Maritime Credentialing Project Manager

Harkcon, Inc. is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business that helps federal organizations improve workforce performance, strengthen programs, modernize processes, and manage complex mission-support activities. We value sound judgment, clear communication, accountability, and practical solutions that help customers accomplish their missions.

We are seeking a Project Manager to support a workforce-transition and credentialing initiative that helps military personnel translate training and experience into recognized civilian maritime qualifications. The successful candidate will understand maritime careers, training standards, qualification records, and credentialing pathways and will be comfortable guiding complex coordination among service members, educators, credentialing specialists, and program leaders.

Location: This position is primarily at federal customer facilities in Norfolk, Virginia, and Washington, DC. Remote work or telework is subject to government approval and is not guaranteed.

*** This position is contingent upon award of a contract to Harkcon***

Key Responsibilities

• Manage projects that align military occupations, training, qualifications, and sea service with civilian maritime credentialing requirements.evelop and maintain project plans, schedules, milestones, stakeholder maps, risk logs, issue trackers, and recurring reports.
• Coordinate review of training records, course content, qualification standards, assessment requirements, and credentialing pathways.
• Develop crosswalks, process maps, guides, decision tools, briefing materials, and outreach products that explain credentialing options and required actions.
• Work with maritime instructors, assessors, credentialing specialists, training commands, operational personnel, educational institutions, and program offices.
• Track questions, cases, cohorts, documentation requirements, decisions, and follow-up actions using approved systems and shared workspaces.
• Identify policy, process, data, and communication barriers that delay or complicate credential attainment and recommend practical improvements.
• Support informational sessions, stakeholder meetings, applicant or participant communications, and program performance reporting.
• Maintain accurate records and ensure advice and products remain aligned with current statutes, policy, and credentialing standards.
• Develop and maintain examinations within approved secure systems.
• Support instructional design and curriculum revisions addressing identified credentialing gaps.
• Crosswalk maritime standards and approved courses to support continued course approval.
• Coordinate participant inquiries and schedule credentialing counseling sessions.
• Recommend curriculum adjustments that address credentialing gaps at minimal cost.

Required Qualifications

• Experience creating and implementing successful maritime training programs and courses.
• Active instructor and/or assessor qualification issued by the National Maritime Center.
• Prior military experience as a member of the Afloat Community.
• Familiarity with military A-Schools, C-Schools, qualification systems, and governing directives applicable to military training systems.
• Strong understanding of maritime regulations, standards, and best practices.
• Working knowledge of maritime occupations, shipboard duties, training records, qualification systems, and credentialing concepts.
• Experience coordinating technical reviews and translating complex requirements into clear guidance, crosswalks, or action plans.
• Strong project-management, research, writing, briefing, and customer-service skills.
• Ability to handle sensitive personnel and training information appropriately.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Teams, SharePoint, and structured tracking tools.
• Ability to meet federal background-investigation, credentialing, and system-access requirements and remain eligible to obtain a Secret security clearance. An active clearance is not currently required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of merchant mariner credential applications, sea-service documentation, approved training, examinations, medical or security prerequisites, and endorsement pathways.
• Experience with military A-School, C-School, apprenticeship, qualification, or rating-development programs.
• Project Management Professional or similar certification.
• Four-year degree in education, training, or maritime studies.
• Prior Coast Guard afloat experience and familiarity with military training-enterprise operations.
• Familiarity with e-learning authoring, examination-development, and digital learning tools.

Work Environment

This is a full-time position which may support a distributed team through a combination of remote work and activities at federal customer locations. The employee must be able to participate in virtual and in-person meetings, work during normal customer business hours, travel periodically, and use customer-approved collaboration and information systems. Specific location, travel, and access requirements will be confirmed before placement.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Harkcon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability.