Title Senior Project Manager
Location Harrisburg, PA
Interview Type Virtual
NEED LOCAL
Work Arrangement Onsite/Remote: Up to 2 days per month onsite / remaining remote- should be a PA resident and no more than 2 -5 hours from Harrisburg
Interview Type Virtual
Role Overview
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) is executing multiple complex, multi-year initiatives that require strong coordination across program offices, clear decision-making, disciplined follow-through, and the ability to translate policy and program intent into operational reality. This role is intentionally oriented toward program implementation and stakeholder management, not an IT systems project manager position. The Project manager will lead cross-program implementation efforts from early planning through launch and stabilization. The selected candidate will be required to report to the Harrisburgh office up to '2' days per month.
Primary Responsibilities
• Lead and facilitate initiative workstreams, workgroups, and governance forums; prepare agendas, materials, and decision prompts.
• Develop and maintain integrated project plans (scope, milestones, dependencies, owners, deliverables, and timelines).
• Build initiative-specific SME knowledge (policy intent, operational workflows, compliance requirements) and translate requirements into actionable tasks.
• Establish and maintain project artifacts: RACI matrices, RAID logs (risks/assumptions/issues/decisions), action trackers, and status reports.
• Identify risks and issues early; drive mitigation plans, escalation paths, and rapid problem-solving with accountable owners.
• Coordinate across DHS program offices, the Secretary’s Office, county partners, providers, MCOs, and other Commonwealth agencies as needed.
• Support external-facing coordination where applicable (e.g., CMS touchpoints for Medicaid initiatives) by organizing materials, tracking commitments, and ensuring follow-through.
• Support change management: communications planning, stakeholder mapping, training readiness, and launch/stabilization checklists.
• Ensure documentation is complete and decisions are recorded, including rationale, approvers, and downstream implications.
• Coach junior PMs, strengthen governance, and independently drive complex initiatives with minimal oversight.
Required Technical Skills
Candidates should bring the following technical background:
• This role requires expert-level experience with 7+ years of experience leading large, multi-workstream initiatives with external partners and executive visibility.
• This role requires intermediate-level experience with Demonstrated ability to drive cross-functional coordination, facilitate productive meetings, and move decisions to closure.
• This role requires intermediate-level experience with Strong written and verbal communication skills, including concise status reporting and stakeholder-ready documentation.
• This role requires intermediate-level experience with Experience using project controls and tools (workplans, RAID logs, RACI, change control, decision/action tracking).
• This role requires experience with Ability to learn complex program content quickly and build practical SME-level understanding over time.
• This role requires intermediate-level experience with Ability to work independently, manage ambiguity, and maintain momentum across competing priorities.
Preferred Qualifications
The following background is preferred where applicable:
• Intermediate-level experience with Experience in Medicaid, CMS-facing initiatives, managed care environments, or health and human services programs. is preferred.
• Intermediate-level experience with Experience with Section 1115 demonstrations/waivers or similar federal-state program implementation. is preferred.
• Basic-level familiarity with Familiarity with government operations, procurement/vendor coordination, or compliance/regulatory implementation. is preferred.
• Experience with PMP or similar project management certification. is preferred.