IMSolutions is seeking ambitious college seniors or early career professionals who are ready to immerse themselves into a career in federal acquisitions.
This is a 100% Remote position.
About IMSolutions LLC
Headquartered in Dumfries, Virginia, IMSolutions (IMS), LLC, is a rapidly growing, economically-disadvantaged, woman-owned (8m), and veteran-owned small business providing innovative and cost-competitive management consulting services to public sector organizations. We specialize in business and program management solutions, with a primary focus on harnessing “cradle-to-grave” public sector procurement, acquisition, and contracting best practices to acquire mission critical capabilities.
About the US Department of the Interior
Created on March 3, 1849, the mission of the US Department of the Interior (DOI) is to “protect and manage the Nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage; provide scientific and other information about those resources; and honor the nation’s trust responsibilities and special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated island communities.” As the executive department of the Federal government tasked with this mission, the DOI plays a central role in how the United States stewards its public lands, increases environmental protections, pursues environmental justice, and honors our nation-to-nation relationship with Tribes.
About the DOI Interior Business Center
The mission of the Department of the Interior’s – Interior Business Center (DOI-IBC) is to provide exceptional quality business solutions and customer service to DOI’s clients so they may focus on achieving their missions. As such, the vision of the IBC is to be “the premier acquisition support provider to the federal government [via] contracting projects that range from professional and information technology products and services to aviation support.”
Fellowship Program Overview
Sponsored by the DOI IBC and managed by IMS, the ΙΜS-DOI ACQPASS Fellowship Program is a “first-of-its-kind” contractor-based, early-career paid fellowship program committed to empowering the next generation of federal acquisition professionals through a 24-month competitively phased program consisting of formal training, on-the-job training, and a variety of action-oriented activities (i.e., workshops, TEDx-style talks, etc.).
IMSolutions is seeking ambitious college seniors or early career professionals who are ready to immerse themselves into a career in federal acquisitions. This structured two-year, competitive, fellowship will allow select candidates to gain in-depth knowledge and real-world on the job training experience in the federal acquisition services space supporting the Department of Interior (DOI). As IMSolutions Fellows you will–as a part of a larger cohort–receive formal Acquisition Support Services training and gain valuable mentorship from recognized acquisition professionals. Successful completion of this fellowship program will provide fellows certification as an Acquisition Professional.
Throughout this 24-month fellowship, IMSolutions Fellows will receive comprehensive knowledge, skills and abilities in the following areas:
Acquisition Foundational Skills:
• Pre- and Post-Award Acquisition Support
• Strategy Development
• Market Research
• Financial Management
• Price Analysis
These foundational acquisition skills will contribute to the process of acquiring the knowledge to meet the requirements of this fellowship and award each fellowship participant who completes this program with an Acquisition Services Certification.
Soft Skills Needed for the “New Normal”:
• Critical Thinking
• Prioritization
• Design Thinking
• Decision-Making
• Negotiation
• Communication
These skills will enable fellows to thrive in this dynamic, highly visible federal acquisition space. As acquisition options change and expand in an environment where speed is critical and customer needs are increasingly complex and specialized, the next generation workforce will need these types of skills to identify and pursue optimal acquisition solutions.
Specialized Skills for Emerging and Future Requirements: These skills focus on acquisition disruptive change drivers to include the speed of technology advancement, cyber and supply chain threats, and the power of data analytics in purchasing.
These skills will expose our fellowship participants to key changes on the acquisition horizon, in turn, providing each fellow with the knowledge and understanding of what will shape the future of federal acquisition processes.
Fellowship Cohort Activities:
During this 24-month fellowship program, each fellow will receive a schedule of cohort program activities that includes:
• Supervised and mentored on the job training (OJT) – learn by doing
• Interaction-based learning – learn from others
• Formal coursework, including both Instructor-Led Training (ILT) and self-paced courses – learn from content
OJT begins immediately following the completion of a DOI-provided organizational and acquisition business system orientation and continues through the end of the one-year Contractor Certification Program. This 24-month competitive fellowship will be broken down into the following four phases:
Selection Phase: IMSolutions will be selecting up to 35 individuals to participate in 140 hours of required pre-requisite training. During this phase, individuals will meet with acquisition professionals, mentors, and coaches to begin building vital relationships with program leadership. Selection to the program occurs in March 2022, with pre-requisite training being conducted throughout the month of April 2022.
At the end of this competitive selection phase, IMSolutions Curricula and Standards Review Board will down select from 35 individuals to a 24-person cohort fellowship.
Phase 1: This phase begins once the 24-person cohort is selected and onboarded into the program and begins in May 2022. Program activities focus on the objective of enabling the support of pre-/post-award acquisition duties and to contribute effectively to acquisition strategy development and market research. Mentoring begins. Monitored OJT upon completion of the orientation.
Phase 2: Activities will start in October 2022. These activities will focus on the objective of solidifying skills built in Phase one while building capability in the critical financial management and price analysis elements of acquisition.
Phase 3: The cohort will transition to phase three activities in February 2023. This is the Completion Phase. No new formal course work is presented, instead, the cohort will focus on continued OJT and interaction-based learning. The objective of the completion phase is to strengthen and solidify skills using OJT and exercises that include increasingly complex tasking in pre-/post-award support, market research, acquisition strategy development, financial management, and price analysis.
Upon completion of this competitive two-year fellowship program, the IMSolutions Curricula and Standards Review Board, along with Department of Interior (DOI) program leadership will down select 18 fellows to support DOI as acquisition professionals. Those remaining cohort members who are not down selected to support DOI will be considered for other acquisition positions within IMSolutions
EDUCATION –
• A bachelor’s degree or three (3) or more years of undergraduate coursework
• Must reside in close proximity to the Washington DC metro area throughout this program due to “on-site” work requirements
COMPENSATION –
• Upon selection into the 24-person cohort, fellowship participants will begin to receive an entry level stipend, with the potential to earn a merit-based increase after the first 12-month period
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Equal Opportunity Employment: IMSolutions provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. IMSolutions is an E-Verify Employer. |
