Sr. Program Director

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the day-to-day operations of the program, ensuring smooth functioning and consistent quality. 
• Develop and manage budgets, secure funding, and ensure financial accountability. 
• Hire, supervise, and mentor program staff, including conducting performance evaluations and providing professional development opportunities. 
• Provide strategic direction and oversight for the overall program, ensuring alignment with agency priorities and state mandates.
• Establish and maintain governance frameworks, reporting structures, and decision-making processes.
• Lead cross-functional teams, ensuring integration of multiple projects and initiatives.
• Oversee coordination of multidisciplinary teams supporting data governance, synthetic data, AI fairness, and platform development, ensuring alignment with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles.
• Ensure integration of Zero Trust, encryption, and privacy-preserving standards into all program activities in accordance with state and federal data protection requirements (HIPAA, StateRAMP, NIST SP 800-53).
• Oversee accessibility and inclusivity compliance across all deliverables, ensuring adherence to WCAG 2.1 AA and multilingual accessibility standards.
• Coordinate with agency stakeholders to ensure ethical AI development, bias mitigation, and responsible use of synthetic and real-world data within program objectives.
• Establish and report program-level performance metrics tied to deliverables (e.g., on-time milestone completion, data compliance rate, trained/certified user percentages) to ensure transparency and measurable outcomes.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive program plans, schedules, and budgets.
• Monitor progress against milestones and performance metrics.
• Identify and mitigate program risks, issues, and dependencies.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting to state leadership and oversight bodies.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for program communications across the agency, contractors, and external partners.
• Facilitate stakeholder meetings, steering committees, and executive briefings.
• Ensure transparency, accountability, and alignment among all program participants.
• Oversee program financials, including forecasting, budgeting, and expenditure tracking.
• Manage vendor and contractor relationships in accordance with state procurement policies.
• Review and approve invoices, deliverables, and contract modifications.
• Ensure program compliance with applicable state and federal regulations.
• Implement and maintain quality assurance and performance improvement processes.
• Conduct program evaluations and recommend improvements.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business, Information Technology, or related field.
• 8+ years of experience managing large-scale, complex programs or portfolios.
• Demonstrated success in managing cross-functional teams.
• Experience in leadership, management, and project management is essential. 
• Strong understanding of government operations, procurement processes, and compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated experience managing data governance or AI-driven digital transformation initiatives in accordance with FAIR and Zero Trust frameworks.
• Knowledge of accessibility standards (Section 508, WCAG 2.1) and ability to oversee compliance across digital platforms.
• Familiarity with ethical AI frameworks, synthetic data practices, and responsible data stewardship within government or research programs.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills are necessary to manage diverse teams and external relationships.
• Proficiency in budget management, strategic planning, and performance tracking is crucial. 
• The ability to work under pressure and manage multiple tasks simultaneously is often required. 
• Proficiency in project and portfolio management tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, or equivalent).
• US Citizenship or Permanent Residency required.
• Must reside in the Continental US.
• Depending on the government agency, specific requirements may include public trust background check or security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in a relevant technical field.
• PMP, PgMP, or equivalent professional certification.
• Experience managing modernization, IT transformation, or regulatory compliance programs for state agencies.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams delivering FAIR-compliant data platforms, AI fairness frameworks, or synthetic data pipelines in government or research settings.
• Familiarity with state and federal funding, grant management, or audit requirements.