IT Program Director

Compunnel, Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare technology firm is seeking an IT Program Director to oversee large-scale IT initiatives, manage project teams, and ensure quality assurance in program delivery. The ideal candidate must have experience in the healthcare domain and strong leadership skills. Responsibilities include executive reporting, stakeholder engagement, and managing risks. This role is critical for the successful delivery of complex technology programs in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to manage large, complex IT programs in healthcare or insurance domains.
• Strong communication skills for executive reporting and stakeholder engagement.
• Deep understanding of testing methodologies, QA processes, and end‑to‑end test cycles.

Responsibilities

• Provide program-level oversight and direction for IT Project Managers.
• Manage large-scale IT programs ensuring delivery within scope and timelines.
• Oversee QA processes and ensure adherence to quality benchmarks.

Skills

Program management

Stakeholder engagement

Quality assurance

Risk management

Cross-functional leadership

Tools

Clinical Data Platform

Condition Identification tools

Digital Enablement tools

Healthy Innovations Platform

Healthy Returns System

Job description

The IT Program Director oversees large-scale IT initiatives, providing program-level leadership for multiple Project Managers while ensuring successful delivery of complex technology programs.

This role manages major healthcare/insurance domain projects, drives executive-level reporting, leads cross-functional coordination, and ensures rigorous testing, governance, and risk management practices.

The position also requires strong engagement with stakeholders across various internal systems and technology groups.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide program-level oversight and direction for 1–2 IT Project Managers.
• Manage large-scale IT programs and multiple concurrent initiatives.
• Ensure delivery of scope within planned timelines, costs, and success criteria.
• Build, manage, and mentor high-performing teams with strong engagement.
• Executive Reporting & Stakeholder Management
• Deliver executive-level updates and status reports.
• Identify and maintain positive relationships with stakeholders.
• Maintain regular communication with partners, suppliers, and internal teams.
• Define and implement comprehensive communication and governance models.
• Ensure stakeholder concerns and expectations are understood and addressed.
• Testing & Quality Assurance Oversight
• Oversee SIT, UAT, and end-to-end testing processes.
• Manage the lead test group and support testing strategy and scenario definition.
• Participate in defect triage, understand business impact of defects, and support root-cause analysis.
• Ensure adherence to QA processes, continuous improvement plans, and organizational quality benchmarks.
• Conduct requirements analysis, scope control, and prioritization.
• Drive creation of project standards such as design documents and traceability matrices.
• Consolidate and validate technical estimates, resource plans, and boundary assumptions.
• Conduct impact analysis for changes affecting scope, estimates, or resource loading.
• Project Planning & Scheduling
• Identify and plan end-to-end project activities to meet acceptance criteria.
• Plan and manage multiple small to medium‑size projects or modules.
• Identify risks, dependencies, and schedule delays; implement mitigation strategies.
• Fast‑track schedules where feasible and track progress regularly.
• Identify and track risks, issues, and dependencies affecting project KPIs.
• Follow escalation paths and ensure effective documentation and communication.
• Configuration & Process Management
• Ensure configuration management processes are followed.
• Demonstrate work during configuration audits and support corrective actions.
• Define the right tooling strategy and guide teams to develop high‑quality work products.
• Governance & Compliance
• Establish continuous quality improvement plans and tailor quality guidelines for project needs.
• Identify root causes of challenges and implement corrective/preventive actions.
• Domain, Technology & Solution Expertise
• Support research to stay updated on healthcare/insurance environment and competitive landscape.
• Map business requirements to technology needs and guide solution design
• Present solutions and roadmaps to customers and support development of POCs.
• Analyze project profitability and prepare resource‑based cost sheets.
• Support deal pricing and estimation for complex projects.
• Contribute to account management activities and KPIs.
• Knowledge Management & Organizational Contribution
• Establish project‑level KM plans and enable knowledge sharing.
• Contribute learnings to the organizational KM repository.
• Participate in forums, adopt reusable methodologies, and promote productivity improvements.
• Assess team skills and create development and enhancement plans.
• Foster innovation and support team members’ career aspirations.
• Provide feedback, coaching, and conflict resolution.

Required Qualifications

• Proven ability to manage large, complex IT programs in healthcare or insurance domains.
• Strong communication skills for executive reporting and stakeholder engagement.
• Deep understanding of testing methodologies, QA processes, and end‑to‑end test cycles.
• Ability to navigate cross‑functional teams and complex organizational structures.
• Experience with systems including:
• Clinical Data Platform (CDP)
• Condition Identification & Stratification tools
• Digital Enablement (interaction tracking)
• Correspondence Center (letters system)
• Ability to manage scope, schedule, budget, risks, and quality for multi‑million‑dollar IT programs.
• Experience with estimation, resource planning, governance models, and software delivery methodologies.
• Strong knowledge of project management methodologies (Agile, SDLC, quantitative metrics).

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with Client's Care Management initiatives, including the Healthy Innovations Platform (HIP).
• Experience with Healthy Returns System (HRS).
• Experience managing SIT, UAT, and end‑to‑end test governance at enterprise scale.
• Background in profitability management, pricing models, and complex proposal reviews.
• Ability to assess industry parameters and support market sensing initiatives.