Program Manager, Fargo, ND; on-site in Fargo

Thomas & Reed, LLC

Thomas and Reed, LLC is a consulting firm in Indianapolis, IN focused on Government Contracting.

We are seeking a Program Manager to promote the services of the Rural Export Center (REC) to USCS Trade Specialists, State Trade Offices, District Export Councils and other stakeholders, ensuring rural companies are aware of REC assistance. The Program Manager will support the REC Director in responding to ITA leadership, USCS clients and external stakeholders, conduct training for Market Research Analysts and Assistants, oversee research reports, and maintain training materials.

• Promote REC services to Rural Team members, Trade Specialists, State Trade Offices, District Export Councils and other stakeholders via phone calls, videoconferencing, and emails, generating sufficient research requests.
• Maintain the Trade Specialist Guide, ensuring US CS Trade Specialists have clear guidelines on REC services; edits require REC Director approval.

• Oversee the status and research quality of market research reports developed by Market Research Analysts and Assistants.
• Use and train staff in project management techniques, high‑quality REC approved and other research tools (including those in the Common Data Platform) and effective communication strategies with clients.

• Maintain a Works in Progress (WIP) project tracking document for REC Research Reports, Website Globalization Reviews, and client training, as determined by the REC Director.

• Oversee maintenance of procedure manuals, templates, and training documents to ensure consistency of onboarding, systems access, work, communication and reports for Analysts and Assistants.
• Training materials must be approved by the REC Director prior to use.
• Ensure new contractors and interns fully comprehend research methodologies through a mentor/check‑in/oversight system approved by the REC Director.

• Participate in meetings with clients, including U.SCS Trade Specialists and REC Director, covering discussions of matrix criteria, results, polling, and final project reviews, ensuring findings are clear, actionable and incorporate U.S. Commercial Service programs.
• Coordinate with local U.SCS Trade Specialists and REC Director to invite Congressional offices to final research presentations.

• Work with local U.SCS Trade Specialists to ensure REC cases are recorded in the client management system (Salesforce) and client folder system.
• Record staff interactions in coaching notes detailing participants, dates, research requests, intervention strategies, conference call summaries, matrix findings, outcomes, client feedback, and future actions.

• Coordinate a weekly call with contractors and interns to brief the REC Director on project status.
• Coordinate a monthly call with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), Contractor Management and REC Director; record and publish meeting minutes.

• Continuously seek new data tools and research databases for integration into current tools.
• Advise on effectiveness and frequency of use of databases subscribed by REC.

• Work with Contractor Management and COR to monitor contract burn rate, record hours, and provide weekly activity reports.
• Ensure contractors use the time tracking system, sending weekly reports of start times, activities, tracking and end times.
• Assess quarterly the number of hours to complete reports and determine efficiencies to streamline drafting; share results with REC Director.

• Participate in recruiting and hiring of new contractors, advising on staffing needs; report deficiencies to leadership and resolve them.
• Keep REC Director and COR apprised of candidate developments; provide onboarding schedules for new hires.

• Track government property issued to REC contractors in an…