Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension is seeking a Socio-Economic Program Specialist with hands-on experience supporting public-sector supplier diversity, local/small business programs, or MBE-focused initiatives. This role is critical to translating policy and program concepts into implementation-ready structures that can be operationalized by a bi-county procurement organization.

The ideal candidate understands how socio-economic preference programs function in practice, not just in theory. They bring domain knowledge in local government procurement, supplier diversity frameworks, program documentation, and stakeholder-informed program design, and can work effectively under senior direction to support both Phase One (Local/Small Business Preference Program) and Phase Two (MBE Preference Program) activities.

This role is well-suited for professionals who have supported similar initiatives at the state, county, municipal, authority, or quasi-governmental level, and who are comfortable working in environments where legal defensibility, equity objectives, and operational feasibility must be carefully balanced.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The Socio-Economic Program Specialist provides programmatic and documentation support for the design and implementation of M-NCPPC’s two-phase Socio-Economic Business Preference Program. Working under the direction of senior program and policy leads, this role supports:

• Translation of program concepts into clear, structured, implementation-ready materials
• Development and refinement of program documentation, procedures, and supporting artifacts
• Synthesis of stakeholder input into actionable program design recommendations
• Alignment of program elements with regulatory requirements and operational realities

The Specialist is expected to be detail-oriented, analytical, and comfortable operating in a structured yet evolving policy environment. The role supports risk reduction by helping ensure that program concepts are consistent, practical, and defensible, reducing the likelihood of misinterpretation or implementation challenges.

Tools and processes commonly used in this role include Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; structured outlines and templates; document version control; and collaboration platforms such as Microsoft Teams.

Position Day-to-Day (and Period-of-Performance) Activities

Activities may vary based on project phase and schedule but are expected to include:

• Support development of Local/Small Business Preference Program components aligned to RFP Sections IV.B.1.1–IV.B.1.3
• Assist with preparation of program documentation for the MBE Preference Program under IV.B.2.1–IV.B.2.4
• Draft and refine program descriptions, procedures, and implementation considerations under senior guidance
• Synthesize stakeholder feedback into structured program inputs and summaries
• Review draft regulatory and program documents for internal consistency and operational clarity
• Coordinate with senior staff to track document versions, comments, and revisions
• Validate that program elements are aligned with stated objectives, constraints, and legal considerations
• Support preparation of internal briefings or summaries related to program design decisions