Senior Technical Project Manager

Overview T12 Technologies is seeking a highly experienced Technical Product Manager (Senior) to support the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). This senior-level role is responsible for leading the planning, delivery, management, and continuous improvement of technology products and related project activities for MHEC. The Technical Product Manager combines product management, technical project management, stakeholder engagement, Agile delivery, vendor coordination, and change management to ensure solutions meet business objectives, user needs, and applicable policy, regulatory, and compliance requirements. The ideal candidate is a seasoned product and delivery leader with deep experience in financial aid environments, Agile methodologies, and public-sector IT governance — capable of managing day-to-day delivery activities while keeping an eye on long-term product strategy and roadmap execution. Key Responsibilities Product Strategy & Backlog Management Define and manage product scope, roadmap, backlog, priorities, and release plans in alignment with MHEC’s business goals and user needs. Understand user value and business value through stakeholder engagement, qualitative and quantitative data analysis, and product performance measures. Collect, document, and translate business, user, and technical requirements into actionable tickets, user stories, acceptance criteria, and delivery plans. Define product improvements, feature sets, success criteria, and quality measures from both user and business perspectives. Create and manage prioritized product backlogs, roadmaps, release plans, and sprint-level delivery artifacts. Agile Delivery & Cross-Functional Leadership Lead technical, business, vendor, and cross-functional teams in delivering high-quality IT solutions aligned with MHEC objectives. Support and facilitate Agile delivery practices including backlog refinement, sprint planning, release planning, sprint demos, and prioritization sessions. Develop rollout schedules, transition activities, implementation plans, and change management strategies to ensure successful product launches and enhancements. Drive adoption of Agile methodologies and best practices across delivery teams; leverage tools such as Jira for backlog and sprint management. Program & Vendor Management Track and report on scope, schedule, budget, resources, risks, issues, dependencies, product performance, and delivery progress to leadership and stakeholders. Manage vendor relationships to ensure quality deliverables, accountability, and alignment with project and product objectives. Lead at least three (3) simultaneous IT projects, ensuring on-time and on-budget delivery with demonstrated outcomes. Manage dependencies and interdependencies across workstreams; proactively identify and mitigate risks and issues. Stakeholder Engagement & Communication Develop clear written documentation, executive communications, reports, product artifacts, and oral briefings for a diverse audience including executive leadership, technical teams, and external stakeholders. Communicate and manage change across business, technical, vendor, and executive stakeholder groups throughout the product and project lifecycle. Brief MHEC leadership on product status, performance metrics, risks, and recommendations on a regular cadence. Align products with business processes, technical solutions, stakeholder needs, and operational workflows. Compliance & Governance Ensure all product and project activities comply with applicable laws, regulations, policies, standards, security, privacy, accessibility, and governance requirements. Adhere to the State of Maryland System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) methodology and IT Project Oversight requirements. Ensure compliance with the State of Maryland Information Technology Security Policy and Standards and Non-Visual (Accessibility) Standards. Follow project management methodologies consistent with the most recent edition of the PMI Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide (PMBOK). Remain current with new or revised laws, regulations, policies, standards, and guidelines affecting IT project execution in the State of Maryland. Education Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related discipline is required. Master’s Degree in a related field is preferred. Current PMP certification (PMI) is required. PMI-ACP and/or CSM (or industry equivalent) are also required. Required Experience Project & Product Management Minimum twelve (12) years of experience in project management. Minimum eight (8) years of experience in product delivery, technical project management, product management, or a related technology delivery role. Minimum eight (8) years of experience supervising or overseeing IT-related programs or projects. Minimum five (5) years of experience managing IT-related projects, including demonstrated leadership on at least three (3) successful projects delivered on time and on budget. Financial Aid & Domain Experience Minimum five (5) years of experience managing no fewer than three (3) IT projects in a financial aid environment. This is a hard requirement — candidates without financial aid IT experience will not be considered. Proven experience leading product teams supporting systems in production at a scale consistent with statewide or large institutional programs. Experience launching new products, capabilities, enhancements, or modernization initiatives in complex regulated environments. Agile & Technical Delivery Proven track record successfully implementing projects using Agile methodologies. Experience with Agile delivery tools such as Jira for backlog, sprint, and release management. Strong experience managing scope, schedule, budget, resources, risks, issues, vendors, and quality measures across concurrent workstreams. Experience creating and managing prioritized product backlogs, roadmaps, release plans, user stories, and acceptance criteria. Communication & Documentation Strong written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level reporting, stakeholder communication, and product documentation. Experience preparing and delivering oral briefings, written reports, and product artifacts for executive and technical audiences. Preferred Experience Knowledge of modern technologies, Agile development practices, human-centered design, and data-informed decision-making. Experience making research-informed and data-driven product decisions to improve user outcomes. Experience delivering measurable value for end users and ensuring a high-quality user experience throughout the product lifecycle. Experience communicating and managing change across business, technical, vendor, and executive stakeholder groups. Experience working in complex public-sector, education, financial aid, or benefits-related technology environments. Experience translating product strategy and roadmap priorities into actionable delivery work at the sprint level. Experience supporting production systems while concurrently planning and delivering new product capabilities. Skills & Competencies Exceptional organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple high-priority workstreams simultaneously. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate ambiguous requirements into clear, actionable delivery plans. Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to present complex technical and program information to non-technical executive audiences. Collaborative leadership style with the ability to influence without authority across cross-functional and vendor teams. Proficiency in Agile delivery tools (Jira), Microsoft Office Suite, and project reporting platforms. Commitment to quality, compliance, and continuous improvement in product and delivery outcomes. Equal Opportunity Employer T12 Technologies, LLC is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. #J-18808-Ljbffr