Senior IT Project Manager

Title : Sr. IT Project Manager
Onsite Position
Duration: 9 - 22 months
Location: Houston, TX (Onsite)

Project Background
The UKG TeleStaff project has completed an initial assessment phase. The implementation phase is now beginning and will be led by an external vendor who will supply their own Project Manager. To ensure internal coordination, communication alignment, and organizational readiness, the client requires a contract Senior IT Project Manager to oversee internal project responsibilities, manage cross-departmental stakeholders, and support change management activities.
This implementation supports a Public Safety department and includes scheduling automation, workforce management, and operational readiness components specific to police, fire, EMS, or similar environments.

Primary Objectives of the Sr. IT Project Manager
The contracted Project Manager will:

• Ensure the successful internal execution and governance of the UKG TeleStaff implementation.
• Coordinate between the vendor project manager, client stakeholders, IT teams, and Public Safety leadership.
• Support organizational change management, communication planning, readiness activities, and training coordination.
• Maintain project visibility, risk mitigation, and timely decision-making across all involved groups.

Key Responsibilities

Project Governance & Coordination

• Act as the primary internal project lead for the TeleStaff implementation.
• Partner with the vendor PM to align schedules, deliverables, milestones, and dependencies.
• Facilitate project meetings, steering committee updates, and cross-functional workshops.
• Track progress, maintain project dashboards, and escalate issues as needed.

Technical & Functional Oversight

• Understand UKG TeleStaff functionality and ensure proper integration with existing systems.
• Coordinate with IT infrastructure, security, HRIS, and Public Safety technology teams.
• Support data migration planning, testing activities, cutover planning, and validation cycles.
• Ensure compliance with internal IT policies, cybersecurity, and data governance requirements.

Communication & Change Management

• Create and execute a communication plan targeting Public Safety leadership, supervisors, and end users.
• Support or lead behavioral change management activities to drive adoption and reduce resistance.
• Collaborate with training teams to develop training schedules, materials, and delivery approaches.
• Ensure stakeholders are informed of timelines, impacts, and required actions.

Risk & Issue Management

• Maintain risk and issue logs with clear mitigation and contingency plans.
• Communicate risks to leadership and coordinate decisions or corrective actions.
• Monitor vendor deliverables and ensure accountability for contractual requirements.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• 7+ years experience as an IT Project Manager, including enterprise system implementations.
• Strong experience in organizational change management and project communications.
• Experience implementing time-management and scheduling systems (examples include UKG products such as TeleStaff, Workforce Central, or Dimensions; other enterprise scheduling platforms acceptable).
• Ability to manage cross-functional teams, external vendors, and complex stakeholder groups.
• Strong skills in project planning, scheduling, RAID management, and executive reporting.
• Familiarity with workforce management systems, scheduling systems, or HRIS integrations.
• Candidate must have active CJIS Clearance or must be eligible to obtain CJIS Clearance.
• PMP or comparable certification preferred.
• Experience working in Public Safety environments (Police, Fire, EMS) preferred.

Deliverables

• Project Plan (internal plan aligned with vendor master schedule)
• Communication & Change Management Plan
• Internal Requirements & System Design Documentation (as needed)
• Testing Strategy & Internal Test Coordination
• Cutover & Deployment Plan (internal components)
• Weekly Status Reports and Executive Dashboards
• Final Transition Plan to Operations/Support