Contract Manager

Contract Manager (Client Services Manager, Blended Account Manager) New Orleans, LA Location: New Orleans, Louisiana with regular on-site presence at client facilities LATG is seeking a Contract Manager to lead our growing technical services team supporting a major Louisiana public utility in a fast-paced, mission-critical environment. This role owns overall contract performance, day-to-day coordination of contractor personnel, quality assurance, contract compliance, and direct communication with the client IT Director serving as Contract Administrator. The ideal candidate brings disciplined program leadership, hurricane-season operational resilience, and a track record of retaining and developing IT talent across help desk, infrastructure, enterprise applications, and specialized technical services. What you'll be doing: Serve as single point of accountability to the client IT Director for all contract performance and Task Order execution Lead day-to-day coordination of contractor personnel across IT Operations, Specialized Technical Services, and emerging service categories Conduct status meetings with the IT Director or designee no less than twice per month Submit weekly written project status reports and monthly operational reports covering help desk metrics, system availability, position status, and security incidents Manage quality assurance for all work product, deliverables, and personnel performance Drive recruiting efforts to fill positions within client-required timelines Maintain position vacancy rates under ninety (90) days to protect contract performance Coordinate annual Tier 1 (ER1) and Tier 2 (ER2) hurricane staffing rosters with the client OCIO before June 1 of each year Lead emergency operations coverage during declared emergencies, including support at primary data center, Emergency Operations Center, and alternate operating locations Maintain and annually update the IT Disaster Recovery Plan, client OCIO policies and procedures, and the annual training plan Coordinate quarterly corporate communications and lead annual on-site corporate leadership visits Build retention programs and career development plans for assigned personnel Partner with client Human Resources on Civil Service workforce transitions and knowledge transfer activities Lead the 90-day transition plan, including onboarding of incumbent personnel and knowledge transfer from the outgoing contractor Maintain compliance with ITIL 4, COBIT, ISO/IEC 27001, NIST CSF, NIST SP 800-53, and other applicable standards Notify the client within four (4) hours of discovery of any cybersecurity incident affecting client data or systems What you'll bring: Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and progressive professional experience Minimum ten (10) years of progressive IT leadership experience, with at least five (5) years managing IT services contracts or programs of comparable scope Demonstrated success leading blended teams of forty (40) or more IT professionals across multiple functional areas Direct accountability for contract performance reporting to a client executive (CIO, IT Director, or equivalent) Proven personnel retention record across multi-year service engagements Strong written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level reporting and public board-facing presentation Working knowledge of IT service management frameworks (ITIL 4, COBIT) Familiarity with public-sector or utility IT environments Must be able to reliably commute to and work on-site at client facilities in the Greater New Orleans area Must be legally authorized to work in the United States and able to perform work without current or future employer sponsorship Security & Certification Requirements: Successful completion of pre-employment and client-required background screening, which may include: Criminal history check (federal, state, and local), conducted in accordance with applicable law Employment verification (previous 5 years) Education verification Professional license verification, where applicable Sex offender registry search Ongoing compliance with all client facility access, information security, and acceptable use policies Preferred Qualifications: Master's degree in IT Management, Public Administration, or an MBA PMP certification from the Project Management Institute ITIL 4 Managing Professional or ITIL 4 Strategic Leader certification CISSP, CISM, or equivalent recognized cybersecurity credential Prior experience on a public utility (water, wastewater, electric) or municipal IT services contract Experience supporting Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP, Trimble Unity / Cityworks (EAMS), Dayforce HCM, or ESRI ArcGIS Enterprise environments Documented experience leading IT operations through Atlantic hurricane season or comparable declared emergency activations Experience partnering on Civil Service workforce transitions and public-sector human resources practices Current Louisiana residency or established ties to the Greater New Orleans area Working familiarity with NIST CSF, NIST SP 800-53, NIST SP 800-82, IEC 62443, or CISA Cybersecurity Performance Goals Experience supporting Microsoft 365, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle Database, and Microsoft Azure environments Benefits Company subsidized medical and prescription drug coverage Health Savings Account option Company paid short/long term disability and life insurance Voluntary vision and dental coverage Voluntary supplemental insurances such as accident, cancer, critical illness, and hospital indemnity Competitive 401(k) program with generous company match 100% vested on day one Access to financial advisory resources Equal Opportunity Employer LATG is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law. #J-18808-Ljbffr Louisiana Technology Group Inc