SBIR Technical Liaison (ARPA-H, Office of Commercialization)

General Information 

• Job Code: SHR-AM-04T 

• Location: Remote; Rockville, MD, USA

• Employee Type: Exempt, Full-Time Regular  

• Telework: Remote (some travel anticipated)
• Clearance: Public Trust

• Salary Range: $89,869.53 - $112,336.92 per year (how we pay and promote)  

Position Overview 

If you have a passion for pushing innovative research from small businesses through the commercialization pipeline, consider applying for this role!

As a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Technical Liaison working with staff in the Office of Commercialization at ARPA-H, you will play a pivotal role on the Ripple Effect support team! Your work will directly impact technical diligence reporting on commercialization progress for SBIR programming. You will apply your experience in research related to federal government project management, research, or policy development within the health sector to support our client’s mission.

While not an exhaustive list, the key duties for the position include: 

• Develop due diligence reports on proposed SBIR topics about related or duplicative funding in the public or private sector and potential commercial opportunity to support unique, efficient use of ARPA-H dollars 
• Track and analyze technical communications and results from SBIR performers and provide recommendations to the PM and the federal SBIR lead about progress against expectations  
• Track and report on commercial progress across the portfolio of performers as well as making recommendations on existing commercial services (Entrepreneurs-in-residence, market and intellectual property analyses, etc.) to be offered  
• Support the development of new commercialization support capabilities to ensure follow-on funding and long-term success of the small businesses funded by ARPA-H 
• Builds collaborative relationships with stakeholders, contributes to technical solutioning, and supports strategic program alignment. 
• Evaluates compliance with SBIR guidance and regulations, and recommends actions to ensure adherence within project scope.

The ideal candidate leads technical execution and communications for science or health programs, manages timelines, and ensures quality across deliverables. Candidates in this role are expected to work independently with broad guidance, mentoring others and managing complex tasks. Hired individuals will consult supervisors as needed, while contributing to strategic alignment and continuous improvement, and play a key role in team development and stakeholder engagement.

Minimum Qualifications  

• Ph.D. degree in science, health, healthcare, research or relevant fields. 
• 6+ years' relevant experience in research related to federal government project management, research, or policy development within the health sector  
• Additional education substitutes for experience

Core Competencies  

• Project Management: Experience with project management in areas including project planning, timelines, resourcing, risk management, and task management and previous intermediate experience with data, reporting, and dashboarding. 
• Technical Systems: Intermediate experience with project management, productivity, and collaboration software and tools such as Microsoft Planner, Microsoft Project, Asana, Smartsheet, Microsoft Office and Teams, and Sharepoint. 
• Learning and Development: Actively engages in learning and improvement through after-action reviews, problem-solving, mentoring, and embracing essentialism, with experience reading and understanding technical approaches to product development (science, engineering, OR product strategy expertise) and an ability to analyze scientific literature as part of a due diligence.
• Communications: Consistently delivers effective communication by adapting communication style and understanding complex instructions; clear communication within a team and across organizations of scientists and businesspeople.  

Skills That Set You Apart 

• Certification: Certificate in project management such as CAPM, PMP, PgMP or PfMP. 

• Entrepreneurship: Contributes to small business development by evaluating company capabilities, drafting proposals, communicating ARPA-H mission, and identifying commercialization opportunities. 

• Technical Writing: Experience with technical writing in areas including process documentation, briefing decks, status reports, memos and other business writing. 

• AI Proficiency: Intermediate experience with AI tools, including their limitations and risks, and how they can be applied to support project management tasks. 

• Business Intelligence Platforms: Ability to analyze company and investor data – e.g., comfort with Pitchbook or Crunchbase.

About Ripple Effect 

Ripple Effect is a woman-owned, 200-person company of communicators, scientists, researchers, and analysts. Established in 2003, and named as one of the “Best and Brightest Companies to Work For” in 2024 and 2025 by the NABR, Ripple Effect has earned acclaim for delivering unparalleled consulting services and top-tier talent across federal, private, and non-profit sectors. 

At Ripple Effect, we reward our people for their contributions to our mission. Our comprehensive total rewards package includes competitive pay, exceptional benefits, and a range of programs that support your work-life balance and overall well-being. 

Learn more about our benefits and culture here.