Program Manager, Federal Benefits Institute

 ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION 

The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), a non-profit membership association more than 140,000 current and retired federal employees, is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the earned pay, retirement and health care benefits of federal employees, retirees and their survivors and providing the information and guidance needed to understand and maximize complex federal benefits. NARFE is the go-to resource for the federal community, policymakers, and the media on issues related to legislation and federal benefits. NARFE is a hybrid working environment.

The Program Manager, Federal Benefits Institute is responsible for executing the activities of NARFE’s Federal Benefits Institute and the association’s annual conferences to provide educational and informational content to NARFE members as a key source of value to drive recruitment and retention of members, and engagement necessary to secure revenue via sponsorships, advertisements, and program/event registration. 

The Program Manager is responsible for the creation and implementation of Institute products and services such as webinars, pre-retirement training, white papers, fact sheets, FAQs and managing responses to NARFE member inquiries on federal benefits issues.

What You'll Be Doing in the role of Program Manager:

• Manages the NARFE Federal Benefits Institute, which provides educational and information resources and personal assistance to help federal employees and retirees take charge of their federal benefits and ensure a secure future.
• Manages the creation and development of webinars, trainings, white papers and benefit briefs, fact sheets, FAQs and other informational and educational products.
• Coordinates with NARFE's marketing, sponsorship, and membership groups to align products and priorities.
• Develops and maintains relationships with current subject matter experts (SMEs) and identifies possible new SMEs. 
• Develops, manages, and executes a process for NARFE programs staff and subject matter expert (SMEs) partners to respond to member inquiries via phone, e-mail and through NARFE’s member community, FEDHub, regarding federal benefits.
• Develops and manages communications with federal agencies (Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Thrift Savings Plan, etc.) and program or insurance plan administrators to help NARFE members receive expedited assistance on personal benefit issues from agencies and program/plan administrators.
• Manages planning and execution of annual conferences FEDcon (even-year conference; ~400 attendees) and LEGcon (odd-year, in-person or virtual legislative training conference, ~200 attendees); including managing event registration, overseeing logistics for in-person events in coordination with event planner, developing content, coordinating with business development manager on sponsorship deliverables, coordinating with communications manager on conference website, and developing and managing event budgets and conference evaluation.
• Develops goals and objectives for the Institute on an annual basis.
• Creates business processes for all areas of the Institute’s work.
• Develops and maintains relationships with strategic partners across the federal community, including federal benefits officers, and partner groups across the federal community.
• Ensures the Institute webpages are maintained and up to date.
• Works with the OPM contacts on needs assessments for Institute training and outreach.
• Creates and deploys assessments/surveys of products and services to ensure they are meeting goals and to identify what members and non-members want/need.
• Identifies products and services to be managed by the Institute.
•  Other duties as assigned. 

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: This position directly supervises one other staff member (Coord. Level) responsible for answering member inquiries, coordinating with external Federal Benefits vendor and managing webinars, and developing content for the institute.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS 

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Three to five years of project or program management experience, preferably focused on curation and delivery of educational or informational resources via a variety of channels (website, e-newsletters, in-person or digital webinars and training).
• Experience supporting events required; experience in planning and managing events preferred.  
• Managerial/Supervisory experience preferred.
• Experience with a membership association preferred. 
• Experience assisting federal retirees and/or employees with federal retirement and health benefit issues, within or outside the federal government, a plus. 

Qualifications:

• Experience managing publication/broadcasting of educational resources and webinars, including familiarity with Zoom and other virtual meeting/webinar/events platforms.  
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills
• Familiarity with database use (CRM or AMS experience preferred).
• Expertise w/developing new successful relationships with prospective partners.
• Exceptional leadership, time management, facilitation, and organizational skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively across departments.
• Knowledge of federal retirement and health benefits programs, policies and procedures a plus 

Communication Experience: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, legal documents, and legislative text. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format.  

Computer Skills: To perform this job successfully, an individual should have strong knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (word, excel, power point, etc.).  Internet research and social media engagement skills are also required. 

Work Environment: The organization is currently operating on a hybrid schedule (In office 3 days/Remote 2 days/week).  The NARFE headquarters office is conveniently located near the Braddock Road metro station in Old Town Alexandria. NARFE provides staff with a generous paid time off policy; medical, dental, retirement benefits, transit/parking benefits, 11 paid holidays, and professional development programs to enhance staff skills. Free on-site parking available.

Travel is required up to 10% of the time.

Salary Range: The starting rate is $65,000-$70,000 annually. The final candidate's relevant experience/skills will be considered before an offer is extended. Actual starting pay will vary based on non-discriminatory factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, specialty, and education.

Apply Here: Please forward cover letter and resume to the Human Resources Director at vbarnes@narfe.org

Come join NARFE and help us protect the earned benefits of the federal community. NARFE is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive culture.