Solicitation Specialist

ICF Olson; United States; Remote; USD 61,000 - 104,000; Full time

Job summary

ICF is seeking a Solicitation Specialist to support federal research solicitation and peer-review activities. You will assist project managers with workflow coordination, schedule tracking, and proposal administration, enabling reviewers and program staff to complete reviews on time.

The role requires strong organization, attention to detail, and the ability to work across multiple panels and meetings, including travel to client sites as needed.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting federal grants or solicitations.
• Familiarity with peer-review processes and timelines.
• Ability to manage multiple review activities with deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Support daily activities across federal research solicitations, proposal intake, and peer review.
• Maintain project schedules, milestone charts, task trackers, reviewer records, and panel rosters.
• Prepare routine status reports, summaries, and meeting materials using established formats.
• Coordinate reviewer travel, panel preparation, and distribution of materials.
• Ensure confidentiality of proposal, reviewer, and sensitive information.

Skills

Strong organizational skills

Attention to detail

Written and verbal communication

Microsoft Office proficiency

Education

High school diploma or GED + 5 years experience

College degree + 1 year experience

Tools

Grants.gov

Grants-management systems

Peer-review tools

Meeting-management systems

Job 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 Solicitation Specialist to support federal research solicitation and peer-review activities. This role supports project managers and task leads with daily workflow coordination, schedule and deliverable tracking, solicitation and proposal administration, panel preparation, status reporting, and meeting-planning systems. The position is contingent upon contract award. You will help keep proposal-review activities organized, accurate, and on schedule so that reviewers, scientific and technical experts, and federal program staff have the information and support needed to complete fair and timely reviews.

The Work In this role, you will provide day-to-day administrative and process support across the solicitation and peer-review lifecycle, from solicitation planning and proposal intake through panel execution and closeout. You will maintain schedules and trackers, prepare materials, monitor task progress, generate status information, support reviewer and panel communications, and use meeting-planning and peer-review tools. You will work under the direction of project managers and task leads while supporting multiple review activities and firm deadlines.

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

• Support daily activities and service delivery across federal research solicitations, proposal receipt, scientific or technical peer review, selection communications, and review closeout.
• Maintain project schedules, milestone charts, task trackers, checklists, reviewer records, panel rosters, action items, and other workflow documentation.
• Monitor assigned activities against deliverables and deadlines and promptly identify missing information, delays, or other issues to the task lead.
• Prepare routine status reports, summaries, correspondence, templates, and meeting materials using established formats and procedures.
• Support project managers and task leads with panel preparation and execution, including reviewer assignments, evaluation forms and instructions, reminders, participant communications, and distribution of approved materials.
• Enter, validate, organize, and track solicitation, Notice of Intent, proposal, reviewer, and panel information in peer-review and grants-management systems.
• Support approved solicitation postings, notifications, and related updates through Grants.gov, and other designated channels.
• Use meeting-planning and peer-review tools to support secure proposal access and in-person, virtual, and hybrid review activities.
• Coordinate with logistics staff on reviewer travel, meeting access, schedules, and other participant needs as assigned.
• Provide responsive customer service to reviewers, panelists, applicants, program staff, and project team members within the scope of assigned responsibilities.
• Maintain the confidentiality and integrity of proposal, reviewer, financial, personally identifiable, and pre-decisional information, including assigned conflict-of-interest and nondisclosure records.

Basic Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED 5 years of professional experience providing business-process support; or a college degree and at least 1 year of 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

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail when managing schedules, records, participant information, and recurring deadlines.
• Ability to follow established procedures, use templates, document work accurately, and elevate questions or exceptions promptly.
• Clear and professional written and verbal communication with reviewers, program staff, applicants, and delivery teams.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365 applications used for correspondence, spreadsheets, presentations, schedules, and status reporting.
• Customer-service orientation and the ability to respond professionally to participant questions and changing priorities.
• Discretion when handling confidential, proprietary, personally identifiable, financial, or pre-decisional information.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience supporting federal grants, research solicitations, Notice of Intent or proposal intake, merit review, or peer-review panels.
• Experience working with researchers, scientific or technical reviewers, grant applicants, or federal program staff.
• Experience using grants-management, peer-review, workflow, event-management, or virtual meeting systems; familiarity with Grants.gov is a plus.
• Experience supporting multiple projects, panels, or meetings with overlapping schedules and deadlines.
• Familiarity with records management, accessibility, confidentiality, nondisclosure, or conflict-of-interest procedures in a regulated environment.

Pay Range

$61,232.00 - $104,094.00 Nationwide Remote Office (US99)

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.

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 email [e-mail] and 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 about workplace discrimination rights or our benefit offerings which are included in the Transparency 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 at [e-mail]. We are dedicated to providing the necessary support to ensure that all candidates have an equal opportunity to succeed.

ICF is a global consulting and technology services company with approximately 9,000 employees, but we are not your typical consultants. At ICF, business analysts and policy specialists work together with digital strategists, data scientists and creatives. We combine unmatched industry expertise with cutting-edge engagement capabilities to help organizations solve their most complex challenges. Since 1969, public and private sector clients have worked with ICF to navigate change and shape the future. Learn more at icf.com.