Stephen Edward Palkowetz, MBA, ITIL, PMP

Harrisburg Pa // 717-***-**** // ad3asl@r.postjobfree.com

PMI # 2757873// ITIL Foundation #5503982.20458878

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-palkowetz-3b21b879/

PROJECT MANAGER

PMP-certified IT Project Manager. Excellent leadership skills and focused on results. Experience in planning and managing multi-million-dollar software development, data, and functional migration projects within the healthcare, retail, and government environments. Skilled in various project methodologies, including Agile (Scrum), Iterative Rational Unified Process (RUP), and Waterfall. Expertise in migrating business services to SaaS cloud-based solutions and upgrading on-site applications. Proficient in leading multiple cross-functional business and technical teams to stay within scope, on time, and within budget. Applied change management best practices, ITIL, and quality principles to make foundational software changes for enterprises. Develop and deliver software training to support application implementation.

SKILL SUMMARY

Project Management:

IT Project Lifecycle:

Value-added Leadership:

Custom software development

Requirements analysis

Cross-functional team management

SaaS and cloud migration

Testing, QA, rollout, and support

Team building and mentoring

System migration and integration

Project scheduling

Business and IT planning

Enterprise-wide implementations

Agile and Waterfall

Vendor management

CERTIFICATIONS

PMP, ITIL Foundational, and Six Sigma Yellow Belt

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

MS Office 365, MS SharePoint, MS Project and Enterprise Project Management Tool, Azure DevOps, Visio, SharePoint, Changepoint Daptiv PPM, Remedy Change Management System, Upland Power Steering PPM, CA Clarity PPM, Planview PPM, Oracle ERP, Mainframe SAS, and Oracle SQL, ServiceNow

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

KYNDRYL 08/2022 – Current

Project Manager Humana Health

Managed development in the migration of security batch jobs from ACF2 to IBM’s RACF mainframe security. Conversion of 400 COBOL jobs across three mainframe platforms to RACF standards. Coordinate enterprise applications to new security data warehouse. Use Waterfalls/Agile methodology with Microsoft Azure and ServiceNow release/incident management.

Prepares and updates detailed project plans using Microsoft Project and Azure Boards.

Orchestrated RACF configuration and customization between Security Analysts, Architects, and product deployment vendors.

Managing multiple code deployments across multiple mainframe platforms.

Lead Client in making design decisions.

Crystal Data Systems 04/2022 – 07/2022

Project Manager Commonwealth of Pennsylvania – Department of Transportation

Works closely with the PennDOT team technical managers and Commonwealth Delivery Centers to plan, organize, schedule, and status the project work of highly skilled technical personnel. These teams maintain the PennDOT IT systems, which include the networks, servers, mass storage, user authentication/authorization for access management, and desktop/laptop and mobile devices used throughout the agency. Manage project documentation (Charters, RACI, Design docs.)

Prepares and updates detailed project plans using Microsoft Project (PennDOT standard for Project Management software). Monitors/statuses progress to plan and make necessary adjustments to ensure projects are completed on schedule.

Facilitates project-related meetings, develops agendas, schedules participants, documents minutes, and distributes to the team. Updates project plan based on meeting communications.

Directed and coordinated technical change management procedures using the REMEDY Service Management Toolset.

IteroGroup 11/2020 – 11/2021

Project Manager Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield

Manage benefit and claims software development for integrating HealthNow Blue Cross Blue Shield to Highmark platforms. Including waterfalls and Scrum project management methodologies. Responsible for scheduling or monitoring status reviews and software quality assurance of work product and process reviews with the appropriate stakeholders. Accountable for scheduling and managing Software development teams and budgets. Managed local and offshore teams on multiple projects ranging from $150K to $500K that are 6 to 12+ months in duration.

Main achievements:

Planned and managed the implementation of a new Pharmacy Business Partner with crossclaim processing using HIPAA standard communication forms.

Coordinated the PeopleSoft General Ledger migration across functional business units to ORACLE Financials for Membership Enrollment and Client data.

Developed migration training for the transition of data warehouses to ORACLE Financials for the Financial Analysts.

Project documentation: Charters, RACI, Requirements and Design docs.

Manage post-implementation incident management with ServiceNow.

Domino Technologies 11/2019 – 6/2020

Project Manager Commonwealth of Pennsylvania – Public Safety Delivery Center

Responsible for initiating software development and platform migration projects from charter and scope definition to implementation. Planned project work breakdown structures using Microsoft Project and Changepoint Daptiv PPM for reporting time spent by the team. Maintained weekly progress status reports for clients and upper management through Daptiv. Directed project activities for Commonwealth employees and IT contractors. Manage documentation: Charters, RACI, Requirements and Design docs.

Main achievements:

Planning and managing the upgrade of the Pennsylvania Probation Board legacy intranet to HTTPS standards.

Rescued a File Share to SharePoint migration project by planning and developing remote training SharePoint for 12 DOC bureaus and facilities. Including the development of online and classroom learning on the use of SharePoint.

Developed and implemented the changes needed for Pennsylvania justice reforms for two legacy web and mainframe applications, including coordinating with multiple project teams within a delivery center portfolio. Managing diverse software development teams of up to 10 people in requirements gathering, building the database, coding, and quality testing.

Planning for the elimination of dual entry of individual medical data into the DOC legacy application with an automated interface to an external Sapphire Electronic Medical Records system.

APEX Systems 3/2018 – 8/2019

Project Manager Ahold Delhaize – Supermarkets and eCommerce Businesses

Aligned strategic project objectives across internal and external stakeholders by planning, scoping, defining, and implementing project objectives and deliverables. Managed cross-functional teams and coordinated the implementation and execution of projects across functional areas. Negotiated vendor statement of work and managed vendor relationships through delivery. Managed internal third-party vendors for development, security, and QA testers. Functioned as Scrum Master. Manage post-implementation incident management with ServiceNow.

Main achievements:

Using Waterfall and Scrum, consolidated two accounts payable portals into one to allow external grocery suppliers to query their invoices.

Initiated a $1.5 million project for migrating retail communications and workflow software from an on-site application to the cloud. Planned rollout to 2000 retail stores across five different marketing brands.

Successfully combined and transitioned a platform to manage building construction to a SaaS solution. Managed the corporate and external user experience, including the development of training.

Provided project monitoring, control, and vendor management services for a proof-of-concept study to assess the ROI of enhancing existing store scanning robots.

TEK Systems 9/2017 – 1/2018

Project Manager Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency

Built and supported Microsoft and Planview Project schedules, managed team tasks, conducted joint application design sessions on the problem and process solutions with business teams, facilitated meetings and vendor negotiations, and recommended project goals. Coached and mentored other Project Managers. Applied the Scrum and Waterfall project methodologies.

Main achievements:

Managed the agency’s customer service experience when applying mandated student loan adjustments to over 2 million accounts. Used an Agile approach to develop communication letters, call-center scripts, and revisions to issue resolution procedures. Led operational, legal, and compliance management teams in JAD sessions to develop solutions for existing customer service pain points. Functioned as Scrum Master.

Consulted with management and IT teams on changes to the manual and online customer experience in the introduction of new student loan forbearance rules that affected over 4 million accounts.

Initiated Planview PPM software upgrade, including negotiations on vendor statement of work and developing the task schedule.

Highmark Health Solutions 1/2014 – 4/2017

Project Manager

Managed portfolio of large cross-functional projects, including project definition, requirements, quality scope, procurement, and schedule and delivery timelines in Microsoft Project and Clarity PPM. Coordinated cross-functional requirements, development, and end-to-end testing. Provided guidance on changing corporate policies and procedures due to enterprise-wide software upgrades. Managed vendor negotiations for software purchase, statement of work, and proof of concept. Applied change management and ITIL in managing enterprise changes to work procedures. Provided Scrum Master and Project Manager support in Scrum and Waterfall projects. Maintain documentation: Charters, RACI, Requirements and Design docs.

Main achievements:

Led Computer Associates replacement project (a $14 million, two-year plus, and large multi-discipline project) to upgrade 20 mainframe functions with IBM products, including the total migration of the enterprise security software to IBM’s RACF. Established business continuity, from customer portals to back-end reporting. Utilized Agile and Waterfall project methodologies.

Planned and managed the upgrade of two Sysplex mainframes (development and production) and eight CPUs, including 100 applications with end-user checkout involving internal and external business areas.

Directed the upgrade of SAM Jupiter Password Reset and Synchronization software for 20,000 mainframe and network users.

Executed a proof-of-concept project for replacing the NICE Call Center voice recording and workforce management software with a lower-cost system for 4,500 agents.

Highmark Blue Shield 7/1997 – 12/2013

Project Manager and Business Analyst Lead

Managed cross-functional projects, including project definition, requirements, project integration, design, quality scope, procurement, and schedule and delivery timelines. Managed vendor relationships during software installation. Directed local and remote project teams.

Main achievements:

Migrated IMS databases to DB2 and Oracle DB, which allowed decommissioning of the IMS system with an annual saving of $1 million.

Replaced IBM WebSphere and DB2 databases with enhanced versions in preparation for migrating the hospital and physician B2B transmission system to support new medical ICD-10 coding standards.

Accountable for planning and implementing sales support systems for the new Pennsylvania marketing region.

Worked on software development initiatives using Scrum, RUP, and Waterfall methodologies.

EDUCATION

BA, Rutgers University, 1980

MBA, Lebanon Valley College, 1996

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