Program Operations Consultant/Senior Consultant

Nexight Group is seeking experienced and highly capable professionals to serve as central coordinators that support our DOE clients in developing and managing high-visibility, rapidly evolving, and technologically diverse programs for critical minerals and materials production. Ideal candidates will be agile and analytical problem-solvers, independent decision-makers, excellent communicators, and extremely organized and detail-oriented. Candidates should have a relevant degree and 8 or more years of professional experience. 6 years of experience is acceptable if the candidate has a master’s degree, and 2 years is acceptable with a PhD.

Nexight Group is a small technical and management consulting firm that serves a variety of clients, including the Department of Energy (DOE). Adaptability, critical thinking, genuine curiosity, and collaboration are all equally important skills to technical experience.

Please note, any job offer is contingent on contract award, anticipated before July 2026. The hiring process for these positions will conclude with a “meet & greet” between individual candidates and client representatives. Nexight Group representatives will attend the meet & greet to facilitate the discussion. Federal client participation in candidate meetings is limited to non‑binding familiarization and technical context. All employment decisions remain solely with Nexight Group, and client feedback shall not supersede objective, job‑related hiring criteria or compliance obligations.

Successful candidate will work directly with high-level DOE leadership across multiple DOE critical minerals and materials initiatives to provide strategic, execution, and communications. These individuals will engage directly and independently with key stakeholders across government, industry, and academia on a regular basis to ensure that clients are adequately informed and prepared to make important decisions and effectively steward their programs.

Applicants should have the necessary skills to perform the following job functions:

• →Serve as the point of contact for numerous internal and external stakeholders, managing incoming requests and information, prioritizing and sequencing actions for office-level leadership, and proactively identifying conflicts, risks, and opportunities for the program portfolio while coordinating the client’s time, priorities, and decisions.
• →Drive follow-through on key actions and decisions, stepping in to manage workflows and advance critical tasks where ownership is unclear or capacity is constrained.
• →Support the client in designing, building, and refining programmatic infrastructure, including processes for decision-making, information flow, and coordination within the office, with other offices, with other federal agencies, and with key stakeholders from industry and academia.
• →Maintain a comprehensive understanding of the client’s RD&D portfolio, with awareness of project metrics, milestones, and decisions points, and synthesize this information to develop high-quality communications materials, for senior leadership, including briefings, memos, program documentation, and other reports.
• →Establish and maintain repositories for program documentation and communication materials, while ensuring that repositories are functional, up-to-date, accessible, and aligned with leadership needs.
• →Support clients in navigating the organizational constraints, dynamic priorities and authorities, and interoffice coordination dynamics of a new and rapidly evolving office.
• →Support planning, preparation, coordination, facilitation, and follow up for internal and external events, including workshops, webinars, and strategic planning meetings. 

Nexight’s offices are in Silver Spring, MD. The position is open to in-person or hybrid candidates. Candidates must be willing to travel, including to Golden, CO and the Washington, D.C. area to support DOE clients. Candidates must be available to work during client business hours, which are typically in the eastern time zone.

This is a primarily sedentary position in an environmentally controlled office setting, although moving between work areas may be required. Manipulating a computer keyboard or mouse and operating standard office equipment is typically required for this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., engineering, public policy, business, or related discipline)
• 8 years of professional experience in roles involving strategic, operational, and communications support within the federal government, consulting, or other complex organizational settings.
  • 6 years is acceptable with a master’s degree, and 2 years with a PhD.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information and produce clear, concise materials to inform strategic decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate actions between and amongst diverse teams, to drive alignment across technical, strategic, and operational domains.
• Familiarity with federally funded research, development, and demonstration programs.
• Ability to work with minimal oversight in both independent and team-based environments, and a “roll up your sleeves” spirit that likes to learn by doing.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs, particularly Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

• Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., engineering, public policy, business, or related discipline)
• 16 years of professional experience in roles involving strategic, operational, and communications support within a DOE program office.
  • 14 years is acceptable with a master’s degree, and 10 years with a PhD.
• Proven experience advising senior leadership on messaging, timing, and positioning of key actions to maintain strategic alignment in an organization with dynamic priorities and complex interdepartmental relationships.
• Experience designing and implementing processes for decision-making, information flow, and coordination within complex organizations, and proven ability to identify inefficiencies and implement improvements.
• Experience planning and coordinating external events, workshops, and engagements, ensuring alignment with program priorities and stakeholder needs.
• Familiarity with global and domestic critical mineral/material supply chains and detailed knowledge of U.S mining and mineral commodity production industries.

This position is not eligible for work sponsorship and requires public trust clearance.