Certified Project Manager

MARS Solutions Group is looking for an experienced Certified Project Manager located in Madison, WI. Our client is a government agency looking for high-quality talent to make a difference.

They are known to respect a traditional work week and often extend contracts for added job security and stability.

Note : In-Person interviews are REQUIRED, and will be conducted on October 2nd or 7th. Candidates must be CURRENT WI residents.

NO RELOCATION IS ALLOWED. This position can work mostly remote (within the state of WI) or in the office. Currently, the manager may require one onsite day per month, with other dates as needed.

Job Description :

• Under the general supervision and review of the deputy director of the Office of Enterprise Initiatives (OEI), this position provides expert leadership on enterprise projects and initiatives.
• This position is responsible for the overall coordination and management of projects to successfully implement and business unit strategic goals and initiatives and has a high degree of internal and external coordination working directly with vendors, other departments, all levels of staff and senior management.
• Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, management of project timeliness, quality assurance, monitoring scope, budget, resource assignment, and escalation of issues.
• Manages and leads project teams. Facilitates project meetings, elicits requirements and group collaboration, sets agendas, and provides project status reports as outlined within the communication plan.
• Responsible for developing / coordinating the project plan, monitoring vendor delivery efforts, timelines, and milestone completion efforts.
• Ensures continuous communication throughout the project with stakeholders. Manages all aspects of the project within the defined budget.
• Liaises with and updates progress to the portfolio owner (deputy director of OEI). Works closely with the sponsor(s) and business representatives to ensure that projects meet the identified business requirements.
• Integrates the transition management plan into the implementation work plan. Reports on transition management activities, deliverables, and status.
• This is an expert-level position performing difficult and complex work establishing policies, priorities, recommendations, and / or solutions to IT and business-related issues.
• This person will independently serve as the principal authority in the management of assigned projects, provide expertise in multiple projects of moderate to difficult scope and complexity, and manage complex projects and / or programs with multiple workstreams.
• This position identifies and independently resolves potential issues, only escalating as needed to sponsor and portfolio owner.
• This position is an active member of the Center of Excellence for Project Management and will work with other members to establish standards, procedures, and best practices for project management.
• This position is responsible for providing direction and mentorship to other Department project managers in the use of tools, techniques, metrics, and standards.

In addition, this person will actively embrace the Department's values and fully incorporate them into tasks, job performance, and service to customers.

• Ensuring effective and efficient interactions with staff and management at all levels and areas of Department is an essential part of this position.
• This position directly supports the agency strategic goal focused on building a talented and agile workforce necessary for achieving the department'

s mission to develop and deliver quality benefits and services to our members while safeguarding the integrity of the Trust.

As an employee, the incumbent will support and create a diverse and inclusive work force.

GOALS & WORKER ACTIVITIES :

50% Leadership and coordination of enterprise projects and project teams

• Manage IT projects and provide leadership for agency-wide modernization initiatives.
• Develop and manage large-scale project workplans and work breakdown structures
• Lead, facilitate, and coordinate project team meetings to elicit information necessary to help teams engage, secure commitment, gain consensus, and generate decisions.

Foster team learning and collaboration by encouraging and modeling open expression of diverse ideas and opinions.

• Control personnel time management by defining and sequencing activities, estimating the duration, and developing and maintaining schedules.
• Perform cost estimating and budgeting. Monitor and report as agreed upon with portfolio owner. Mitigate and / or resolve potential overruns and advise portfolio owner.
• Monitor progress of project and negotiate timeline changes, as needed. Track action items, issues, risks, and key decisions.
• Analyze and independently manage project risk to minimize impact. Escalate risks to portfolio owner, as needed.
• Monitor project dependencies and lead resolution of implementation or post implementation issues and risks.
• Partner with the technical lead to provide input into the functional aspects of solutions design.
• Provide leadership to internal and external stakeholders in the gathering and validation of business requirements and the design of functional solutions.
• Lead the evaluation, provide feedback, and resolve issues regarding vendor performance.
• Independently resolve issues to remove roadblocks and provide reports or updates on issues to the portfolio owner, as needed.

35% Establishment and monitoring of standardized project management methodology and tools

• Develop and refine client's standardized project management templates, tools, and methodologies.
• Create project management plan documents and perform project and resource planning, using client's standardized methodologies, tools, and templates.
• Prepare metrics and reports for review, approval, and prioritization by the portfolio owner, Portfolio Committee, and other stakeholders as requested.
• Develop a deep understanding and expertise of applicable operational processes, procedures, and controls.
• Partner with and provide expertise to business analyst(s) to ensure current-state and end-state processes are documented.
• Partner with and provide expertise to the transition manager on the development of end-user training materials and assist with the coordination of user training, if needed.
• Partner with and provide expertise to Sponsors and Product Owners to shepherd modernization efforts through each phase of their respective life cycles.
• Determine effective approaches to utilizing hybrid (combination of waterfall and agile) methodologies.
• At project completion, ensure all documentation is complete and document any lessons learned.
• Develop post implementation metrics plans, collaborating with the business to identify Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and measurements.

10% Participation on the Project Management Center of Excellence Participation

• Provide direction and training to other staff in the use of project management tools, techniques, metrics, standards, and best practices.
• Promote, recommend revisions to, and assist in the development of project management policies / procedures, standards, and tools / templates for OEI and the enterprise, ensuring consistency.
• Monitor project management processes, tools, standards, guidelines, and templates for adherence to industry and client-specific standards.
• Strive for continuous process improvement through identifying root cause of problems and developing solutions and inspiring the organization with new ways of thinking and project execution.
• Provide project management leadership within the organization by developing and defining a productive project culture where everyone involved in projects understands their role and responsibility in ensuring project success.

5% Performance of Special Assignments and Professional Development

• Attend trainings, seminars, conferences, etc. to remain proficient and build upon skills, expertise, and experience.
• Stay abreast of project management trends and best practices.
• Represent the Department on enterprise-wide and / or Department committees, as assigned.
• Other duties, as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES :

• Extensive experience applying critical thinking and problem-solving skills to complex, enterprise projects.
• Expert-level skills and experience with conflict management / resolution.
• Advanced listening and expert documentation skills.
• Advanced analysis skills grounded in technology, business planning, and management.
• Demonstrated ability to identify appropriate members and develop effective teams with specific knowledge and skills needed to develop solutions and make recommendations.
• Ability to independently identify and obtain information sources needed to perform responsibilities effectively and efficiently.
• Extensive experience and ability at identifying key points and communicating results accurately and effectively to a broad audience.
• Extensive knowledge of information technology planning and implementation methods and techniques.
• Advanced skills with Microsoft Office (i.e. Excel, Word, Visio, etc.).
• Expert knowledge of project management methods, principles, tools, and techniques, including MS Visio and project management software.
• Ability to influence others and encouraging creative thinking to identify solutions.
• Highly developed communication, interpersonal, and team building skills to develop and sustain effective working relationships, including facilitation and leadership skills.
• Skill in establishing and maintaining effective contact and communication with staff and management at all levels of the organization and with external groups / individuals.
• Expert ability to communicate business and technical concepts and information effectively to a wide range of audiences.
• Considerable ability to work as an effective member in a team environment and to mentor more junior staff.
• Ability to work independently and exercise appropriate judgment with minimum supervision and produce effective, acceptable results within defined time frames.
• Ability to take the initiative to assertively represent business needs, to stand firm when necessary and to compromise when possible, to diplomatically challenge assumptions, and to make recommendations to business and technical staff at all levels of responsibility and authority throughout the organization.
• Highly skilled in effective time management, organization, and priority-setting; high attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze facts and apply sound judgment in decision making.
• Advanced skill in the use of IT Service Management (ITSM) application for Agile story and bug ticket tracking.
• Commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive work force.
• Ability to understand and comply with all client's security standards, policies, processes, and procedures.

Top Skills & Years of Experience :

• 5+ years of leading large-scale, complex projects involving numerous competing stakeholders
• 5+ years of experience managing technology (software / system / product) implementation projects
• 3+ years of experience with Agile / Hybrid project management methodology.

Nice to Have :

• 5+ years of experience with vendor management
• 3+ years of experience managing interconnected projects within a larger program
• Strong understanding of SDLC (software development life cycle)
• Ability to effectively interact with business areas (soft skills) and technology areas (technology skills)
• PMP certification (or equivalent) is strongly preferred but not required.

About MARS Solutions Group :

MARS Solutions Group provides a range of opportunities for meaningful work by understanding that employment fit is a combination of people, process, and technology.

We leverage our experienced and compassionate team to bring humanity to matching you with the right advanced technology role, and stay connected with you to help you attain your professional goals.