Job Description
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) mission is to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards. The DHS Office of Health Affairs (OHA) in Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) provides medical, health, and scientific expertise in support of the DHS mission to prepare for, respond to, and recover from all threats. The BioWatch Program Office within DHS CWMD supports this mission through the BioWatch program, the only civilian program that monitors for the aerosol release of bioterrorism agents. The Mission of the BioWatch program is to provide and maintain a continuous bio-terrorism air monitoring system in large metropolitan areas and coordinate with state and local public health communities to prepare for and respond to a bioterrorist event. Established in 2003, BioWatch continuously monitors select urban environments twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
The BioWatch program’s Strategic Objectives include:
- Monitor for highest priority biological agents that could result in catastrophic outcomes.
- Provide protection in the most at-risk locations of the nation.
- Maintain the technical oversight of operations in close collaboration with state and local public health partners who execute the program.
- Conduct advanced development, procure and deploy better detection capability at lower cost with Federal research and development (R&D)
- Coordinate Federal, State, and local public health preparedness planning activities to develop operational protocols for a BioWatch Actionable Result (BAR).
- Continue to strengthen Federal, State, and local partnerships and build efficiencies.
The BioWatch program consists of distinct operational components including field, laboratory and public health. The field component conducts daily collection of air filter samples for delivery to a state or local laboratory. The public health component develops response plans and manages the local public response in the event of a BioWatch Actionable Result. The Laboratory Component includes capabilities to analyze collected samples to detect the presence of select biological agents and report the results. The BioWatch Program Office currently provides contracted laboratory staff to most BioWatch laboratories to perform the laboratory analysis under the guidance of the local Laboratory Director.
Duties - General:
- BryceTech is seeking a Program Manager to lead our BioWatch Contractor Support Team and assist the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’) Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office in its mission to provide expertise and prepare for, respond to, and recover from domestic and international biological threats and incidents. This position offers the unique opportunity to enhance emergency preparedness and biosecurity in some of our nation’s largest cities.
- Work Location: Hybrid. The Program Manager will be based at one of the 30 Laboratories located throughout the United States and be expected to work at the government facility 2-3 days per week when not traveling.
- Travel: This position requires extensive travel (40-60%) within CONUS in order to conduct site visits to each of the 30 laboratories on an annual basis. The Program Manager will also attend the three-day National BioWatch Workshop as well as coordinate the travel of staff to this event.
Essential Job Responsibilities Essential Job Responsibilities.
- Supports the USG BioWatch Project Manager and Local Laboratory Directors in all aspects of contract execution, including cost, schedule, performance, risks, quality, and resources.
- Supports effective management of a geographically dispersed workforce that conducts BioWatch operations across the US in approximately 30 jurisdictions 24 hours/day, 365 days a year.
- Coordinates with biological and laboratory scientists and oversees sample collection, identification, tracking, and completion of BioWatch program requirements.
- Supports annual technical and inventory visits to each BioWatch location.
- Supports contract transition, recruiting, retention, and overall performance of the team.
- Collaborates with technical experts, laboratory directors, and external stakeholders to review contract requirements, program schedules and milestones, contract deliverables, and strategic plans.
- Supports immediate and effective resolution of program risks and issues.
- The Project Manager will be responsible for all Contractor work performed under this PWS.
- The Project Manager shall be a single point of contact for the Contracting Officer and the COR.
- The Project Manager shall be available to the COR via telephone between the hours of 0800 and 1800 EST, Monday through Friday, and shall respond to a request for discussion or resolution of technical problems within 2 hours of notification.
- The Project Manager shall provide a monthly progress report to the Contracting Officer and COR via electronic mail. This report shall include a summary of all Contractor work performed, including a breakdown of labor hours by labor category, all direct costs by line item, an assessment of technical progress, areas of risk, schedule status, any travel conducted and any Contractor concerns or recommendations for the previous reporting period.
- The Program Manager will also provide an annual performance review to the BioWatch Program at a location designated by the Program near the midterm of the period of performance.
- The Project Manager shall be responsible for keeping the COR informed about Contractor progress throughout the performance period of this contract and ensure Contractor activities are aligned with DHS objectives.
- The Project Manager and other Key Personnel shall be available to meet with the CO and COR upon request to present deliverables, discuss progress, exchange information and resolve emergent technical problems and issues. At a minimum, this meeting shall take place on an annual basis and be held at a Government facility (1120 Vermont Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20005) unless all parties agree to an alternative location or schedule.
- The Program Manager will coordinate with the Contractor to ensure that the Laboratory staffing levels overall shall not fall below 90 percent per year and the staffing level shall not fall below 75 percent in excess of one month for any BioWatch laboratory.
- The Program Manager will be responsible for the training of the staff and will oversee the required training to staff to address vacancies or newly formed positions and ensure that they have successfully completed competency requirements to support operations at the Local laboratory.
- The Program Manager must prepare for Laboratory Operations Surge and Special Event Support for BioWatch Program Activities. The PM shall provide support, on an ad hoc basis, to maintain operations during public health incidents, natural disasters, and other emergency requirements, as needed. This may include, but is not limited to, increased sample burdens, relocation of testing, or implementation of alternative schedules. The Contractor shall provide experienced, trained, and competent laboratory personnel to support analysis in an appropriate laboratory space that may be located anywhere in the United States and its Territories. Personnel supporting emergency response events must be available to travel to the designated location within 72 hours of notification by the COR.
- A technical visit to each operational location, including those staffed through cooperative agreements, must be performed annually. Due to the large number of laboratory staff and dispersed locations, it is anticipated that the Contractor may require multiple staff to assist the Technical Manager and Project Manager with the daily oversight and management aspects of this effort.
- The Program Manager in conjunction with the Contractor shall develop and implement a Quality Assurance Oversight and Notification Plan to ensure contractor personnel are conducting themselves in a professional manner and relating appropriately with other personnel, to include state and/or local personnel in the BioWatch laboratory.
- The Program Manager in conjunction with the Contractor shall prepare and submit a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) to the Government. The BCP Plan shall be due 90 business days after the date of award and will be updated on an annual basis. The BCP shall document Contractor plans and procedures to maintain support during an emergency, including natural disasters and acts of terrorism.
- Potential Locations: Dallas, Tx; Houston, TX, Jacksonville, FL; Jefferson City, MO; Los Angeles, CA; New York City, NY; Reyoldsburg, OH; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; Shoreline, WA; Richmond, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Denver, CO; El Paso, TX; Austin, TX; Brooks-City Base, TX; St. Paul, MN; Chicago, IL; Indianapolis, IN; Lansing, MI; Decatur, GA; Tampa, FL; Miami, FL; Richmond, VA; Silver Springs/Rockville, MD; Baltimore, MD; Trenton, NJ; and Jamaica Plain-Boston, MA.