Manager, Project Management Office

Schedule: Full-time

POSITION SUMMARY

Under the direction of the Deputy Chief Information Officer, the Project Management Office (PMO) Manager oversees the Project Management Office within the IT Division and is responsible for all phases of project management across the agency’s project portfolio. The PMO Manager serves as the primary escalation point for project issues and risks, drives creative solutions and mitigation measures for complex project challenges, and acts as the primary liaison between sponsors, business stakeholders, and project managers when project issues related to scope, schedule, resources, or budget require escalation. As needed, the Deputy CIO may assign other operational tasks as deemed appropriate.

In addition to managing the PMO and portfolio governance functions, the PMO Manager actively serves as a Project Manager for assigned complex, high-visibility projects. Assigned projects may include multi-phase initiatives, projects with sub-projects, and efforts involving organizations or entities external to the Ohio Secretary of State’s office. In this capacity, the PMO Manager is responsible for defining project requirements, managing stakeholders, allocating resources, managing budgets, identifying and mitigating risks, and ensuring successful delivery of project outcomes.

The PMO Manager reviews, interprets, and ensures compliance with relevant policies and procedures and recommends modifications or improvements to standardize project delivery and implementation across the organization.

PMO Oversight and Portfolio Management

• Oversees the Project Management Office and ensures all phases of project management methodologies and standards are consistently applied across the project portfolio.

• Ensures PMO processes and procedures are followed; tracks and monitors the portfolio of projects; and drives continuous improvement of portfolio reporting, metrics, and tracking practices.

• Serves as the primary escalation point for project issues and risks and ensures timely communication and resolution among project managers, stakeholders, and executive leadership.

• Facilitates escalation, documentation, and tracking of project issues and risks, ensuring appropriate mitigation strategies are identified and implemented.

• Acts as a supporting member and committee secretary for the IT Governance Committee.

Active Project Management and Project Delivery

• Serves as Project Manager for assigned complex, high-value, or high-risk projects, including projects with multiple phases, sub-projects, or external stakeholders.

• Defines project scope, requirements, deliverables, quality standards, timelines, and success criteria.

• Leads stakeholder identification and engagement efforts; interviews stakeholders to determine needs, expectations, and priorities; and maintains regular communication throughout the project lifecycle.

• Develops, manages, and monitors project schedules, budgets, and resource allocations; assists in budget planning and cost projections for assigned projects.

• Identifies, assesses, and mitigates project risks; develops mitigation strategies; and addresses issues that may impact scope, schedule, budget, or quality.

• Manages and negotiates project changes related to scope, cost, resources, and objectives in accordance with governance processes.

• Determines when projects should be divided into sub-projects; assigns and oversees sub-project work performed by internal teams or external vendors.

• Evaluates project deliverables, oversees testing and pilot activities, resolves issues identified during implementation, and ensures readiness to progress through project phases.

Procurement, Budget, and Resource Management

• Assists with procurement activities for assigned projects, including defining scope, establishing selection criteria, coordinating proposal reviews, evaluating bids or proposals, and recommending selections.

• Represents the agency and project interests during procurement and approval processes, including interactions with oversight or controlling bodies when required.

• Oversees implementation schedules and ensures resource availability aligns with project demands.

Communication, Reporting, and Leadership

• Provides regular status updates, reports, and briefings to executive leadership, sponsors, stakeholders, and governance bodies.

• Attends meetings, conferences, and workshops related to project management, IT governance, and public sector initiatives.

• Supervises and provides direction to assigned professional, technical, and administrative staff.

• Fulfills requests and provides oversight for other operational tasks as assigned by the Deputy CIO

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Required: Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, computer science/information technology, or a related field

• Preferred: Master’s degree in business administration, public administration, computer science/information technology, or a related field AND Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification and/or Agile Certifications (e.g. Scrum Master, Product Owner)

Experience

• Required: 5 years’ experience in Project Management including managing complex projects with multi-phase implementation and experience in leading projects that involve external agencies/entities AND 2 years supervisory experience AND 12 months experience in budgeting, cost projection, and managing high value projects.

• Preferred: Experience working in public administration or managing projects in a public sector environment

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge

Project Management

• Comprehensive understanding of project management methodologies (e.g., Agile, Scrum, PMI standards) and process improvement practices within a PMO.

• Working knowledge of Work Operating Systems (i.e. Monday.com, etc.)

• Knowledge of end-to-end project lifecycle execution, including initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, control, and closeout of complex projects.

• Knowledge of defining project scope, deliverables, success criteria, and performance metrics for assigned projects.

Stakeholder and Resource Management

• Knowledge of stakeholder engagement practices to ensure alignment and effective collaboration.

• Familiarity with resource planning, budgeting, and cost projection in high-value project environments.

• Knowledge of hands-on resource allocation, budget management, and change management related to scope, schedule, and cost.

Public Sector and IT Operations

• Understanding of public sector operations, including regulatory, compliance, procurement, and project governance processes.

• Proficiency in IT systems and tools relevant to project management in a public sector environment.

Skills

Communication and Leadership

• Strong written and verbal communication skills to convey complex information to executives, stakeholders, and project teams.

• Skill in leading project meetings, status reviews, and executive briefings for actively managed projects.

• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills to guide cross-functional teams, resolve conflicts, and foster collaboration.

Project Execution and Analysis

• Advanced skills in defining requirements, managing multi-phase implementations, and overseeing project deliverables.

• Skill in developing and maintaining project schedules, managing dependencies, and controlling scope, cost, and quality.

• Creative problem-solving and analytical skills to evaluate risks and implement mitigation strategies.

Organizational and Technical

• Strong organizational and time-management skills with attention to detail.

• Skill in maintaining comprehensive project documentation, budgets, schedules, and risk logs for assigned projects.

Abilities

Leadership and Accountability

• Ability to lead complex, high-visibility projects, including those involving external agencies or vendors.

• Ability to assume full accountability for assigned projects from initiation through closeout.

• Ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Risk, Issue, and Stakeholder Management

• Ability to identify, assess, and mitigate risks and resolve escalated issues impacting project outcomes.

• Ability to make timely decisions to address issues affecting scope, schedule, budget, or quality.

• Ability to act as a liaison among project sponsors, stakeholders, and governance bodies while maintaining alignment throughout the project lifecycle.

Technology

• Personal computer, Microsoft Office 365 – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook