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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.