Lead Program Manager

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Inc.; Baton Rouge (LA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana in Baton Rouge seeks a Lead Program Manager to coordinate multiple complex programs, ensuring delivery of quality business outcomes. You will work with client management, IT, PMO, and business leaders to elicit requirements, map dependencies, and publish milestones in a regulated environment.

Applicants should have 7 years of program or project management and Scrum Master experience, with PMP or CSM preferred, and a proven ability to drive cross-functional

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Project Management, Computer Science, or related field.
• Completion of an approved educational program or four years of related experience may be accepted in lieu of degree.
• 7 years of program or project management and scrum master experience required.
• Experience managing relationships with project managers, project sponsors, senior management, and stakeholders required.
• Experience leading complex technology initiatives required.
• PMP preferred
• CSM preferred

Responsibilities

• Mentor and build a team of world‑class program managers.
• Provide ongoing leadership for a team of Program Managers who have overall responsibility for the daily oversight of specific programs.
• Build and maintain an in-depth understanding of program and project management practices (including SAFE, Agile and Kanban methodologies).
• Foster a culture of accountability, cross‑functional collaboration, continuous improvement and coordinated execution.
• Organize and execute team training, mentoring, and team activities.
• Manage relationships with project sponsors, senior management, and a wide range of project contributors.
• Lead others to drive ongoing program improvements based on user feedback, performance measurements, and retrospectives.
• Ensure company standards are upheld and clearly defined throughout the entire process of each program and/or project’s development and execution.
• Lead others to carry out processes in the most efficient and effective manner while simultaneously upholding a given set of standards.
• Establish strong working relationships with functional counterparts.
• Manage project goals across multiple work streams to achieve customers’ business outcomes by managing issues, risks, decisions, and action items.
• Monitor and report on overall program funding and health.
• Create, monitor, and communicate program integrated roadmap with key internal and external dependencies.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional leadership

Agile methodologies

Metrics & reporting

Communication

Strategic planning

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Project Management, Computer Science, or related field

Completion of an approved educational program or four years of related experience may be accepted in lieu of degree

Tools

SAFe

Agile & Kanban

Job description

We take great strides to ensure our employees have the resources to live well, be healthy, continue learning, develop skills, grow professionally and serve our local communities. We invite you to apply for a career with us. Residency in or relocation to Louisiana is preferred for all positions.

POSITION PURPOSE

This position facilitates the coordination of personnel and other resources (e.g. contractors, vendor partners) required to successfully complete multiple, complex programs of interdependent work, including projects and initiatives, ensuring the delivery of quality business outcomes including underlying project deliverables, overarching program deliverables, new and improved processes, and services. The Lead Program Manager manages projects of high complexity and operates in a tightly regulated industry environment. The Lead Program Manager is directly responsible for ensuring the execution of all key steps in program delivery: business, technical and functional requirements elicitation, dependency mapping, milestone projections, task-level program steps, identification and regular publishing of metrics which define program success. The position must regularly monitor work to ensure that programs remain in line with projected costs and timelines. This is accomplished by ensuring the adoption of well-established, industry best practice frameworks and methodologies. The Lead Program Manager is accountable for complying with all laws and regulations associated with duties and responsibilities.

NATURE AND SCOPE

This role does not manage people

This job reports to: Departmental Leadership Necessary Contacts: Necessary Contacts:

INSIDE RELATIONSHIPS

Interfaces directly with client management (business owners and project team members) in negotiation and definition of requirements.

Negotiates, defines, interprets plan/policy requirements and presents options and processing capabilities to upper level management.

Provides guidance and direction to all areas placing requirements on the system.

Has management responsibility for cross-divisional programs with cross-department and cross-organization impacts.

Interfaces frequently with IT, PMO and business leaders.

Exercises diplomacy and tact in discussions with client management on controversial subjects.

OUTSIDE RELATIONSHIPS

Frequent contact with client management to exchange information and/or make presentations on information systems concepts.

Reviews and maintains contact with selected user groups with similar problems and user organizations.

Attends outside technical meetings as directed, making presentations when necessary.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Project Management, Computer Science, or related field.
• Completion of an approved educational program or four years of related experience may be accepted in lieu of degree.

Work Experience

• 7 years of program or project management and scrum master experience required.
• Experience managing relationships with project managers, project sponsors, senior management, and a wide range of project stakeholders required.
• Experience leading complex technology initiatives required.

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrate a proven track record of excellent project management, bringing the ability to quickly put structure in place to manage work in a dynamic complex environment.
• Ability to moderate competing ideas, identifying risks and issues, and finding creative solutions.
• Proven ability to lead teams and work cross-functionally in a highly collaborative environment.
• Ability to understand industry best practices, lead and/or participate in roadmap and goal setting, along with the ability to discern the appropriate path for successful execution.
• Ensures goals and objectives are consistent with industry‑best practices and organizational maturity and strategy.
• Knowledge of agile development methodologies and tools.
• Demonstrate analytical and quantitative skills; ability to establish metrics and utilize data to measure operational efficiency, team health, organizational performance.
• Exhibit a high degree of organizational skills and ability to manage multiple, competing priorities simultaneously.
• Effective communicator – ability to create clarity amongst diverse groups from team members to stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to identify strategic forward paths to success.
• Demonstrate ability to operate both strategically and tactically in a high‑energy, fast‑paced environment.

Licenses and Certifications

• PMP preferred
• CSM preferred

ACCOUNTABILITIES AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Mentor and build a team of world‑class program managers.

Provide ongoing leadership for a team of Program Managers who have overall responsibility for the daily oversight of specific programs.

Build and maintain an in-depth understanding of program and project management practices (including SAFE, Agile and Kanban methodologies).

Foster a culture of accountability, cross‑functional collaboration, continuous improvement and coordinated execution.

Organize and execute team training, mentoring, and team activities.

Manage relationships with project sponsors, senior management, and a wide range of project contributors.

Lead others to drive ongoing program improvements based on user feedback, performance measurements, and retrospectives.

Ensure company standards are upheld and clearly defined throughout the entire process of each program and/or project’s development and execution.

Lead others to carry out processes in the most efficient and effective manner while simultaneously upholding a given set of standards.

Establish strong working relationships with functional counterparts.

Manage project goals across multiple work streams to achieve customers’ business outcomes by managing issues, risks, decisions, and action items.

Manage, monitor, and track overall program benefits realization, benefits register, outcomes.

Manage program interactions with the governing body and sponsor.

Monitor and manage program risks, performance, and communications.

Monitor and report on overall program funding and health.

Create, monitor, and communicate program integrated roadmap with key internal and external dependencies.

ADDITIONAL ACCOUNTABILITIES AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Physical Demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the Accountabilities and Essential Functions of the job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Perform other job-related duties as assigned, within your scope of responsibilities.

Job duties are performed in a normal and clean office environment with normal noise levels. Work is predominately done while standing or sitting. The ability to comprehend, document, calculate, visualize, and analyze are required.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

All internal employees please apply through Workday Careers.

PLEASE USE A WEB BROWSER OTHER THAN INTERNET EXPLORER IF YOU ENCOUNTER ISSUES (CHROME, FIREFOX, SAFARI)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please be sure to monitor your email frequently for communications you may receive during the recruiting process. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, only those most qualified will be contacted. To monitor the status of your application, please visit the "My Applications" section in the Candidate Home section of your Workday account. If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete an application, please contact [e-mail] for assistance.

Company Mission

To improve the health and lives of Louisianians.

Company Vision

A better state of health through preventative, easier and more affordable healthcare Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (Louisiana Blue) is incorporated as Louisiana Health Service & Indemnity company and is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is licensed to sell products only in the state of Louisiana.