Program Manager

Position: Program Manager

Location: Boston, MA 02108 | Hybrid

Type: long term contract     

Position Summary:

• Provide overall program management, coordination and status reporting of program scope, activities, milestones, deliverables, schedules, budget, resources and quality. Analyze actual performance against plan and make adjustments consistent with the plan objectives related to the management and implementation of Phase 2, the Replacement and Enhancement of Human Capital Management and Payroll Solution.
• Identify and obtain required cross-functional, multi-disciplinary program team members (e.g. business functions, infrastructure, security, architecture, application development, etc.) and provide leadership to ensure that teams will achieve the goals and objectives of the program.
• Create, develop, and maintain all required program artifacts and ensure timely completion of all deliverable documents including program charter, program management plan, detailed scope description, program schedule, team organization chart, detailed budget and actual cost tracking, issues and risk tracking, deliverable quality acceptance criteria, business requirements, technical requirements, program implementation plan, governance structure support and reporting, and document repository.
• Identify and monitor all program risks and issues and communicate/escalate as appropriate. Perform business impact analysis and create mitigation strategies and contingency plans for all program risks in conjunction with the program functional and technical leads and Operations Working Groups.
• Establish acceptance criteria for all project deliverables to ensure program objectives and business requirements have been satisfied and facilitate review sessions to validate acceptance of program deliverables and document necessary approvals or rejections and mitigations.
• Communicate program vision, objectives and status to project stakeholders including Program Sponsors, the Executive Steering Committee (ESC), Subject Matter Experts as well as individual agency leadership staff through regular or periodic presentations and demonstrations.
• Prepare and provide weekly and/or monthly program updates and status reports to Program Sponsors and the Executive Steering Committee.
• Facilitate weekly status meetings with the program functional leads and teams.
• Manage the requirements gathering phase of the program to include broad representation from entities that may be impacted by the Program as well as experts in the business and technical functions encompassed by the Program.
• Manage all required procurement and resource allocation processes as approved by the Program Sponsors and ESC. Procurement activities may include supervision of program staff assigned to manage the procurement of systems integrator and software services per the Phase 2 RFR; working with the procurement team to review and score vendor responses; planning and holding product or other demonstrations for the procurement team, Program Sponsors and ESC; preparing final recommendations on a successful bidder; and developing contract and Service Level Agreement terms for approval by Program Sponsors.
• Manage the relationship of vendor(s) with the Program including development of an integrated project plan, deliverables review and signoff, status reporting and participation in program teams as stipulated in Statements of Work under the vendor’s contract with the program.
• With the program team, create an implementation plan that ensures successful completion of system rollout and timely and adequate end user training for key users in all agencies and transition to production.
• Ensure effective interaction and communication between the program business and technical teams and between the program teams and agencies to assist in managing program implementation.
• Facilitate the program close out phase and identify and document lessons learned.
• Plan for and facilitate the transition of program operational and oversight responsibilities to Commonwealth resources as identified by the Program Sponsors.

Required Skills / Qualifications

• Proven experience as a program/project manager in delivering large and complex financial and/or human resource projects on budget and on schedule with particular emphasis on Commonwealth enterprise applications
• Extensive business analysis and change management experience with large and complex software and business process implementations particularly with Commonwealth enterprise applications
• Proven experience in program/project planning, organizing, team motivation and delegation of tasks as appropriate to accomplish a successful program outcome
• Proven ability to work with senior level leadership across a broad user and stakeholder landscape to build a shared vision and accomplish program/project goals
• Demonstrated experience in budgeting and data analysis skills
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Excellent documentation skills
• Excellent time management skills
• Excellent presentation skills
• Ability to work with tight deadlines in an ever-changing environment
• Able to collaborate as a strong team member in a fast-paced environment
• Able to integrate information from multiple sources to anticipate issues, come up with solutions and resolve problems
• High degree of commitment, flexibility, self-motivation, self-confidence and assertiveness.

Minimum Entrance Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in managing large scale public or private sector engagements to implement software and change management transitions similar to the BEST scope and complexity.
• Bachelor's degree in computer science, system analysis or a related study, or equivalent experience.