Senior Program Specialist SME 2019F-0001
Protect our Homeland, Ascend with Us!
We invite you to become an integral part of a rapidly growing and industry-leading organization, where our employees come first! At Ascension, LLC you’ll help protect our national security while working on innovative, mission-focused projects that deliver exceptional business application solutions. Our employees proudly serve as trusted advisors and forward-thinking solution architects for our clients.
Currently, we are seeking a motivated, career and customer-focused Senior Program Specialist – SME that will provide expert-level advisory, analytic, and program management support to OPM’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) Internal Control and Compliance (ICC) Division. This position ensures compliance with OMB Circular A-123 Appendix D, FMFIA, and related financial management regulations, while driving improvements in OPM’s internal control environment and supporting strategic initiatives.
The Senior Program Specialist – SME day-to-day functions will be to:
- Lead high-level program management and advisory efforts to support OPM’s A-123 internal control assessment cycle.
- Serve as SME for internal controls over financial systems, IT general controls (ITGCs), and financial reporting.
- Guide the development of project plans, risk assessments, and rotation schedules for testing high-risk financial systems.
- Oversee the preparation of major deliverables, including deficiency memos, IT Summary of Aggregated Deficiencies (IT SAD), and Final IT Assessment Reports.
- Provide strategic recommendations to OPM leadership to improve risk management, governance, and compliance.
- Facilitate lessons learned workshops, program briefings, and executive-level reporting.
- Mentor and support junior analysts and team members, ensuring quality, accuracy, and compliance in deliverables.
- Act as liaison between OPM leadership, system owners, and control assessors to resolve deficiencies and confirm remediation.
Job Features
| Job Category | Data Analysis and Analytics, IT |
| MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS | Master’s degree in Public Administration, Business, Finance, Accounting, Information Systems, or related field (Bachelor’s with additional years of experience considered).Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Effective verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills. Demonstrated decision-making, analytical, and problem-solving skills. Effective time management and organizational skills with the ability to handle multiple priorities. Great organizational skills and attention to detail, able to juggle and prioritize multiple tasks simultaneously. Experience using software applications such as Microsoft O365, TEAMS, Project, PowerPoint, Word, Access, Excel, and Visio. Experience with tools such as Visio to develop “As is” and “To be” business process flow diagrams. Experience working with collaboration tools like Jira, SharePoint, and TEAMS. |
| REQUIRED SKILLS | Strong adaptability and capacity to work in fast-paced environments | In-depth understanding of organizational data flow and its use in management decision-making | Ability to deal with ambiguity and competing objectives in a fast-paced environment | Demonstrated facilitation skills for capturing requirements | Experience as a business analyst and/or pr, management analyst, and /or project manager in an information technology or project management environment | Strong analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving abilities | Effective verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills | Demonstrated decision-making, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with keen attention to detail | Ability to work independently | Effective time management and organizational skills with the ability to handle multiple priorities |
| TECHNICAL SKILLS | 5+ years of relevant experience in federal internal control assessments, IT audits, or financial management consulting | Strong skills in Microsoft Power Platform (Power BI, Power Automate, Power Apps) and SharePoint |
| PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS | Professional certifications such as CPA, CIA, CISA, CISSP, PMP, or CGFM | Prior consulting experience with OPM, DHS, DOE, or other CFO Act agencies. | Experience mentoring project teams and supporting workforce development. |
| SUITABILITY/SECURITY RQMTS | US Citizenship required | Must be able to obtain a Public Trust Suitability Clearance | Compliance with all OPM facility access, badging, and security protocols. |