Program Manager

Program Manager

Location: Harrisburg, PA Duration: 2+ Months Notes:

• 37.5 hours per week (8a-4:30p w/ hour unpaid lunch)
• Telework eligible position
• Local candidates preferred by client.
• Candidates must reside in EST zone to be considered

Job Description: The client is seeking Program Manager to join our growing and innovative Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience (CODE PA) team. This is an opportunity to work with a wide range of technologies while helping improve digital services for the citizens of Pennsylvania. If you are detail-oriented, organized, and interested in supporting digital initiatives that serve the public, we encourage you to apply. This role is ideal for individuals looking to deepen their project management experience while supporting Agile delivery teams and delivering digital services. Description of Work:

• In this position, the Permitting, Licensing, and Certifications (PLC) Enterprise Program Manager will lead the delivery of the PLC enterprise initiative for the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience (CODE PA).
• The PLC Program Manager is responsible for leading and delivering complex, cross-functional initiatives that span multiple projects and workstreams. This role owns the overall program structure, ensuring alignment between strategy and execution while driving accountability across teams. The Program Manager establishes governance, operating models, and delivery frameworks to bring clarity, organization, and consistency to program execution.
• The Program Manager also fulfills a critical role in coaching teams, improving ways of working, and driving successful outcomes in complex, fast-paced environments.
• Acting as a strategic leader, the Program Manager partners with product, project management, operations & procurement, engineering, and business stakeholders to help prioritize work, manage dependencies, and mitigate risks.
• They are responsible for maintaining clear communication, enabling informed decision-making, and ensuring progress is transparent at all levels of the organization.
• This role requires strong leadership, the ability to influence without direct authority, and a willingness to address challenges directly.

Key Responsibilities Program Leadership & Accountability

• Own end-to-end delivery of a complex, multi-workstream program
• Establish program vision, structure, and execution strategy
• Drive alignment across product, project, engineering, UX, vendors, and stakeholders
• Lead with authority and clarity, ensuring accountability at all levels

Operating Model & Governance

• Design and implement the program operating model (cadence, governance, decision-making, etc.)
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and escalation paths
• Stand up and lead steering committees and governance forums
• Ensure consistent adherence to program standards and ways of working

Planning & Execution

• Develop and maintain an integrated master roadmap across all workstreams
• Identify and manage cross-workstream dependencies
• Drive quarterly (or periodic) re-planning and prioritization
• Ensure deliverables are met on time, within scope, and within budget

Team Organization & Enablement

• Organize and structure teams for clarity and effectiveness
• Coach product managers, project managers, and leads on best practices
• Establish clear expectations for meeting readiness, deliverables, and communication
• Address gaps in performance, ownership, and execution

Stakeholder Management & Communication

• In partnership with the product managers, the program manager serves as the primary point of accountability for program status and outcomes
• Deliver clear, concise, and structured reporting to leadership
• Translate complex program details into digestible insights for non-technical stakeholders
• Facilitate alignment and resolve conflicts across teams

Risk, Issue, and Decision Management

• Proactively identify program risks, issues, and blockers
• Implement mitigation strategies and drive resolution
• Escalate critical issues with clear recommendations and decision asks
• Ensure timely and effective decision-making across the program

Financial & Vendor Oversight

• Drive program budget, forecasting, and financial tracking
• Oversee vendor performance and accountability
• Ensure contracts, procurement, and deliverables align with program goals

Additional duties may include:

• Assisting with Agile project coordination and team facilitation; supporting Agile teams by helping coordinate Scrum activities, tracking project progress, and assisting in the removal of obstacles that impact delivery.
• Supporting assigned Scrum Masters with ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily standups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives as needed
• Assisting in the coordination of project activities and tracking progress against project timelines and deliverables
• Support the Product Manager to track programmatic key results, objectives, and deliverables.
• Helping identify and escalate project-level risks, issues, or blocked work items to leadership
• Maintaining project documentation, status reports, and project tracking tools
• Assisting with communication between technical teams and business stakeholders
• Monitoring project-level progress and helping track team performance using Agile metrics and project management tools
• Contributing to project reports and presentations for leadership and stakeholder audiences

Required Experience, Training & Eligibility Qualifications

• 8-10 years of program or portfolio management experience
• Proven track record managing large-scale, multi-year, multi-million-dollar programs
• Experience managing multiple concurrent workstreams and cross-functional teams
• Experience working with both internal teams and external vendors

Leadership & Communication

• Demonstrated ability to lead with authority and influence without direct control
• Strong ability to coach, mentor, and elevate team performance
• Comfortable having critical, constructive conversations with senior stakeholders
• Exceptional communication skills (executive-level reporting and team-level clarity)

Delivery & Execution

• Deep expertise in program governance, planning, and execution frameworks
• Strong understanding of Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid delivery models
• Ability to bring structure to ambiguous or under performing environments

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in State Government - preferred but not required
• Experience with Salesforce - preferred but not required
• Certifications (e.g., PMP, Scrum, etc.)
• Experience in standing up programs from early-stage or disorganized environments

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinking with strong execution focus
• Organizational design and operational excellence
• Accountability and ownership mindset
• Conflict resolution and stakeholder alignment
• Risk-based decision making
• Clarity, structure, and attention to detail

Success Metrics (What Good Looks Like)

• Program is structured, predictable, and operating with clear governance
• Teams are aligned, accountable, and consistently prepared
• Risks and dependencies are actively managed (not reactive)
• Leadership has clear visibility into status, risks, and decisions
• Delivery milestones are met with improved efficiency and quality

Additional Requirements

• Experience working with project management or Agile tools (such as Confluence, Azure DevOps, SharePoint, or similar tools)
• Ability to communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Experience assisting teams with tracking work items, tasks, or project deliverables
• Familiarity with Agile or Scrum practices
• Experience supporting meetings or project ceremonies such as stand-ups, sprint reviews, or planning sessions
• Experience assisting with documentation such as project plans, requirements, or status updates