Senior Advisor-536430-A

Delaware Nation Industries; Virginia; On-site; USD 170,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision

401K Matching

Disability Insurance

Professional Development

Parking and Transit

Job summary

The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO), part of the U.S. Department of State, seeks a Senior Program Advisor with architecture expertise to guide design and engineering activities for posts worldwide.

Responsibilities include executive-level briefings, coordination with OIG/GAO, updates to FAM/FAH, and governance of project standards and data across the enterprise to improve efficiency and accountability.

Qualifications

• Accredited bachelor’s or master’s degree in architecture.
• Required architectural license.
• Active Secret Security Clearance.
• 10+ years of experience in architectural design with knowledge of industry standards, building codes, materials and construction practices.

Responsibilities

• Serve as senior-level technical and program advisory resource to support front office priorities.
• Coordinate with OIG and GAO inquiries, develop responses and track corrective actions.
• Draft updates to the Foreign Affairs Manual/Handbook and assess impacts and risks.
• Lead cross-office collaboration with External Affairs and governance of standards.
• Maintain OBO Guide data, ensuring accuracy and usability for executive planning.
• Research and benchmark industry standards to inform strategic recommendations.

Skills

Strong verbal, written and visual

Strong analytical, strategic thinking

Embassy design criteria

Design management

Bridging technical criteria with…

Organizational skills

Develop WBS

US citizenship

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in architecture

Architectural license

Active Secret Security Clearance

Job description

The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) directs the worldwide overseas building program for the U.S. Department of State. Working with other offices and bureaus, foreign affairs agencies, and Congress, OBO sets worldwide priorities for the design, construction, acquisition, maintenance, use, and sale of real properties and the use of sales proceeds. As the single real property manager for the U.S. government's diplomatic facilities overseas, OBO's portfolio spans 285 worldwide missions and over 80,000,000 square feet of functioning property. OBO's primary mission is to provide safe, secure, and functional facilities that represent the U.S. government to the host nation and support the Department's staff as they work to achieve U.S. foreign policy objectives abroad.

The Program Development, Coordination, and Support Directorate (PDCS) is responsible for the design, coordination, and management of OBO's building program.

The Office of Design and Engineering (DE) provides expertise in architecture and landscape architecture; interior design and space planning; space programming; graphic design; civil/structural, seismic, blast, and geotechnical engineering; electrical and telecommunications engineering, and mechanical engineering and energy optimization. DE also maintains the design standards and issues building permits for posts worldwide. DE monitors the performance of architecture-engineering contractors hired to develop the design of OBO's projects. The office serves as the building code official, confirming the technical adequacy of construction documents.

This position is in the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, Program Development, Coordination and Support Directorate, Office of Design and Engineering (OBO/PDCS/DE).

Job Duties:

OBO/PDCS/DE has a requirement for full-time consulting and support services of a Senior Program Advisor who serves as a subject matter expert (SME) to DE Office Director to provide expert guidance on variety of topics that align with Administration priorities to return to the basics, cut excess regulations, maximize productivity, bring accountability and transparency to federal spending.

• Serves as a senior-level technical and program advisory resource supporting front office priorities by independently analyzing complex issues, synthesizing information across multiple stakeholders, and preparing executive-level briefing materials, options analyses, and recommendations for government leadership decision-making.
• Provides expert analytical and coordination support for Office of Inspector General (OIG) and U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) inquiries, including leading document reviews identifying trends and systemic issues, developing draft responses, and tracking corrective action plans for government approval.
• Performs senior technical research, drafting, and analytical review in support of proposed updates to the Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) and Foreign Affairs Handbook (FAH), evaluating impacts, risks, and alignment with Department objectives and industry best practices.
• Acts as a senior coordination lead supporting collaboration with External Affairs (EA) by preparing strategic communication materials, synthesizing inputs from multiple offices, and ensuring leadership is informed of risks, opportunities, and dependencies.
• Leads enterprise-level analysis and maintenance efforts for the OBO Guide and archival project portfolio data, ensuring accuracy, consistency, traceability, and usability to support executive planning and oversight.
• Conducts advanced research and comparative analysis of modular and scalable technical standards by facility, post, and project type, developing data-driven recommendations to reduce redundancy, improve constructability, and align with recognized industry standards.
• Provides senior advisory support to cross-directorate and department-wide working groups by developing analytical products, documenting outcomes, integrating stakeholder inputs, and tracking action items (e.g., CPP, M/EX FLEX, SSC, FCA, IFC), while supporting government-led representation.
• Oversees strategic content governance and analytical support for the OBO Project Standard Requirements (OPSR) SharePoint site, including information architecture, data quality controls, and usability improvements.
• Leads enterprise integration and analytical updates for the Project Delivery Guide (Project Management Guide), ensuring alignment with evolving processes, technical standards, and delivery strategies.
• Develops senior-level analytical assessments on approaches to simplifying standards to expand local architect/engineer and contractor participation (including RELFO efforts), evaluating cost, schedule, risk, and implementation impacts.
• Produces executive-quality briefings, infographics, presentations, and written analyses to support senior leadership decision-making and DE process improvement initiatives.
• Conducts independent research and benchmarking of industry standards and best practices, identifying leverage opportunities and preparing strategic recommendations for government consideration.
• Provides senior data stewardship and governance support for mass reference data (MRD), including taxonomy development, validation processes, and integration with OBO Guide terms, definitions, and acronyms.
• Performs high-level analytical evaluations of Controlled Access Area (CAA) requirements, including impact analyses, risk trade-offs, and implementation considerations to inform government decisions.
• Works with minimal supervision, exercises sound professional judgment, and manage multiple high-visibility priorities in a complex, fast-paced environment.

• Must be a U.S. citizen.

• Accredited bachelor’s or master’s degree in architecture

• Required architectural license
• 10+ years of experience in architectural design, with proven analytical skill and an extensive knowledge of industry standards, building codes, materials and construction practices
• Strong verbal, written and visual skills
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
• Specialized knowledge and expertise in embassy design criteria
• Specialized knowledge of design management
• Specialized knowledge in bridging technical criteria with business strategies and developing cost effective innovative and solutions
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to develop work breakdown structure (WBS) into hierarchical, manageable, modular components with tangible outcomes
• Active Secret Security Clearance

Benefits Include:

• Covers 100% of employee benefit premiums, including Medical (PPO or HDHP Option), Vision, Dental
• Matching 401K
• Short- and Long-Term Disability
• Pet Insurance
• Professional Development/Education Reimbursement
• Parking and Transit Benefits for NY, NJ, ATL, and DC Metro areas

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Benefits Include:

• Covers 100% of employee benefit premiums, including Medical (PPO or HDHP Option), Vision, Dental
• Matching 401K
• Short- and Long-Term Disability
• Pet Insurance
• Professional Development/Education Reimbursement
• Parking and Transit Benefits for NY, NJ, ATL, and DC Metro areas

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Salary Compensation: $170,000-$175,000

Equal Opportunity Employer / Individuals with Disabilities / Protected Veterans