Deputy Program Manager - Army Continuing Education System (ACES) — Centralized Education Support Services

The Deputy Program Manager (DPM) is the senior operational leader of the ACES Centralized Education Support Services contract, reporting to the Program Manager. The DPM oversees daily operations at more than 70 Active-Duty Army education centers in the Continental United States, Japan, and Korea. Key responsibilities include delivering education counseling, managing Tuition Assistance and Credentialing Assistance programs, coordinating Army Personnel Testing and DANTES testing, overseeing Multi-Use Learning Facility operations, supporting Functional Academic Skills Training (FAST/BSEP), and maintaining support for the Army Ignited ED system for Active Duty Soldiers, Family Members, and Department of War Civilian employees. The DPM ensures the comprehensive execution of these programs.

As the principal alternate to the Program Manager, the DPM handles all communications with the U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC) at Fort Sam Houston, the HQ IMCOM G-9 ACES leadership, the Army Continuing Education Division (ACED) at Army University, and installation Education Service Officers (ESOs). The DPM also holds primary responsibility for the contract's Quality Control Plan (QCP), the Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) reporting cadence, and the operational response to any deficiencies or corrective-action requirements. Additionally, the DPM leads the integrated execution of subcontractor performance across the Team Crowned Grace (TCG) workforce, ensuring accountability and maintaining high standards that positively reflect on the organization.

Qualifications:

Clearance and citizenship

• U.S. citizenship required.
• Secret clearance eligibility is required at a minimum. Active or current Secret clearance preferred. Favorable Tier 3 (NACI/NACLC) trust determination required for CAC issuance and Army Ignited ED system access at award.

Education

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution; degree in education, business administration, public administration, human resources, organizational leadership, or related field preferred.

• Master's degree (e.g., MBA, M.Ed., MPA, MSML) preferred and can be

  substituted for two years of management experience.

Experience

• Minimum ten (10) years of professional management experience, of which at least seven (7) years are in delivering Federal Government services to the Department of Defense, Department of War, or another Federal customer.
• Minimum five (5) years of multi-site services management experience across thirty (30) or more geographically dispersed locations, including direct accountability for a dispersed workforce of at least 100 personnel.
• Minimum three (3) years of direct experience supporting the Army Continuing Education System (ACES), Soldier for Life - Transition Assistance Program (SFL-TAP), USARC ACES, the Air Force Air University Voluntary Education program, or another Service voluntary education program.
• Demonstrated experience with Army Ignited ED, the ACAPO workflow, AR 621-5 implementation, the DANTES testing program, and the Army Personnel Testing program.
• Demonstrated experience with Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) services contract execution at the contract value range of $20M+ annually, including FFP cost discipline, surge management, and option-year administration.
• OCONUS contract execution experience strongly preferred - particularly performance under the U.S.-ROK Status of Forces Agreement, the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement, the USFK Invited Contractor / Technical Representative program (USFK Reg 700-19), and SPOT-based Letter of Authorization administration.
• Experience leading subcontractors under FAR Part 19 set-asides, including limitations-on-subcontracting compliance under FAR 52.219-14, is required.

Knowledge

• Working knowledge of AR 621-5, AR 350-20, AR 380-67, and DFARS Subpart 5108.92 (ACES contracts).
• Working knowledge of FAR Part 19 (Small Business Programs), FAR 52.219-14 (limitations on subcontracting), and FAR 52.244-6 (subcontracts for commercial products and commercial services).
• Working knowledge of the Service Contract Act and related Department of Labor wage determinations as applied to multi-installation services contracts.
• Working knowledge of the ISO 9001:2015 quality management standard.
• Working knowledge of NIST SP 800-171 / DFARS 252.204-7012 cybersecurity requirements as they apply to contractor systems handling Government Soldier and Family member PII.

• Working knowledge of NIST SP 800-171 / DFARS 252.204-7012 cybersecurity requirements as they apply to contractor systems handling Government Soldier and Family member PII.

Skills and abilities

• Demonstrated ability to lead a geographically distributed workforce through both routine and crisis operations, including base-access restrictions, host-nation events, and continuing-resolution funding gaps.
• Demonstrated ability to write, present, and brief in formal Government settings - including Monthly Status Reports, In-Process Reviews, and post-award debriefs.
• Working proficiency with cloud-based compliance dashboarding, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and standard PMO tooling (Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, or comparable).
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in a culturally credible manner with active-duty Service members and Army Family members, including in OCONUS environments.
• Demonstrated cost discipline and budget accountability across an FFP services portfolio.

Certifications

• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute, OR Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Level II / III in Program Management, OR a Federal Acquisition Certification for Program and Project Managers (FAC-P/PM) Mid-Level or Senior-Level.
• ITIL Foundation, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt, or comparable process-management certification preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior service in the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserve, or U.S. Army National Guard - particularly in roles related to Soldier readiness, education, training, or installation management. Retired Senior Non-Commissioned Officer (E-8/E-9) or Senior Officer (O-5/O-6) backgrounds are strongly preferred.
• Prior service as an Army Education Service Officer (ESO) or in HQ IMCOM G-9 ACES staff roles.
• Prior performance as a Site Manager, Regional Manager, or Deputy PM on a prior IMCOM-wide or USARC ACES contract (W9124J21C0019, W9124J15C0104, W91247-25-R-A008, or W9124J-17-C-0018).
• Prior performance as a senior leader on the SFL-TAP program at any installation.

• Demonstrated experience leading personnel during phase-in, phase-out, or transition between contractors on a government services contract with two-week or shorter phase-in windows.
• Korean and/or Japanese language proficiency at the working-professional level.
• Prior experience with WOSB, SDVOSB, 8(a), or HUBZone set-aside contract execution and FAR 52.219-14 compliance.
• Prior service in the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Reserve, or U.S. Army National Guard - particularly in roles related to Soldier readiness, education, training, or installation management. Retired Senior Non-Commissioned Officer (E-8/E-9) or Senior Officer (O-5/O-6) backgrounds are strongly preferred.
• Prior service as an Army Education Service Officer (ESO) or in HQ IMCOM G-9 ACES staff roles.
• Prior performance as a Site Manager, Regional Manager, or Deputy PM on a prior IMCOM-wide or USARC ACES contract (W9124J21C0019, W9124J15C0104, W91247-25-R-A008, or W9124J-17-C-0018).
• Prior performance as a senior leader on the SFL-TAP program at any installation.
• Demonstrated experience leading personnel during phase-in, phase-out, or transition between contractors on a government services contract with two-week or shorter phase-in windows.
• Korean and/or Japanese language proficiency at the working-professional level.
• Prior experience with WOSB, SDVOSB, 8(a), or HUBZone set-aside contract execution and FAR 52.219-14 compliance.

A successful background check and drug screen is required