IT Product/Program Manager (Education Domain)

Central Business Solutions - Des Moines, IA

Full-time - Mid Level

Hybrid - Des Moines, IA

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

The IT Product/Program Manager position is a hybrid role based in Des Moines, IA, requiring the contractor to be onsite two days a week. This role is crucial for coordinating various information technology initiatives within the education domain. The successful candidate will be responsible for leading and managing technology teams, vendors, stakeholders, and data systems, ensuring that application deployments and similar services are executed effectively. The IT Product Manager will facilitate communication among all parties involved, manage the product backlog, document project statuses, and provide the necessary support to team members to achieve successful project outcomes. This position offers an opportunity to work in a mission-driven environment that supports the client's educational data collection and reporting systems. The role demands a proactive approach to project management, requiring the individual to identify and schedule project deliverables, milestones, and necessary activities. The IT Product Manager will guide project team members throughout the project lifecycle, collaborating with agency leadership, subject matter experts, and program consultants to analyze and document business requirements. They will also work closely with technical staff to define data and system designs, coordinating the design, development, and testing of technical systems and services. Maintaining comprehensive project management documentation, including risk and mitigation activities, is essential to ensure compliance with project objectives and timelines. The IT Product Manager will verify that all system documentation is complete and that testing is successful before approving live implementations. Additionally, they will direct and coordinate the activities of project personnel and vendor representatives to ensure that project goals align with business objectives, while monitoring project activities to maintain the quality and integrity of deliverables and performing change control as necessary.

Responsibilities

• Identify and schedule project deliverables, milestones, and required activities and tasks.
• Provide guidance to project team members throughout the project life cycle and confer with project staff to outline work plan.
• Work with agency leadership, subject matter experts, and program consultants to analyze and document business requirements and communicate details to technical staff.
• Work with technical staff to define data and system design, and coordinate the design, development, and testing of technical systems and services.
• Maintain project management documentation including risk and mitigation activities, keeping aware of the status of the project and the need to employ mitigation measures for compliance with project objectives and timelines.
• Verify all system documentation is complete and testing is successful before approvals for live implementation are made.
• Direct and coordinate activities of project personnel and vendor representatives to ensure project goals are accomplished and are in line with business objectives.
• Monitor project activities to ensure quality and integrity of deliverables. Perform change control.

Requirements

• Five or more years of progressively responsible IT project management experience
• Experience with major defined project management methodologies, e.g., waterfall, agile, hybrid.
• Experience in a product ownership role
• Demonstrated experience working with diverse teams and managing a variety of IT projects, including technology infrastructure, data systems, application deployments, or similar services.
• Knowledge of project management methodology and experience or familiarity with major program management approaches (for example, PMI, agile, etc.)
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills
• Experience managing large and complex projects
• Certification in project management (e.g., PMP)

Nice-to-haves

• Experience working in State government, academic institution, or similar organization