems, and calculation-tool support associated with the Federal Bureau of Prisons' administration of First Step Act Time Credits.

This position is intended for a professional who can operate effectively at the intersection of software engineering, systems analysis, business requirements, technical operations, testing, configuration management, information security, and federal mission operations. The successful candidate will help ensure that software and calculation capabilities supporting First Step Act Time Credit administration are reliable, accurately reflect approved business rules, and remain aligned with operational, security, privacy, records-management, and technical requirements.

Because First Step Act Time Credit calculations can affect prerelease custody, supervised-release eligibility, institutional operations, litigation exposure, congressional interest, and public confidence, this position requires more than software development experience alone. Ascension is seeking someone who understands how to translate complex business and policy requirements into dependable technical solutions while maintaining disciplined control over requirements, testing, defects, releases, documentation, and system changes.

The ideal candidate is technically strong, analytical, organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable working directly with both technical and nontechnical stakeholders. The individual should be self-driven, able to work with limited supervision, capable of anticipating technical and operational problems, and disciplined in bringing issues through analysis, resolution, testing, documentation, and release.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Software Systems and Technical Support Lead will support BOP software engineering and technical activities associated with First Step Act Time Credit administration, including enhancement of calculation tools, analysis and documentation of business and system requirements, configuration and change management, software testing, defect resolution, technical documentation, and release coordination.

The Lead will serve as an important liaison between BOP operational subject matter experts and information technology stakeholders. The position will help translate approved First Step Act policies, business rules, formulas, exceptions, decision points, and operational requirements into clearly defined technical requirements and system behavior.

The position will also support the technical aspects of security, privacy, records management, Authorization and Assessment/Authorization to Operate activities, control implementation, testing, and continuous-monitoring documentation as applicable to systems within the scope of the effort.

This role is expected to bring structure and traceability to the technical lifecycle—from identification of a requirement through design or configuration, testing, defect resolution, approval, release, documentation, and post-release monitoring.

Day-to-Day / Anticipated Responsibilities

• LEAD software and systems support activities associated with First Step Act Time Credit administration and calculation-tool enhancement.
• ANALYZE business, operational, policy, and technical requirements and translate them into clear system requirements, specifications, user stories, acceptance criteria, and implementation tasks.
• COLLABORATE with BOP operational subject matter experts, Information Technology Services, program officials, security personnel, privacy officials, records officials, and other stakeholders to understand requirements and resolve technical issues.
• DOCUMENT FSA Time Credit calculation logic, formulas, business rules, decision points, exceptions, dependencies, and system-processing requirements.
• MAINTAIN traceability between approved business rules, technical requirements, system changes, testing results, defects, and releases.
• ASSESS existing calculation tools and software capabilities and identify opportunities for correction, enhancement, automation, usability improvement, or technical risk reduction.
• DESIGN or support the design of system enhancements and configuration changes that satisfy approved functional and technical requirements.
• COORDINATE software development, configuration, integration, testing, deployment, and release activities with Government and contractor technical personnel.
• ESTABLISH and maintain disciplined configuration- and change-management practices for software, technical documentation, requirements, and approved system baselines.
• MANAGE technical change requests from initial identification through impact analysis, prioritization, approval, implementation, testing, release, and closure.
• DEVELOP test strategies, test scenarios, test cases, expected results, acceptance criteria, regression tests, and supporting test documentation.
• EXECUTE or coordinate functional, integration, regression, user-acceptance, and other required testing of system enhancements and corrective actions.
• IDENTIFY software defects, configuration issues, data-processing discrepancies, and unintended system behavior.
• ANALYZE defect root causes and coordinate corrective actions through development, retesting, validation, and closure.
• PRIORITIZE defects and technical issues based on operational impact, calculation accuracy, security considerations, user impact, and program risk.
• COORDINATE planned software releases and ensure approved changes are adequately documented, tested, reviewed, and communicated before deployment.
• PREPARE release notes, implementation documentation, technical specifications, configuration records, testing evidence, and other lifecycle documentation.
• SUPPORT Agile or iterative development planning by identifying technical tasks, dependencies, milestones, resources, review points, and release activities.
• PARTICIPATE in sprint planning, backlog refinement, technical reviews, release planning, demonstrations, retrospectives, and related iterative-development activities as applicable.
• SUPPORT security, privacy, accessibility, and records-management requirements affecting software and technical deliverables.
• PREPARE or contribute to A&A/ATO documentation, security-control implementation evidence, testing documentation, privacy and records documentation, and continuous-monitoring artifacts when required.
• MONITOR technical risks, software issues, system performance concerns, dependencies, and corrective actions and escalate material risks promptly.
• INVESTIGATE recurring technical or user-reported problems and determine whether the underlying cause requires a software change, business-rule clarification, training update, process correction, or other corrective action.
• SUPPORT technical responses to issues identified through audits, validation activities, inquiry resolution, or operational reviews.
• MAINTAIN accurate, current, and audit-ready technical documentation throughout the system lifecycle.
• COMMUNICATE complex technical information in clear language suitable for developers, operational personnel, program managers, security personnel, and senior stakeholders.
• CONTRIBUTE technical status, risks, accomplishments, defects, releases, corrective actions, and planned activities to program reporting and governance meetings.
• ENSURE technical work products are complete, accurate, timely, professionally prepared, technically sound, and compliant with approved architecture, security, privacy, accessibility, records, and operational requirements.

Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking an experienced Independent Validation, Audit & Quality Assurance Lead to provide objective quality assurance, compliance validation, audit, and corrective-action support for the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ administration of First Step Act (FSA) Time Credits.

This position is designed for a professional who understands that quality assurance in a mission-critical federal program extends beyond reviewing documents for completeness. The successful candidate will establish and execute a disciplined, evidence-based validation and audit capability that helps the Bureau determine whether FSA Time Credit calculations, business rules, operational processes, documentation, and corrective actions are accurate, consistent, repeatable, and compliant.

The ideal candidate combines quality management, audit and compliance expertise, analytical judgment, data validation, root-cause analysis, and federal program operations experience. The individual must be capable of independently evaluating complex processes, identifying systemic weaknesses, determining why deficiencies occur, documenting defensible findings, and verifying that corrective actions actually resolve identified problems.

This position is particularly well suited for a detail-oriented professional who is comfortable challenging assumptions, following evidence to its source, working across multiple stakeholder groups, and communicating sensitive findings clearly and objectively to program leadership.

Position Summary

The Independent Validation, Audit & Quality Assurance Lead supports the Bureau's need for independent oversight of FSA Time Credit administration. The position establishes audit methodologies, sampling approaches, validation procedures, quality controls, audit evidence standards, and corrective-action verification processes.

The Lead conducts recurring reviews that may include monthly random-sample audits, targeted institution reviews, regional trend analyses, calculation verification, documentation testing, root-cause analysis, and validation of corrective actions.

The position also assesses whether identified deficiencies represent isolated errors or broader systemic issues requiring policy clarification, training intervention, business-process improvement, system modification, or management action.

Because FSA Time Credit determinations can affect prerelease custody, supervised release eligibility, litigation exposure, congressional interest, and public confidence, this role requires exceptional accuracy, professional independence, sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to produce findings that can withstand management and stakeholder scrutiny.

The Lead works collaboratively with BOP program offices, operational subject matter experts, information technology stakeholders, records and privacy officials, program leadership, and other contractor personnel while maintaining the independence necessary to perform objective quality assurance and validation.

Day-to-Day and Recurring Responsibilities

• ESTABLISH and maintain the independent validation, audit, sampling, testing, and quality assurance framework for FSA Time Credit administration.
• DEVELOP standardized audit procedures, validation checklists, sampling plans, testing protocols, evidence requirements, documentation standards, and quality-control criteria.
• CONDUCT monthly random-sample reviews of FSA Time Credit calculations, records, processes, determinations, and supporting documentation.
• PERFORM targeted reviews of institutions, operational components, transactions, cases, or processes when performance trends or identified risks warrant additional examination.
• ANALYZE regional and institution-level trends to identify recurring errors, inconsistencies, anomalies, control weaknesses, and potential systemic deficiencies.
• VALIDATE calculation results, applicable business rules, decision points, exceptions, supporting documentation, and other factors affecting FSA Time Credit administration.
• TRACE findings to supporting source documentation and maintain sufficient audit evidence to demonstrate how conclusions were reached.
• IDENTIFY deviations from approved statutes, regulations, policies, procedures, business rules, quality standards, documentation requirements, or established controls.
• DISTINGUISH isolated processing errors from systemic, recurring, policy-driven, training-related, procedural, or technology-related problems.
• PERFORM root-cause analyses for significant deficiencies and determine contributing factors affecting program performance.
• DOCUMENT clear, objective, evidence-supported audit findings and provide actionable corrective-action recommendations.
• DEVELOP or support corrective-action plans identifying root cause, corrective measures, milestones, responsible parties, validation methodology, completion dates, and unresolved risks.
• TRACK corrective actions through completion and maintain accurate corrective-action status records.
• VERIFY that corrective actions have effectively resolved identified deficiencies rather than merely closing administrative action items.
• ESCALATE significant, recurring, or systemic risks requiring management attention, policy clarification, additional training, process changes, or technical remediation.
• MAINTAIN audit workpapers, supporting evidence, validation checklists, quality assurance records, findings registers, corrective-action documentation, and decision histories.
• DEVELOP quality and audit performance measures that allow management to monitor error rates, recurring deficiencies, corrective-action progress, validation results, and emerging risks.
• CONTRIBUTE audit findings, performance metrics, corrective-action status, trends, and recommendations to monthly program reports and executive-level assessments.
• SUPPORT the Monthly Program Status Report, Annual Program Assessment Report, Corrective Action Tracking Report, and Strategic Recommendations for Program Improvement.
• BRIEF program leadership and designated stakeholders on significant findings, emerging risks, recurring deficiencies, and recommended corrective actions.
• COORDINATE with policy, sentence computation, training, inquiry resolution, program management, software, and operational personnel when findings require cross-functional resolution.
• RECOMMEND modifications to training, procedures, documentation, system functionality, controls, or business processes when audit evidence identifies opportunities for improvement.
• PROTECT sensitive Government information and maintain all audit evidence and records in accordance with applicable security, privacy, records management, and contractual requirements.

Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking a highly organized, responsive, and analytically minded First Step Act Inquiry and Program Support Analyst to support the Federal Bureau of Prisons' administration of First Step Act (FSA) Time Credits.

This position serves at the intersection of customer support, case research, program operations, knowledge management, records management, and project coordination. The Analyst will help BOP receive, research, track, document, coordinate, and resolve inquiries concerning FSA Time Credits while also supporting the program management documentation needed to maintain visibility, accountability, and timely decision-making.

This is an important operational role because FSA Time Credit issues can affect inmate release determinations, prerelease placement, supervised release eligibility, congressional and legal inquiries, litigation exposure, and public confidence. BOP therefore requires a centralized inquiry capability capable of maintaining accurate case records, meeting established response timelines, and identifying recurring issues that may require policy clarification, training changes, system improvements, or corrective action.

The successful candidate should be a detail-oriented researcher and organized planner who can manage multiple requests simultaneously, distinguish routine matters from issues requiring escalation, document research and decisions clearly, and operate effectively in an environment involving sensitive information and multiple organizational stakeholders.

Ascension is particularly interested in candidates who are self-driven, comfortable working with limited supervision, skilled at following established policies and procedures, and capable of identifying problems before they affect deadlines or customer service.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The First Step Act Inquiry and Program Support Analyst will provide day-to-day operational support to BOP's National Inquiry Resolution Center and associated program management activities.

The Analyst will receive and track inquiries; research relevant information; coordinate with appropriate BOP personnel and subject matter experts; maintain complete case records; prepare responses; monitor aging and response deadlines; and escalate complex or time-sensitive matters according to established procedures.

BOP's draft SOW establishes service-level goals ranging from same-day acknowledgement for congressional or executive-level inquiries to one- to three-business-day acknowledgement for other inquiry types, with target resolution periods generally ranging from five to ten business days. The inquiry operation must also be prepared to manage fluctuating workloads that may exceed 100 inquiries per week.

The position also provides broader program-office support. During periods of lower inquiry volume, the Analyst will maintain project documentation such as meeting minutes, action-item trackers, decision logs, risk and issue logs, schedules, training rosters, reporting files, and other administrative or governance records.

The Analyst will contribute directly to BOP deliverables including:

• D-04 – Project Schedule
• D-06 – Monthly Program Status Report
• D-10 – Corrective Action Tracking Report
• D-11 – Risk Management Report
• D-14 – Inquiry Management Report
• D-16 – Governance Meeting Summaries

The role therefore requires more than traditional customer service. The successful candidate must be able to research, analyze, document, coordinate, track, and communicate while maintaining accuracy, confidentiality, and traceability.

Day-to-Day and Recurring Responsibilities

• RECEIVE and review First Step Act Time Credit inquiries assigned to the inquiry resolution function.
• TRIAGE incoming inquiries by subject, urgency, complexity, stakeholder type, required expertise, and applicable response deadline.
• CATEGORIZE cases within the Government-designated case management or inquiry tracking system.
• RESEARCH routine and moderate-complexity inquiries using approved BOP policies, procedures, business rules, knowledge resources, case information, and other authorized sources.
• COORDINATE with BOP personnel and designated subject matter experts when information or interpretation is required to complete an inquiry.
• DRAFT clear, accurate, professional responses using approved templates and established response protocols.
• DOCUMENT the research performed, coordination conducted, determinations received, response provided, and supporting information associated with each case.
• MAINTAIN complete and traceable case records consistent with BOP records management, security, and privacy requirements.
• MONITOR acknowledgement, research, escalation, and resolution deadlines to support compliance with established inquiry service-level goals.
• ESCALATE complex, sensitive, urgent, congressional, executive, legal, policy-related, or unresolved inquiries through established escalation procedures.
• IDENTIFY recurring inquiry themes, trends, potential systemic issues, and areas requiring policy clarification, training updates, system changes, or corrective action.
• UPDATE Frequently Asked Questions, response templates, knowledge articles, reference materials, and other knowledge-management resources based on approved changes and recurring inquiries.
• VALIDATE inquiry records for completeness, accuracy, consistency, and appropriate documentation before closure.
• COMPILE inquiry statistics including volume, response times, complexity, aging, backlog, trends, escalations, and recurring issues for the monthly Inquiry Management Report.
• SUPPORT preparation of monthly program status reporting by maintaining accurate underlying inquiry, action, issue, and performance data.
• TRACK risks, issues, corrective actions, milestones, owners, due dates, and resolution status.
• MAINTAIN action-item trackers, decision logs, risk and issue logs, program schedules, training rosters, deliverable trackers, and related program-office documentation.
• PREPARE agendas, meeting materials, briefing information, meeting minutes, governance summaries, and follow-up documentation.
• FOLLOW UP with action owners and stakeholders to obtain required information and close outstanding actions by established deadlines.
• SUPPORT maintenance of the integrated project schedule by tracking assigned activities, milestones, dependencies, deliverables, and review dates.
• ANALYZE inquiry and operational information to help identify workload trends, recurring deficiencies, process bottlenecks, and opportunities for continuous improvement.
• PROTECT sensitive Government and inmate-related information and follow all applicable DOJ/FBOP security, privacy, acceptable-use, and records-management requirements.
• PERFORM additional program support, records maintenance, administrative coordination, or reporting assignments consistent with the position when inquiry volume permits.

Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking a Senior First Step Act Inquiry Resolution Analyst to support the Federal Bureau of Prisons' administration of First Step Act (FSA) Time Credits.

This individual will serve as a senior operational analyst within the National Inquiry Resolution Center, researching, coordinating, documenting, and resolving routine, moderate, and selected complex inquiries concerning FSA Time Credit administration.

This is an important mission-support role because FSA Time Credit questions may directly affect inmate eligibility determinations, time-credit application, prerelease custody and supervised release considerations, institutional operations, stakeholder confidence, and potentially litigation or congressional interest.

The successful candidate will combine strong analytical research, federal program operations, case management, written communication, stakeholder coordination, and policy interpretation skills with the judgment necessary to determine when an issue can be resolved through established guidance and when it requires escalation to BOP operational, policy, legal, sentence computation, or other subject matter experts.

Ascension is particularly interested in candidates who are organized, highly detail-oriented, intellectually curious, responsive, and comfortable working with complex information where an accurate, well-supported answer is more important than simply providing a fast answer.

The ideal candidate is self-directed and capable of managing multiple concurrent inquiries with limited supervision while maintaining complete case documentation, protecting sensitive information, meeting established service levels, and communicating professionally with government stakeholders.

Position Summary

The Senior First Step Act Inquiry Resolution Analyst supports the centralized capability responsible for receiving, researching, tracking, coordinating, and resolving inquiries involving FSA Time Credits.

The Analyst researches statutes, regulations, BOP policies, operational procedures, approved business rules, system information, case documentation, and other Government-approved sources to develop fact-based responses.

The individual coordinates with appropriate BOP program offices and subject matter experts when a response requires additional operational, policy, technical, legal, or sentence computation expertise.

This position is expected to support inquiries referred by BOP personnel and, as authorized by the Bureau, inquiries involving inmates, attorneys, family members, congressional offices, courts, executive stakeholders, or other designated parties.

The Analyst will maintain detailed case files documenting the inquiry, research conducted, coordination performed, evidence reviewed, determination reached, response provided, and any necessary follow-up.

Beyond resolving individual cases, the Analyst will help BOP recognize recurring and systemic problems. This requires identifying trends that may indicate inconsistent policy interpretation, training deficiencies, unclear guidance, calculation issues, system problems, or other matters requiring corrective action.

The Analyst may also draft Frequently Asked Questions, knowledge articles, standardized response language, job aids, issue summaries, and escalation packages and may serve as an acting inquiry lead when operationally necessary.

Success in this role requires balancing accuracy, responsiveness, documentation quality, stakeholder service, confidentiality, and sound professional judgment.

Day-to-Day and Recurring Responsibilities

• RECEIVE, review, categorize, prioritize, and track assigned FSA Time Credit inquiries using the Government-approved inquiry or case management process.
• RESEARCH routine, moderate, and selected complex inquiries using applicable statutes, regulations, DOJ/BOP policy, operational procedures, approved business rules, system information, historical case documentation, and Government-authorized reference materials.
• ANALYZE case-specific facts and supporting documentation to determine whether an inquiry can be resolved using established guidance or requires additional subject matter expertise.
• COORDINATE with BOP operational offices, program personnel, sentence computation resources, policy SMEs, information technology personnel, legal personnel, records personnel, or other designated stakeholders when additional research is necessary.
• DRAFT clear, concise, professional, fact-based responses supported by documented research and approved Government guidance.
• DOCUMENT research performed, evidence considered, coordination completed, determinations made, responses issued, and follow-up actions within the designated case management system.
• MAINTAIN complete, organized, auditable case records capable of demonstrating the basis for each response.
• MONITOR assigned cases against established acknowledgement and resolution objectives, including routine, moderate, and complex inquiry service levels.
• ESCALATE urgent, sensitive, high-risk, executive-level, congressional, legal, policy, or unresolved matters in accordance with established escalation procedures.
• PREPARE escalation packages containing the inquiry, relevant facts, research performed, supporting documentation, unresolved questions, risks, and recommended next actions.
• IDENTIFY recurring inquiry patterns, inconsistent interpretations, documentation deficiencies, training gaps, operational problems, or other systemic issues.
• ANALYZE inquiry trends to support recommendations for policy clarification, training updates, knowledge-base improvements, system changes, or corrective action.
• DEVELOP and UPDATE Frequently Asked Questions, knowledge articles, standardized response templates, quick-reference material, and other inquiry-resolution resources.
• REVIEW draft responses and case documentation for completeness, clarity, consistency, accuracy, and adherence to approved procedures.
• SUPPORT quality reviews of inquiry records and recommend corrective action when documentation or response quality does not meet established standards.
• CONTRIBUTE inquiry statistics, case trends, backlog information, complexity information, systemic issues, and knowledge-management updates for the monthly Inquiry Management Report.
• PARTICIPATE in team meetings, case reviews, operational coordination sessions, quality discussions, and continuous-improvement activities.
• MAINTAIN current working knowledge of changes affecting FSA Time Credit administration, including changes to policies, operational procedures, business rules, systems, and approved guidance.
• PROTECT sensitive Government, inmate, personnel, and operational information in accordance with DOJ/BOP security, privacy, records-management, and acceptable-use requirements.
• SERVE, when designated, as an acting inquiry lead by assisting with workload coordination, case triage, peer review, escalation management, or operational continuity.