4501 Senior Program Associate

OVERVIEW:

We are seeking two mission-driven, detail-oriented Senior Program Associates to support high-priority initiatives for a defense sector client. This single job description supports two specialty-aligned hires: Senior Program Associate - Financial Management and Senior Program Associate - Operations. Each selected candidate will be hired into one primary specialty and is not expected to meet both specialty profiles.

Financial Management specialty : You will work closely with the Government business manager and program leadership to execute resource alignment, modernize financial planning, manage budget and performance information, and translate complex spend data into actionable mission insights. You will also support a structured action cell using the RAIC methodology to streamline acquisition and improve decision-making. An acquisition or defense contracting background is preferred; prior military service is not required.

Operations specialty : You will serve as an operational anchor, synchronizing efforts among Army innovation organizations while maintaining situational awareness, coordinating key events and TDYs, updating site information, and producing decision-ready SITREPs. You will translate broad objectives and assigned tasks into executable actions, establish repeatable process flows, and proactively resolve operational bottlenecks.

GENERAL DUTIES:

Shared Program Delivery & Client Support

• Execute defined workstreams with appropriate guidance, ensuring timely and high-quality delivery of outputs.
• Develop clear, structured deliverables - including briefings, analyses, frameworks, reports, and program artifacts - that support client decision-making and program progress.
• Support day-to-day client interactions through meeting preparation, note-taking, action tracking, stakeholder follow-up, and synthesis of inputs.
• Build a strong understanding of client mission priorities and connect day-to-day activities to broader organizational goals.
• Contribute to agile, sprint-based execution cycles while managing multiple tasks, changing priorities, and dependencies.
• Anticipate potential issues, recommend practical solutions or process improvements, capture lessons learned, and help refine tools, frameworks, and methodologies.

Financial Management & Resource Alignment

• Work with the Government business manager and program stakeholders to execute resource alignment and ensure fiscal activities directly support mission objectives.
• Track and analyze budgets, spend, performance metrics, cycle time, throughput, and decision velocity to improve leadership visibility and resource decisions.
• Translate complex financial and spend data into clear, actionable insights for program leadership and other non-finance stakeholders.
• Conduct discovery and analysis across acquisition, funding, and requirements processes to identify bottlenecks, gaps, risks, and opportunities.
• Support development of ROI and impact models, risk assessments, down-select frameworks, transition-readiness assessments, and future investment strategies.
• Support the design, documentation, and validation of financial operating models, workflows, governance structures, decision frameworks, and repeatable playbooks.
• Coordinate inputs among finance, acquisition, contracting, program, and mission stakeholders to maintain accurate status, resolve issues, and keep actions moving.

Operations Coordination & Synchronization

• Coordinate day-to-day operations and synchronize efforts among Army innovation organizations.
• Plan, schedule, and synchronize key events, workshops, operational touchpoints, and stakeholder engagements.
• Coordinate TDYs, travel logistics, site movement, and event requirements for team members and visiting personnel.
• Maintain and update site information, operational trackers, calendars, action logs, and situational-awareness tools.
• Draft and submit regular SITREPs that provide leadership with clear visibility into activities, progress, decisions, risks, and support requirements.
• Facilitate clear, high-level communication among military units, civilian leads, government stakeholders, and external innovation partners.
• Interpret broad objectives from assigned tasks and translate them into executable actions, owners, timelines, milestones, and follow-through.
• Establish and refine operational process flows to eliminate bottlenecks, improve cross-functional synchronization, and optimize program delivery.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Required Skills and Experience - Both Specialties

• 2-3 years of relevant professional experience in consulting, government, defense, operations, finance, program delivery, or a related field.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to structure ambiguous problems and develop practical next steps.
• Experience producing high-quality, client-ready deliverables using PowerPoint, Excel, and written reports.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the judgment to tailor information for working teams and senior leaders.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, priorities, stakeholders, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Familiarity with or interest in government acquisition, innovation, technology, integration, and mission delivery.
• Comfort working in agile, iterative delivery environments with evolving requirements.
• Demonstrated ownership, attention to detail, follow-through, and a proactive approach to identifying and resolving issues.

Financial Management Specialty Qualifications

• Demonstrated proficiency in financial management, budget tracking, spend analysis, performance measurement, and data analysis that supports resource alignment and ROI modeling.
• Ability to bridge technical finance teams, a Government business manager, and program leadership by translating complex financial data into actionable mission insights.
• Experience developing or maintaining financial trackers, resource-allocation views, forecasts, decision-support analyses, or related management products.
• Familiarity with government acquisition and defense contracting is preferred, including an understanding of how funding, requirements, and contract actions interact. Prior military service is not required.

Operations Specialty Qualifications

• Experience coordinating operations, events, schedules, travel, workstreams, or staff actions in a high-tempo environment.
• Experience in an Army S3 office, DoW operational staff, or comparable operations-coordination role is a strong differentiator.
• Ability to maintain situational awareness, update site and program information, manage trackers, and synthesize operational data into clear SITREPs and briefings.
• Demonstrated ability to establish new process flows, optimize existing processes, and turn ambiguity into repeatable, efficient workflows.
• Strong cross-functional communication and synchronization skills across military, civilian, government, and external stakeholders.
• Ability to extrapolate objectives from assigned tasks, establish priorities and next actions, and follow operational issues through closure.

CLEARANCE:

• Active Secret clearance minimum required