{"id":3172437,"url":"https://alion.io/job/credence-merc-senior-program-manager","title":"MERC Senior Program Manager","company":{"id":3864336,"name":"Credence","domain":"credence.ai","url":"https://alion.io/company/credence-4","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workable","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":84,"open_postings":11,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.636,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":38,"computed_at":"2026-10-27T05:46:45Z"}},"role":"Management","role_family":"Management","seniority":"senior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Washington, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":143000,"max":160000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":160000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Microsoft Office","optional":false},{"name":"SharePoint","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T18:56:18Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-23","last_verified_at":"2026-10-27T16:42:30Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":4,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":4},"description":"Overview\nJoin a team where innovation meets mission. Our AI, cloud, cyber, and modernization solutions save agencies thousands of hours, safeguard national security, and strengthen health and humanitarian missions worldwide. With 1,700+ team members, 1,500+ AI/data experts, and 100+ prime contracts, we deliver at scale and with purpose.\nWe’ve been recognized as a Top Workplace by The Washington Post for six consecutive years and named to the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies list in 13 of the past 14 years. Credence is a welcoming environment for those looking to grow and make a meaningful impact. We encourage employees to push boundaries and engage in solving critical, world-changing federal challenges.\nPosition Summary\nThe Humanitarian Assistance Support Contract (HASC) combines deep institutional expertise, technical leadership, and a strong commitment to U.S. missions. Through HASC, Team Credence provides operational and administrative support to the U.S. Department of State (DOS) to coordinate humanitarian assistance, disaster response, and foreign assistance efforts across multiple bureaus, maintaining a 24/7 response capability.\nCredence has an immediate need for a Senior Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) Program Manager.\nThe Senior Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) Program Manager is embedded within the Office of Assistance Coordination (AC) within the DOS Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA). NEA/AC is responsible for coordinating U.S. foreign assistance in the NEA region, including by providing policy direction and operating guidance to officials in Washington and at NEA posts responsible for the implementation of regional assistance programs; overseeing strategic planning, budgeting, and monitoring and evaluation for the Bureau; and providing grants management of foreign assistance awards for the NEA Bureau and overseas NEA posts.\nThis position manages the MERC Program portfolio, including managing staff and leading the strategic planning, oversight, outreach, and reporting associated with the Program. The incumbent's diverse responsibilities include leading oversight and support for the MERC Program that reviews, funds, and monitors joint Arab-Israeli research grants, and identifying potential implementation mechanisms and partnerships in the public and private sectors. This will include strategic outreach with institutions and leveraging the MERC Program's existing network to engage with prospective applicants and promote dissemination and uptake of research results. Following a pivot in program focus, MERC applied research projects address shared regional challenges while advancing U.S. economic, technological, and strategic interests. MERC prioritizes efforts that strengthen U.S. technological leadership, expand opportunities for U.S. businesses, promote the use of U.S. technologies, and build long-term partnerships in the region.\nDay-to-day oversight of the position will be provided by a designated DOS government technical manager (GTM), with formal supervisory and evaluation functions performed by a Team Credence contract supervisor.\nApplication Closing Date: The closing date for applications is Monday, November 9, 2026.\nEssential Duties and Responsibilities\nUnder the direction of designated GTM and in support of the MERC Program's mission, the Senior MERC Program Officer will be responsible for the following:\nStrategic leadership for the MERC Program, including managing both technical and administrative staff;\nLeading the MERC Program’s coordination and organization of proposal reviews, and convening and facilitating the MERC Committee which selects proposals to advance for funding;\nTechnical oversight of MERC Program activities including site visits, and monitoring and evaluations; and liaising with grant recipients and other implementers on issues that involve technical determinations;\nLeading the MERC Program team to identify potential implementation mechanisms and partnerships in the public and private sectors to further improve the Program's effectiveness in transitioning research results into critical development solutions;\nIdentifying projects that strengthen U.S. technological leadership, expand opportunities for U.S. businesses, promote the use of U.S. technologies, and build long-term partnerships in the region;\nAssessing technical, cultural, regulatory, financial, and political barriers to the adoption of improved technologies resulting from supported research;\nEnsuring research best practices and Gold Standard Science including identifying opportunities to incorporate appropriate economic and social-science approaches into projects, as well as ensuring ethical conduct of research, compliance with regulatory requirements, and proper management of intellectual property rights;\nPlanning and oversight of the development of highly complex, scientific and technical work products and sets both short-term and long-term priorities;\nTranslating technical outcomes from research grants into accessible language for non-technical audiences, and effectively communicating the program’s accomplishments to senior leadership and external stakeholders (e.g., lobby groups, Congressional staff);\nProviding routine technical advice to Grants Officers and Grants Specialists; and\nAdvising the U.S. Department of State, overseas posts, and other Federal agencies on issues of science and technology cooperation across a broad range of topics, including water quality and management, natural resources management, One Health, and sustainable agricultural development;\nPerforming additional duties as assigned.\nRequirements\n Required Education and Experience\nPhD in the natural sciences or engineering; AND\n5 or more years of post-graduate experience in foreign assistance. \nMust have a strong background in the natural sciences or engineering, preferably with a focus in agriculture, natural resources, or water management issues;\nMust have experience leading, mentoring, or supervising both technical and non-technical staff;\nMust have experience with the research-funding process, preferably with prior experience in leading a competitive technical grants selection process in an international context, including experience with peer-review panels and assessing complex, multi-faceted research proposals;\nMust have experience facilitating research collaboration between partners from different countries and cultures, preferably in the Arab-Israeli context, including the political and cultural constraints involved; and\nPreference for foreign assistance experience and experience working overseas, particularly experience working in the Middle East region.\nU.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance are required. An active Secret clearance is preferred.\nOther Requirements\nPossess excellent judgment and reliability;\nHave strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail;\nPossess excellent oral and written communication skills;\nHave strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications and SharePoint;\nBe able to multi-task and work under deadlines in a fast-paced and collaborative environment;\nBe capable of prioritizing tasks and follow up on actions without prompting;\nBe flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances; and\nBe willing to go the extra mile and participate as an active team member who assists other team members as necessary.\nSalary Range: $143,000 - $160,000 annually. Actual compensation will be determined based on the selected candidate's experience, education, certifications, skills, and overall qualifications.\nBenefits\nHealth Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)\nRetirement Plan (401k, IRA)\nLife Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)\nPaid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)\nFamily Leave (Maternity, Paternity)\nShort Term & Long Term Disability\nTraining & Development\nWellness Resources","description_format":"text","description_chars":7903,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":["401k plan","Life insurance","Parental leave","Retirement plans"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["National Security","Information Security","IT Consulting & Digital Transformation","AI Consulting & Integration"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-23T18:56:18Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":63,"band":"ok","label":"Likely open","p_open":1,"p_active":0.632,"p_room":1,"age_days":3,"expected_fill_days":38,"reasons":["conf:2","stale_co","velocity","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-10-27T05:46:45Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":160000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/credence-merc-senior-program-manager","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/credence-merc-senior-program-manager.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-27T20:40:20Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":11838,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-28T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":3864336},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=3864336"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fcredence-merc-senior-program-manager"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fcredence-merc-senior-program-manager"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fcredence-merc-senior-program-manager"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/credence-merc-senior-program-manager\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fcredence-merc-senior-program-manager"}]}