STEM Development Office Senior Program Analyst

Applied Research Associates, Inc; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Applied Research Associates, Inc. is seeking a senior program manager to support DoD STEM education, outreach, and workforce development initiatives from Arlington, VA.

You will analyze STEM policies, manage program and budget analyses, and coordinate strategic planning to align with national defense priorities. The role requires a Bachelor’s degree and 8+ years of relevant experience, plus a secret security clearance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• 8+ years recent and relevant experience.
• Secret security clearance.
• Demonstrated program management experience, including leading or supporting STEM education, outreach, or workforce development programs, or other S&T program management activities.
• Knowledge of STEM education and workforce development programs from local and national perspectives, including development, execution, and evaluation.
• Demonstrated experience in program and budget analysis.
• Experience in strategic communications, including development of written materials, presentations, and engagement products.
• Ability to evaluate STEM policies, statutes, strategic guidance, and DoD Instructions and provide recommendations for improvement.

Responsibilities

• Support development, management, evaluation, monitoring, and analysis of DoW STEM education, outreach, and workforce development activities.
• Analyze STEM policies, statutes, DoW Instructions, and strategic guidance and provide recommendations to improve effectiveness and efficiency.
• Conduct periodic STEM trends analysis and literature research.
• Conduct program and budget analysis to assess performance, alignment, and resource needs for STEM initiatives.
• Support development and coordination of the DoD STEM Strategic Plan, Implementation Plan, and alignment with Federal STEM strategies and national defense priorities.
• Engage internal and external stakeholders to strengthen Department-wide STEM efforts.
• Support development of program documentation, briefs, reports, strategic communications materials, and other products required for leadership and congressional obligations.
• Maintain data repositories, track common metrics, and compose annual program reports.
• Assist with coordination, planning, and execution of STEM activities and working groups; prepare monthly activity reports.

Skills

Program management

STEM education experience

Budget analysis

Strategic communications

Policy analysis

Stakeholder engagement

DoD policy knowledge

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

What You’ll Do:

• Support the development, management, evaluation, monitoring, and analysis of DoW STEM education, outreach, and workforce development activities.
• Analyze STEM policies, statutes, DoW Instructions, and strategic guidance and provide recommendations to improve effectiveness and efficiency.
• Conduct periodic STEM trends analysis and literature research.
• Conduct program and budget analysis to assess performance, alignment, and resource needs for STEM initiatives.
• Support development and coordination of the DoD STEM Strategic Plan, Implementation Plan, and alignment with Federal STEM strategies and national defense priorities.
• Engage internal and external stakeholders to strengthen Department‑wide STEM efforts.
• Support development of program documentation, briefs, reports, strategic communications materials, and other products required for leadership and congressional obligations.
• Maintain data repositories, track common metrics, and compose annual program reports.
• Assist with coordination, planning, and execution of STEM activities and working groups; prepare monthly activity reports.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• 8+ years recent and relevant experience.
• Secret security clearance.
• Demonstrated program management experience, including leading or supporting STEM education, outreach, or workforce development programs, or other S&T program management activities.
• Knowledge of STEM education and workforce development programs from local and national perspectives, including development, execution, and evaluation.
• Demonstrated experience in program and budget analysis.
• Experience in strategic communications, including development of written materials, presentations, and engagement products.
• Ability to evaluate STEM policies, statutes, strategic guidance, and DoD Instructions and provide recommendations for improvement.

Desired Qualifications:

• A degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
• TS clearance with SCI eligibility.
• Minimum of 10 years recent and relevant experience.

• Experience synchronizing Science & Technology (S&T) efforts across the DoW, the Joint Staff, and the Services.
• Experience supporting STEM education, outreach, or workforce development initiatives across DoW Components, labs, centers, academia, industry, or federal partners.
• Experience developing strategic communications products, including briefs, reports, newsletters, and outreach materials.
• Experience conducting trend analysis, literature reviews, or assessments to identify best practices in education, outreach, or workforce development.
• Experience supporting interagency STEM coordination, including participation in Federal Coordination in STEM (FC-STEM) groups or communities of practice.
• Experience with programmatic reporting, data collection, metrics development, and maintaining repositories or dashboards.
• Knowledge of DoW policies, DoW Instructions, and statutory requirements related to STEM programs and reporting.

Compensation & Benefits:

Pay Ranges: From $100,000.00 - $120,000.00 per year based on years of experience, degree and any special skills and knowledge that you may bring to the position. We mostly reserve the upper half of our compensation bands for internal growth. ARA offers competitive benefits that address our employees’ needs now and in the future. Learn more about each of our benefits at https://www.ara.com/benefits/

COMPANY INFORMATION:

Applied Research Associates, Inc. is an employee-owned international research and engineering company recognized for providing technically superior solutions to complex and challenging problems in the physical sciences. The company, founded in Albuquerque, NM, in 1979, currently employs over 2000 professionals. ARA offices throughout the United States and Canada provide a broad range of technical expertise in defense technologies, civil technologies, computer software and simulation, systems analysis, environmental technologies, and testing and measurement. The corporation also provides sophisticated technical products for environmental site characterization, pavement analysis, and robotics.

At ARA, employees are our greatest assets. The corporation realizes that employee ownership generates greater creativity and initiative along with higher performance and customer satisfaction levels. ARA gives its employees the tools, training, and opportunities to take more active roles as owners. The culture is challenging; innovation and experimentation are the norm. Employees are eligible for contributions which not only add to the company’s success, but also their own through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The motto, “Engineering and Science for Fun and Profit” sums up the ARA experience. For additional information and an opportunity to join this unique workplace, please visit our website at www.ara.com.

ExperienceRequired

• 8 - 10 years: Relevant STEM work experience

EducationRequired

• Bachelors or better

BehaviorsRequired

• Team Player: Works well as a member of a group
• Functional Expert: Considered a thought leader on a subject
• Enthusiastic: Shows intense and eager enjoyment and interest
• Detail Oriented: Capable of carrying out a given task with all details necessary to get the task done well

MotivationsRequired

• Self-Starter: Inspired to perform without outside help
• Job Security: Inspired to perform well by the knowledge that your job is safe
• Growth Opportunities: Inspired to perform well by the chance to take on more responsibility
• Goal Completion: Inspired to perform well by the completion of tasks
• Ability to Make an Impact: Inspired to perform well by the ability to contribute to the success of a project or the organization

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.