Cooperative Institute Financial & Program Analyst (SME I)

FedWriters, Inc.•Silver Spring, MD

14d•$81,000 - $85,800•Hybrid

About The Position

As FWI’s Cooperative Institute Financial & Program Analyst supporting NOAA's OAR Cooperative Institute Administration Office (CIAO), you will provide critical financial management, data analysis, and program support services for one of NOAA's most complex grant portfolios — spanning 17 Cooperative Institute programs, multiple funding sources, and university research partners across the United States. Your work will be at the center of how NOAA manages, monitors, and maximizes the impact of its cooperative research investments. This role is energized by the intersection of financial rigor, program operations, and mission-driven science.

Requirements

BA/BS in a technical or business discipline — Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Public Administration, Information Systems, Environmental Science, or a closely related field preferred; advanced degrees or certifications may qualify for shorter periods of required experience.
4+ years of professional and/or academic experience.
Demonstrated experience managing or supporting federal grants financial data, including familiarity with federal grants management systems such as eRA Commons or equivalent platforms.
Proficiency with data management and analysis tools including Smartsheet, Google Sheets, and/or Microsoft Excel; experience building financial tracking systems and dashboards for federal program reporting.
Experience producing financial reports that track multiple funding streams, reconcile spending projections, and flag financial risks for federal program leadership.
Familiarity with federal grant compliance requirements, Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPRs), and Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) development processes.
Experience supporting program coordination functions including meeting facilitation, agenda development, logistics management, and preparation of briefing materials for senior stakeholders.
Working knowledge of Cooperative Institute programs, university-federal research partnerships, or NOAA grant management processes preferred.
Experience developing or contributing to SOPs, training materials, or stakeholder communications for a federal program or grants management office.
Strong analytical and organizational skills; ability to manage multiple competing priorities across a large, complex grant portfolio.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Low-risk federal security clearance.

Responsibilities

Download and format financial data for 17 Cooperative Institute programs from the grants system of record (eRA), NOAA sources, and external software; maintain accurate and current financial records across the CI portfolio.
Conduct goal alignment studies, operating strategy reviews, and performance measure trend analyses to support CIAO leadership decision-making.
Produce financial reports that track funding sources — including Line Office, Supplemental, and Reimbursable funding — matched to CI research themes and NOAA mission priorities.
Extract complex data from grant Research Performance Progress Reports (RPPRs) regarding research themes, public impact, and employee and equipment inventories.
Monitor unliquidated obligations across the CI enterprise to flag awards with high balances nearing end of their period of performance.
Coordinate with CI Federal Program Officers (FPOs) to provide quarterly reconciliations between eRA financial reports and CI internal spending projections.
Develop and maintain systems in Smartsheet and Google Sheets for data synthesis and return-on-investment (ROI) tracking across the CI portfolio.
Complete data compilation for Annual Cooperative Institute, Top 10 Risk, and Performance Measures reports.
Provide technical support to Federal Staff in preparing non-competitive Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) and analytical support to scope, define, and document system requirements for a future cloud-based CI database infrastructure.
Coordinate and plan CI Brown Bag Series meetings; facilitate biannual CI All Hands meetings including logistics coordination and preparation of meeting materials.
Work with the NOAA Cooperative Institute Office Director to set agendas and prioritize action items for the reinvigoration of the Cooperative Institute Community.
Manage and update content for the publicly available Cooperative Institute website; coordinate with OAR Information Technology Office when completing updates.
Contribute to the development of standardized operating procedures (SOPs), training plans, and communication guidance for CI stakeholders; schedule and prepare CI Enterprise training workshops.