Head of Project Management

Project ManagerLocation: Tallahassee, FL 32399 (Onsite) Duration: 12 Months Contract (with possible extension) OnsiteThis individual will work with the client staff to support the Technology Transformation initiative and other operational and strategic information technology projects. The IT Project Manager will lead projects ranging from software development, hardware replacements, governance (data, security, and project), and strategy and governance. They must have experience with Earned Value, Cost Performance Index (CPI), Schedule Performance Index (SPI), and budget tracking and monitoring. The candidate must also have strong leadership skills, excellent verbal and written communication skills, and experience with Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or similar project management tools. Additionally, the candidate must have experience with Agile Scrum and Feature Driven Design, as well as Azure DevOps or GitHub.The client requires an experienced Project Manager to manage various types of information technology projects, including but not limited to software development projects, hardware upgrades and replacements, business intelligence, strategic planning, information security, and governance administration. The Project Manager will play a key role in bridging business stakeholders and technical teams, ensuring requirements are clearly defined and aligned with project objectives. The role involves working within Agile frameworks (Feature Driven Design and Scrum) and leveraging Azure DevOps for tracking user stories and acceptance criteria.The Contractor will provide an experienced Project Manager to:Lead and manage IT projects including software development, hardware replacements, data migrations, strategic planning, and governance.Utilize Earned Value Management (EVM), Cost Performance Index (CPI), and Schedule Performance Index (SPI) for effective budget tracking and monitoring.Employ project management tools such as Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, Jira, or Trello for comprehensive project planning and tracking.Operate within Agile frameworks (Scrum and Feature Driven Design) to deliver iterative project solutions.Develop and manage user stories and acceptance criteria, maintaining traceability in Azure DevOps or GitHub.Support testing activities by creating and coordinating user acceptance test cases.Collaborate with technical teams to translate business needs into actionable technical solutions, overseeing testing and rollout.Identify and document project risks and issues, maintaining a risk register and mitigation plans.Work closely with assigned Business Analyst to ensure alignment of project deliverables with business needs.Review project proposals or plans to determine a time frame, funding limitations, procedures for accomplishing projects, staffing requirements and the assignment of available departmental resources to various project phases.Identify and schedule project deliverables, milestones, and required activities and tasks.Provide leadership and motivation to project team members throughout the project life cycle and confer with project staff to outline a work plan.Act as a coach to junior project managers, executives and others who need assistance and advice regarding project management practices.Establish a work plan and staffing for project activities, iterations or phases, and arrange for recruitment or assignment of project personnel.Review/approve the work plan of an external service provider or consultancy contracted to execute the project.Implement a project communication plan.Conduct risk assessment and mitigation.Monitor project activities, ensuring the currency, quality and integrity of information, while providing consistency in content and "look and feel" across the organization.Ensure that project goals are in line with business objectives.Ensure that project goals are achieved.Assign duties and responsibilities to project personnel and define the scope of their authority.Direct and coordinate the activities of project personnel to ensure projects progress on schedule and within budget.Review status reports prepared by project personnel, and modify schedules or plans as required.Coordinate and monitor dependencies and integration across program projects and business areas, resolving conflicts as needed.Supervise relationships with suppliers and subcontractors engaged with the program, monitoring progress according to schedules.Ensure comprehensive change management practices are embedded across program initiatives.Provide expertise on best practices for business analysis and continuous process improvement.Ensure that projects adhere to PMBOK and Project Management Institute best practices.The Contractor, through its selected candidate, must perform all tasks and complete the deliverables identified in this Statement of Work (SOW).Minimum Qualifications:5+ years of experience as a Project Manager leading projects ranging from software development, hardware replacements, data migrations, strategic planning, and governance.Experience analyzing workflows, identifying inefficiencies, and recommending improvements to support strategic goals.Experience as an IT Project Manager for software development projects.Proficiency in eliciting requirements, documenting user stories, and defining acceptance criteria.Hands-on experience using Azure DevOps or GitHub for backlog management and tracking.Strong knowledge of Agile methodologies, including Scrum and Feature Driven Design.Experience with Earned Value, Cost Performance Index (CPI), Schedule Performance Index (SPI), and budget tracking and monitoring.Experience with Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or similar project management tools.Strong leadership skills and experience managing cross-functional teams.Strong knowledge and understanding of business needs, with the ability to establish and maintain a high level of customer trust and confidence.Ability to support a tactical resource plan by mapping future demand to forecast project completions in the project portfolio.Preferred Experience for a Project Manager:Extensive experience in business process modeling and improvement.Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams and managing large-scale projects.Experience overseeing multiple project teams and managers, ensuring overall delivery achieves program goals.Deep understanding of data analysis techniques and tools.High proficiency in stakeholder management and communication.Experience with cloud computing and enterprise architecture.Experience with policy development and drafting legislative budget requests.Proficiency in project budget tracking and monitoring, as well as vendor management.Experience utilizing BI tools (Power BI, Tableau) to provide insights and support decision-making.Bachelor's or master's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or another related field or equivalent work experience.Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Business Analysis certifications (CBAP, PMI-PBA), Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP), and ITIL Certification.