Senior Program Specialist, Healthy Aging

National Council on Aging•Arlington, VA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Program Specialist, Healthy Aging leads and supports the day-to-day activities, operations, documentation, resource development, and logistics of multiple health promotion projects focused on fall prevention, clinical-community linkages, and evidence-based programs. With guidance from the project team, the role leads activities such as funded partner onboarding, individual and group technical assistance, webinars, office hours, meeting coordination, resource development, relationship building, and connecting partners across the aging network. The position works closely with NCOA’s Research & Evaluation team to support rapid-cycle evaluation and data-informed program improvement. It helps coordinate data collection and evaluation activities with funded agencies, supports related trainings, documents implementation challenges and trends, contributes to quarterly analyses and performance reporting, and coordinates external evaluation activities. The role also helps ensure that evaluation findings and funded agencies’ needs inform technical assistance and continuous quality improvement. The Senior Program Specialist leads project communications, reporting, and dissemination activities in collaboration with project staff and NCOA’s Communications team. The role works across the Center for Healthy Aging, Research & Evaluation, other NCOA teams, and external project partners to advance falls prevention efforts and healthy aging programs. Positions at this level typically report to a director or senior director, require advanced knowledge and experience, and involve independent judgment with minimal oversight.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in public health, gerontology, social science, health administration, communications, research, evaluation, or a related field, with 3–5 years of relevant work experience; an equivalent combination of education and experience may apply as described for this position level.
Experience supporting projects or programs with multiple activities, deliverables, internal teams, and external partners.
Experience providing or supporting technical assistance, webinars, trainings, learning communities, communities of practice, or other capacity-building activities.
Experience supporting data collection, program monitoring, evaluation, performance measurement, or continuous quality improvement.
Ability to coordinate data collection, monitor information needs, follow up on reporting requirements, and support evaluation activities.
Self-initiative and a solution-focused approach to learning technical skills, resolving problems, and seeking help when needed.
Excellent organizational, administrative, and analytical skills, including attention to detail and the ability to multitask, prioritize competing responsibilities, meet timelines and deadlines, and perform in a fast-paced environment.
Demonstrated technical skills with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and webinar platforms.
Strong writing, editing, and document-formatting skills.
Initiative, resourcefulness, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to independently address routine issues and appropriately elevate complex matters.
Ability to synthesize information from meetings, technical assistance, evaluation activities, and project implementation into clear summaries, action items, and other documentation.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively, coordinate across teams and partner organizations, and interface positively with varied stakeholders.
Willingness and ability to undertake anticipated in-state and out-of-state travel, including overnight travel, as requested (10–15%).

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.
Experience supporting grant administration, including maintaining documentation, tracking submissions and deliverables, and communicating with grantees.
Familiarity with community-based organizations serving older adults and interest in NCOA’s mission.
Experience with customer relationship management and work with community-based organizations, health care organizations, aging services organizations, or other external partners.
Familiarity with grants management.
Familiarity with Asana or similar project management tools and Zengine, Salesforce, or other grants management and database systems.

Responsibilities

Participate in implementing strategies that advance NCOA’s mission and its goal of helping create 100 million happier, healthier birthdays by 2040.
Facilitate clinical-community linkages that increase access and referrals to evidence-based fall prevention screenings and interventions.
Develop standard operating procedures, guides, templates, and other project resources.
Manage assigned projects and initiatives, including developing timelines, coordinating activities, monitoring milestones, and managing deliverables.
Work with the Center for Healthy Aging team and other staff to implement a strategy to expand the reach and sustainability of healthy aging programs and services.
Provide technical assistance, guidance, and subject-matter support to funded partners.
Facilitate opportunities for NCOA staff and funded agencies to share implementation experiences, challenges, promising practices, and lessons learned.
Support data collection and evaluation trainings for funded agencies by coordinating logistics and materials, communicating requirements, and providing follow-up in collaboration with the Research & Evaluation team.
Coordinate data collection and evaluation activities with funded agencies and support timely, complete participation.
Maintain the project resource hub, including organizing and posting tools, resources, training materials, webinar recordings, and other relevant content.
Develop project reports, presentations, summaries, and other deliverables.
Coordinate with NCOA’s Communications team to disseminate project information, findings, resources, and promising practices through websites, webinars, presentations, conferences, and other channels.
Maintain accurate and organized project files and information using Asana, Zengine, Microsoft Teams, and other project management and collaboration systems.
Distill complex information into clear, compelling messages.
Contribute to routine reports, including issue briefs, community partner surveys, and ACL semi-annual grant progress reports.
Support healthy aging pilot projects and initiatives and meet deadlines.
Participate in occasional speaking engagements and conference presentations.
Help plan, promote, facilitate, and coordinate a Falls Impact Forum and NCOA’s annual Age+Action conference.
Perform other responsibilities as assigned.