Senior Program Specialist, CEW [Urgent]

Company: National Council on Aging
Location: Arlington
Posted on: November 2, 2025

Job Description:

National Council on Aging We believe every person deserves to age well. That’s why we’re on a path to improve the lives of 40 million older adults by 2030. Come join an awesome team and learn about the work we do, the people we serve, and why equitable aging matters now more than ever. At NCOA, we represent the interests of the aging population across the nation, while striving to live out our core values of equity, excellence, and innovation. This is meaningful work where we put “people first” and our employees can learn and grow, where work/life balance is prioritized, and have a flexible hybrid work schedule while being part of a dynamic, collaborative team. We are interested in growing our team with passionate, committed, and innovative individuals. The Senior Program Specialist, Center for Economic Well-Being (CEW) will join NCOA at a time of dynamic growth. POSITION SUMMARY The Senior Program Specialist, Center for Economic Well-Being (CEW) plays a pivotal role in developing and coordinating programmatic activities within the CEW team. This role will serve as the education coordinator for the MIPPA network, working both independently and collaboratively to plan and implement training and technical assistance (TA) for network members, including grantees, service delivery partners, and community-based organizations. In addition to serving as the education coordinator, this role will serve as the primary point of contact for a select group of community-based partners across the country, monitoring and supporting their achievement of social impact goals, highlighting exemplary practices, and providing specialized information, support, and resources to strengthen and expand an integrated, sustainable service system. The Senior Program Specialist works closely with NCOA staff, external grantees, consultants, and other network members and partners and across diverse audiences of service providers, community leaders, funders, and the public. Key activities include working with the Associate Directors and Program Associates to coordinate and manage the TA and education schedule and presentations for the MIPPA network. This position will support Benefits Enrollment Center (BEC) grantees in meeting their goals of enrolling low-income eligible Medicare beneficiaries in core benefit programs that assist them with paying for their Medicare and food costs. These core benefits include Low-Income Subsidy (LIS), Medicare Savings Program (MSP), Medicaid, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This position requires travel to grantee sites, national conferences, and other meetings. Positions at this level typically report to an Associate Director or Director and require advanced knowledge and experience, as well as strong project management capabilities. Incumbents are required to make independent judgements within their scope of work and require minimal oversight. Incumbents generally have three or more years of experience in their discipline and a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent, as well as substantive experience at this level. Graduate level degrees may be considered in lieu of experience. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - Serve as the education coordinator; lead the coordination and planning of the MIPPA network’s TA and education schedule, including identifying training needs, managing presenters, and curating content for the learning management platform. - Manage training communications, including sending follow-up information, sharing recordings and resources, and updating the network on upcoming sessions. - Partner with the marketing and communications team to develop announcements and outreach materials for trainings. - Analyze trends in training feedback for the MIPPA network, assess trends against other NCOA training content in the learning management platform and recommend improvements to NCOA’s TA strategy based on emerging trends. - Coordinate with Associate Directors to identify and develop educational materials needed for the network - Serve as the primary point of contact for a portfolio of BEC grantees, providing tailored capacity-building support and holding grantees accountable for progress against program goals. - Deliver technical assistance and resource support to network members, including monitoring partner activities; researching and providing prompt and thoughtful responses to requests for information or assistance; resource development (e.g., tip sheets, issue briefs, fact sheets, toolkits, etc.); ongoing communication with partners via various channels to support their activities and goals; and documenting and sharing learnings and exemplary practices from the field. - Identify, track, and encourage the adoption of comprehensive, person-centered approaches that improve access to health coverage and benefits, economic and financial security, social benefits, and safety net resources. - Assist with the development of requests for proposals (RFPs) to select and award grant funding to qualified community-based organizations (CBOs). - Represent the CEW team by participating in national and regional meetings and other events to increase knowledge about health care access, economic security, and access to safety net systems and social benefits for older adults, and to raise the visibility of NCOA’s work. - Communicate learnings about the CEW’s work through conference presentations, webinars, reports, publications, and other venues. - Foster a spirit of collaboration, coordination, and communication in carrying out responsibilities, and work closely with NCOA staff to accomplish goals. Actively participate in team meetings, contribute to the agenda, and support creative solutions to issues that are discussed. Participate in work plan discussions, performance monitoring reviews, and continuous quality improvement activities that contribute to team success. - Monitor program activities to ensure quality and accuracy of work outcomes and compliance with contractual and grant commitments. Manage relationships with and provide oversight of partners and grantees. Oversee and track contracts with partners, including assisting with reporting and invoicing requirements. - Assist with the development of grant proposals to expand the work of CEW. - Perform other duties as assigned. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS - Bachelor’s degree with 3-5 years of experience providing technical assistance and/or grants management in a related role. - Demonstrated ability to coordinate, deliver, and evaluate education and training initiatives for adult learners. - Experience with online learning management platforms. - Proven experience managing projects and grants effectively, with strong organizational skills and attention to detail. - Ability to identify trends and take the initiative to mitigate risks and elevate successes. - Exceptional verbal, written, and online communication skills to support work conducted primarily via email, virtual meetings, or over the phone. - Proven ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with diverse audiences. - Understanding and knowledge of public benefits, aging issues, and/or impact of economic insecurity of older adults preferred. Expertise related to Medicare, Medicare Savings Program, Medicaid and supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) is a plus. - Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word). Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM platforms, Asana, databases, and online tools strongly preferred. Familiarity with webinar technology is a plus. - Willingness and ability to participate in anticipated in-state and out-of-state travel, including overnight travel, as requested (up to 20%). PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. - Frequently required to sit or use a standing desk. - Occasionally required to walk. - Occasionally required to reach with hands and arms. - Frequently required to talk or listen. - Occasionally required to bend, lift or climb stairs. - Occasionally required to lift light weights (less than 25 pounds). WORK ENVIRONMENT - The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. SELECTION PROCESS We only accept applications that follow the electronic process. No phone calls please. This position is subject to background screening. NCOA offers generous benefits, including: - Medical, Dental, Vision, STD, LTD insurances - Paid vacation, sick, and other types of leave - 403(b) Retirement plan - Hybrid remote work options - And more! NCOA is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer PIcd3e54994bd1-37156-38906308

Keywords: National Council on Aging, Arlington , Senior Program Specialist, CEW [Urgent], Healthcare , Arlington, Virginia