The Project Management Specialist will provide support for the Division of Data and Improvement (DDI) in the Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), which is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). OPRE oversees contracts and grants to study ACF’s social services programs, their grantees, and the low-income and at-risk children and families they serve. Programmatic areas of focus include Head Start, childcare, welfare, employment and self-sufficiency, child abuse and neglect, responsible fatherhood and healthy marriage, home visiting, youth services, disaster human services, and refugee resettlement. Operational areas of focus include grants management, data governance, performance measurement, and process improvement. OPRE includes approximately one hundred federal and contracted staff, primarily research and evaluation specialists. The Office oversees a portfolio of approximately $200 million in grants and contracts.

· Information on ACF is available at https://acf.hhs.gov · Information on OPRE is available at: https://acf.hhs.gov/opre

Position Overview:

Jefferson Solutions, a well-respected, award-winning government consulting company of Jefferson Consulting Group, a woman-owned small business, seeks a Project Management Specialist to work on supporting projects on data governance, research and evaluation. This position will support the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE)’s Division of Data and Improvement (DDI) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF).

The Project Management Specialist will support federal staff in DDI by carrying out responsibilities related to data governance and research and data-use activities designed to support the use of data to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of human services programs. This position focuses on executing established management processes which includes managing tasks and systems used to coordinate efforts and track deliverable execution; maintaining internal tracking systems and processes; assisting with meeting preparation and execution; and interfacing with federal staff, contractors, and select external partners.

Responsibilities:

• Coordinate project planning and execution for human services data governance, research, and data use efforts among federal staff, grantees, contractors, and other researchers in the field. Includes:

o Assisting federal staff in effective and efficient oversight of contracts and grants from inception through completion of satisfactory reporting and dissemination of products.

o Implementing and maintaining tools and processes to support efficient execution of work.

o Developing or advising on the development of additional tools and processes as needed to support continuous quality improvement.

o Facilitating the effective and efficient review of planning documents, deliverables, and products by relevant stakeholders and decisionmakers.

• Work with federal staff and existing grantees and contractors on identifying emerging issues and questions in need of new research, analysis, synthesis, or interpretation for policy decision-making.
• Monitor project plans and outputs; organization and documentation of notes, reports, and other work products. Track relevant milestones. Create and maintain comprehensive project and process documentation.
• Coordinate across projects within DDI, OPRE, and ACF to ensure smooth communication and alignment on activities that may overlap or require consultation.
• Assist DDI staff in managing, tracking, and reporting on data governance; privacy, research and data use activities; and cross-divisional and cross agency work.
• Perform other related duties needed to achieve VPD and/or customer mission success.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Public Policy, Public Health, Sociology, Social Work, Organizational Behavior, Business Administration, IT Management or a related social or behavioral science field and 3 or more years of experience or a Master’s degree in one of the referenced fields and at least one year of experience working with data or managing projects involving data, including experience in data collection, analysis, or interpretation
• Experience related to research and/or data governance in one or more human services programs; public administration/public management; or organizational behavior
• Excellent project management and organizational skills
• Strong conceptual understanding of data and ability to talk about data
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work both independently and within a team environment
• Skilled at keeping team members on task and at tracking deliverables
• Detail-oriented and driven to perform high-quality work in a timely manner
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook) and Zoom
• Ability to obtain and maintain a public trust clearance
• Must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19
• U.S. Citizenship required

Preferred Qualifications:

• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification preferred
• Familiarity with data systems related to ACF human services programs preferred