Contracting Resources Group, Inc. (CRG) is a Woman-Owned Small Business, specializing in several core markets within the Federal Government. Our professional services depth includes program management and evaluation, strategic communications, acquisitions management, and IT solutions. CRG is a leading management consulting firm, in part because of our ability to attract the highest quality team members through our emphasis on culture, competitive compensation, and benefits packages. Since 2002, CRG has consistently received top performance ratings from customers and teaming partners and industry awards, including Inc. Magazine’s 5000 list of the Fastest Growing Companies in America, the Department of Labor HireVets Platinum Medallion award, and the Washington Business Journal, Inc. 5000, and Baltimore Sun’s Best Places to Work awards

Description:CRG is seeking a full-time Program Specialist to provide support to the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor’s Office of Global Programs (DRL/GP) at the U.S. Department of State. The Program Specialist will be responsible for assisting the Program and Grant Officers in ensuring effective execution of program requirements; establishing systematic methods of program execution, evaluation, and/or advocacy; assessing activities to determine funding requirements and to determine whether funding is warranted and available; analyzing program and budget proposals and assisting in presenting them to the State Department panels; preparing justification or recommendation memoranda for review and approval by appropriate officials; and providing follow-up problem-solving assistance, guideline interpretations, and technical consultations as required to applicants. The Program Specialist will assist and communicate DRL’s program objectives and policies to other State Department and U.S. Government offices involved in programming Democracy Fund and Human Rights and Democracy Funds (HRDF) and other transfer funding to include but not limited to regional bureaus, office of acquisitions management, office of the legal advisor, congressional liaison office, Office of Management and Budget, DOL/ILAB, and USAID offices.

Program Specialist Responsibilities:

• Liaise and assist with program administration, financial planning, and acquisition of programming funds.
• Assist with Congressional requests for information regarding programs and DRL program objectives, and provide information to the NGO community and other implementing organizations regarding the USG and DRL grants processes.
• Maintain, update, and develop as necessary systems for the efficient and accessible retrieval of documents regarding the allocation, notification, transfer and implementation of HRDF, transfer funding, and special Congressionally mandated funds.
• Track the award of grants, maintain lists of current grants and GORs, and collect and records narrative and financial reports. Main the DRL program and organizational files.
• Apply internal control measures to protect organizational integrity and prevent unauthorized use or misappropriation of sensitive and classified material; report instances of security violations/problems to the appropriate supervisory/management official; assume full responsibility for safeguarding all classified and sensitive (but unclassified) material and equipment in assignment areas.

Program Specialist Duties:

• Coordinate and assist the Program Analysts in the administration and coordination of international human rights and democracy foreign assistance programs.
• Assist in the coordination of foreign assistance funding throughout the federal assistance lifecycle that include pre-award, award, and post-award phases in grants and cooperative agreements.
• Assist the grants officer representative staff and grants officers to monitor grant budget execution to ensure program objectives are met.
• Collect grant documentation for review by the Grants Officer, the Front Office, and decision-making committees who will select grant recipients within available funding levels.
• Skillfully communicate verbally and in writing to provide briefings, status reviews, and recommendations to the other DRL program staff and bureau personnel on grant management issues.
• Maintain and update federal assistance award information in DRL/GP databases.
• Maintain team calendar and ensure that team meetings occur.
• Coordinate with the Program Analyst to ensure grant program reviews and program narratives are up to date in the DRL/PAT. Organize and maintain federal assistance award files.
• Assist the GOR on an award to ensure the organization is compliant with federal regulations. Provide quarterly updates, coordinate and conduct check- in meetings with grantee and draft project updates for the GOR to review.
• Liaise with implementer to coordinate stakeholder workshops and prepare documents for event as needed.
• Attend stakeholder workshops and conferences on topics related to their duties and responsibilities, provide program monitoring and technical assistance to grantees, while supporting the client.
• Coordinate with the program team to create and track a yearly portfolio spend plan, as needed.

Qualifications: 

• Detail-oriented, with strong writing and verbal communication skills.
• Experience with foreign assistance and international programming.
• Must be able to travel globally to highly sensitive areas as needed.
• Must be able to obtain security clearance(U.S. Citizenship required)
• Bachelor’s degree preferred with 2-6 years of experience or a master’s degree with 1-2 years of experience.

Location:U.S. Department of State Offices at 2201 C St NW, Washington DC (Harry S. Truman Building) or 2401 E Street NW, Washington DC (State Department Annex 1).