Senior Solicitation Specialist

ICF; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 62,000 - 104,000; Full time

Job summary

ICF seeks a Senior Solicitation Specialist to lead planning and execution for federal research solicitations and scientific peer-review panels. You will coordinate proposal and reviewer data, run on-site and remote reviews, and ensure schedules, quality, and security meet client requirements.

You will translate complex requirements into workflows for reviewers, technical experts, and federal staff to deliver timely, well-documented reviews.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED; college degree preferred.
• At least 10 years of professional experience providing business-process support; or a bachelor's degree and at least 5 years of experience.
• Willingness to travel domestically and provide on-site support for peer-review panels, workshops, and program meetings.
• Must successfully complete a federal background investigation and obtain a PIV credential.

Responsibilities

• Plan and administer proposal review activities across federal solicitations, proposal receipt, peer review, selection support, and closeout.
• Lead on-site and remote peer-review panels and coordinate the assigned support team through planning, execution, and closeout.
• Develop and maintain integrated workplans, schedules, milestone charts, trackers, checklists, roles, and procedures for review activities.
• Organize panels and sub-panels with reviewer assignments, communications, venue needs, and IT requirements.
• Provide data in required formats; develop summary statistics and analytics; conduct quality-control reviews.
• Lead solicitation and proposal administration activities, including data tracking, postings, and notifications, using grants-management systems.
• Interface with panelists and reviewers regarding proposal review, travel, schedules, access, and deadlines.
• Take notes on panel proceedings and ensure records and closeout documentation are complete and accurate.
• Monitor deadlines and report significant slippages and corrective actions to leadership.
• Ensure work conforms to quality standards, confidentiality, and conflict-of-interest procedures.
• Manage logistics systems that track reviewer information and sensitive data in coordination with staff.

Skills

Grants management

Peer-review coordination

Proposal administration

Data analytics

MS Office

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Grants.gov

Grants-management tools

Virtual meeting platforms

Job description

Description

ICF is a mission-driven company filled with people who care deeply about improving the lives of others and making the world a better place. Our core values include Embracing Difference; we seek candidates who are passionate about building a culture that encourages, embraces, and hires dimensions of difference.

ICF is seeking a Senior Solicitation Specialist to lead planning and execution support for federal research solicitations and scientific or technical peer-review panels. This role works with project managers, serves as a task lead, coordinates proposal and reviewer information, and helps ensure that review activities meet schedule, quality, security, and client requirements. The position is contingent upon contract award.

You will translate complex review requirements into disciplined workflows so that reviewers, scientific and technical experts, and federal program staff can complete fair, well-documented, and timely proposal reviews.

The Work

In this role, you will lead assigned support activities across the solicitation and peer-review lifecycle, from solicitation development and proposal intake through panel execution, selection support, and closeout. You will organize panels and sub-panels, coordinate proposal and reviewer data, confirm venue and technology needs, interface with reviewers, monitor progress and quality, and report significant delivery risks. You will also provide day-to-day work direction and quality review for assigned support staff.

Job Location and Client Requirements

Work may be performed at an ICF or other contractor facility, a rented facility, or a client site in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, depending on program needs. The position may require domestic travel and on-site support for peer-review panels, workshops, and program meetings. No classified security clearance is required.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with program and project leadership to plan and administer proposal review activities across federal research solicitations, proposal receipt, peer review, selection support, and closeout.
• Serve as a task lead for on-site and remote peer-review panels and lead the assigned support team through planning, execution, follow-up, and closeout.
• Develop and maintain integrated workplans, schedules, milestone charts, trackers, checklists, roles, and operating procedures for assigned review activities.
• Organize panels and sub-panels and ensure that proposal assignments, reviewer communications, meeting logistics, venue needs, and information-technology requirements are addressed.
• Provide solicitation, proposal, reviewer, and panel data in required formats; develop summary statistics and analytics; and conduct quality-control reviews for accuracy and completeness.
• Lead assigned solicitation and proposal administration activities, including data tracking, approved postings and notifications, and use of grants-management and peer-review systems.
• Interface with panelists and reviewers regarding proposal review, travel, schedules, meeting access, remote communications, deadlines, and required documentation.
• Take notes on panel proceedings as requested and ensure that review records, decision-support materials, approved communications, and closeout documentation are complete and accurate.
• Monitor activities against solicitation deadlines and report significant slippages, delays, impediments, and proposed corrective actions to project leadership.
• Ensure assigned work conforms to established quality standards, schedules, confidentiality requirements, conflict-of-interest procedures, and approved review processes.
• Manage or operate logistics systems that track reviewer information, including sensitive financial and personally identifiable information, in coordination with logistics staff.

Basic Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED; a college degree is preferred.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience providing business-process support; or a bachelor's degree and at least 5 years of progressively responsible professional experience providing business-process support.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and provide on-site support for peer-review panels, workshops, and program meetings when required.
• Must successfully complete a federal background investigation and obtain and maintain a Personal Identity Verification credential for required facility and system access

Professional Skills

• Demonstrated competence using workplace desktop applications such as Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365.
• Strong planning and organizational skills, with the ability to lead detailed workflows across concurrent panels, deliverables, and firm deadlines.
• Ability to interpret requirements, translate them into operating plans, monitor progress, and recommend corrective action when risks arise.
• Clear and professional written and verbal communication with reviewers, scientific and technical experts, federal program staff, vendors, and delivery teams.
• Sound judgment when resolving workflow, reviewer, data, technology, venue, schedule, or quality issues during active review periods.
• Strong attention to detail when handling proposal assignments, reviewer information, financial records, panel documentation, analytics, and quality-control activities.
• Ability to lead through influence, coordinate assigned support staff, review deliverables, and maintain accountability.

Preferred Skills And Experience

• Experience serving as a task lead for federal grants, research solicitations, merit review, proposal review, or scientific or technical peer-review panels.
• Experience supporting a federal research agency or another organization that manages competitive research funding.
• Experience using grants-management, peer-review, proposal-processing, reviewer-management, event-management, or virtual meeting systems; familiarity with Grants.gov is a plus.
• Experience developing proposal or review summary statistics, analytics, status reports, decision-support materials, or quality-control documentation.
• Experience coordinating concurrent panels or review cycles and applying confidentiality, conflict-of-interest, records-management, accessibility, or information-security procedures.
• Note this is a contingent role.

Working at ICF

ICF is a global advisory and technology services provider, but we’re not your typical consultants. We combine unmatched expertise with cutting-edge technology to help clients solve their most complex challenges, navigate change, and shape the future.

We can only solve the world's toughest challenges by building a workplace that allows everyone to thrive. We are an equal opportunity employer. Together, our employees are empowered to share their expertise and collaborate with others to achieve personal and professional goals. For more information, please read ourEEO policy.

We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Reasonable Accommodations are available, including, but not limited to, for disabled veterans, individuals with disabilities, and individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs, in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation, please [e-mail] we will be happy to assist. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.

Read more aboutworkplacediscriminationrights or our benefit offerings which are included in theTransparency in (Benefits) Coverage Act.

Candidate AI Usage Policy

At ICF, we are committed to ensuring a fair interview process for all candidates based on their own skills and knowledge. As part of this commitment, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate or assist with responses during interviews (whether in-person or virtual) is not permitted. This policy is in place to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the interview process.

However, we understand that some candidates may require accommodation that involves the use of AI. If such an accommodation is needed, candidates are instructed to contact us in advance [e-mail]. We are dedicated to providing the necessary support to ensure that all candidates have an equal opportunity to succeed.

Pay Range

- There are multiple factors that are considered in determining final pay for a position, including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and competencies that align to the specified role, geographic location, education and certifications as well as contract provisions regarding labor categories that are specific to the position.

The pay range for this position based on full-time employment is:

$61,232.00 - $104,094.00

Nationwide Remote Office (US99)