Acquisition & Program Content Reviewer / SME

OCT Consulting LLC is a boutique management and strategy consulting company that provides support to Federal Government clients. We provide consulting services in the areas of Strategy, Process Improvement, Change Management, Program and Project Management, Acquisition/Procurement, and Information Technology.

Responsibilities and Duties

OCT Consulting has grown significantly within the last 3 years and continues to grow. We are looking to bring onboard an Acquisition and Program Management Subject Matter Expert (SME) to participate in a critical review process and team on behalf of a government clients high-level acquisition and program management review board. This review process is led from within the procurement line of business; the review team directly supports the high-level Committee (i.e., the acquisition and program management review board) ahead of a formal Committee session where a given program is reviewed. You will be expected to serve on the team of reviewers that are vetting procurements / programs with a lifecycle value of $500 million or more.

This process is new to the given Federal government agency, and you will also be expected to continue developing existing review strategy, evaluation frameworks, processes, and procedures alongside the review team lead. Serving as a SME, you will work side-by-side with the programs that you evaluate to iterate on their submissions to the review Committee and serve as a key point of contact (POC) to help programs with the content of their submissions. The goal of the review team and the high-level Committee that you serve is to evaluate very large government procurements to ensure optimal program management best practices. This role requires program management and Federal acquisition expertise to ensure that acquisition / program management reviews are performed to high quality standards.

Responsibilities and duties include:

• Serve on a team of reviewers to evaluate documents submitted to the acquisition / program management review Committee. These documents will include acquisition plans, statements of work, program management plans, program budgets, program milestone schedules, analyses of alternatives, market research reports, risk registers, and other acquisition and program management documents. Notably, these planning documents will pertain to both the acquisition process and the sustainment of the program beyond acquisition. Currently, the team of reviewers is a group of 5-10 Federal employees from a diverse set of Bureaus. The team is expanding to include contractors, including this role and a review team lead. This review team, Committee, and review framework are new to the given Federal agency, and so we are in a ramp-up period as we advance past the initial pilot review. At run-rate, the current expectation is to conduct 6-10 program reviews per year. Each review cycle lasts 45 calendar days and has a 2-hour Committee program review meeting scheduled in the middle of the cycle. Notably, there will be some peak times where many review documents need to be reviewed quickly.
• Aid in the development of an informational memo, key issues list, key questions list, and other relevant writeups and outputs of evaluation which will be formally sent upwards to the Committee ahead of each of the Committees formal 2-hour meetings / program reviews.
• Answer questions from Committee members regarding your evaluation of acquisition and program management documents. Attend and participate in meetings / briefings, as needed, to ensure that Committee members are adequately briefed ahead of their 2-hour formal meetings. Be available to attend Committee sessions if/when needed. Note that Committee members are generally at the Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary level.
• Work side-by-side with programs to ensure that they know exactly what documents and information must be submitted to the Committee. Answer questions from programs regarding their submissions.
• Assist in the continued refinement of a preexisting Analytical Framework Breakdown (AFB) that serves as the evaluation criteria for submission documents.
• Working with the Committees Liaison Office, help to evolve review processes and procedures related to the 45-day review cycle.

Requirements

Qualifications and Skills

• Minimum of twenty (20) years of work experience culminating in senior-level acquisition and program management support to the Department of State, DHS, DOD, DOE, DOC, and/or other Federal agencies.
• Previous Federal government experience at the GS-15 level or above and/or previous experience as a senior executive in public sector consulting managing large-scale programs and acquisitions is preferred; deep experience in acquisition and program documentation for Federal agencies.
• The ideal candidate will have overseen Federal acquisitions with a value of over $500 million and managed programs of similar size and complexity.
• Exceptionally proactive in approach, and capable of making decisions in the face of significant uncertainty.
• Excellent organizational and detail-oriented working style; you should be capable of creating executive-level materials, as needed. You should be willing to assist in the development of memos and other evaluations that are submitted to senior executives in the Federal government.
• Excellent communication skills, and the ability to work collaboratively in support of senior government stakeholders. Ability to confidently brief and lead meetings with senior government officials.
• Proficiency in Microsoft suite of programs, as well as Google tools to manage Shared files.

• Ability to manage competing priorities and multiple taskings, and work in a fast-paced working environment.

• Openness to feedback and continuous self-improvement; self-awareness to understand the areas where you excel and those which will require further development.
• Highly intellectually curious and resourceful when approaching problems and determining solutions.

• Bachelors Degree (Preferred).

• Must possess or be able to obtain and retain a Moderate Risk Public Trust clearance; the investigation will involve a credit, fingerprint, and law enforcement agency check (Current Secret or higher clearance preferred).

Ability to Commute/Relocate

The position is primarily off-site but may require up to one day per week at the Federal client site in Rosslyn, VA (i.e., Arlington, VA) and/or on client site in Washington, DC.

Benefits

The position includes competitive compensation and a full suite of benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance

• Retirement savings 401K plan provided by an industry-leading provider with 3% employer matching contributions.

• Paid Time Off

• Life Insurance, Short- and Long-Term disability benefits

• Training Benefits

About OCT

OCT Consulting LLC is a certified SBA 8(a), minority-owned, small, disadvantaged business providing professional services and information technology solutions to the Federal government and commercial clients. Founded in 2013, we bring the advantage of agility in operations along with a management team with a track record of leading successful engagements at major Federal government agencies.

OCT is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. OCT is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: A generous compensation package commensurate with experience and education.