Principal IT Project Manager (This is an In-Person Position)

BernCo Clerk; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; USD 82,000 - 126,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote & flex-work options

Health benefits

Education assistance program

Job summary

Bernalillo County is seeking a Principal IT Project Manager (This is an In-Person Position) to lead large-scale IT portfolios and programs. Based in Albuquerque, NM, the role directs governance, mentoring, and alignment of technology investments with county priorities.

The position emphasizes cross-department collaboration, risk management, and delivery of multi-year, multi-stakeholder initiatives with senior IT leadership. This role is in-person with competitive pay and benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, Project Management, or a related field.
• Ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience managing complex IT projects, programs, or portfolios in a comparably complex environment.
• Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience may be considered.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for large-scale IT portfolios and alignment with county objectives.
• Define, implement, and oversee PMO methodologies, standards, and processes across IT.
• Lead intake, evaluation, and scoring of proposed technology initiatives; prioritize based on value, risk, and impact.
• Mentor PMO staff and serve as escalation point for governance, risk, and issues.
• Prepare and deliver executive-level portfolio health reports, dashboards, and ROI summaries.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Portfolio management

Program management

Governance expertise

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in CS/IS/BA/PM or related

Job description

Principal IT Project Manager (This is an In-Person Position)**We and our partners use tracking technologies such as cookies to enhance site navigation, provide a personalized experience, and analyze site usage. By clicking \"Accept All Cookies\", closing this banner, or continuing to use our site, you consent to the storing on your device of all the technologies described in our Privacy Policy. Cookie settings can be changed at any time by clicking \"Cookie Settings\". We encourage you to read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy to better understand our use of data.**# Bernalillo County Careers## Principal IT Project Manager (This is an In-Person Position)Apply: Albuquerque, NM: Full time: Posted Today: End Date: November 4, 2026 (14 days left to apply): JR103840**Job Posting Title:**Principal IT Project Manager (This is an In-Person Position)**Department:**Information Technology**Location:**415 SILVER AVE SW**Pay Range:**$81,557.00 - $126,381.00**Close Date:**11/03/2026Employees at Bernalillo County enjoy the ability to team up with each other to build a high quality of life for our county residents, communities, and businesses. In addition to being an organization with a strong focus on work-life balance, building a culture of flexibility, learning, and belonging the County offers many benefits. Employees of Bernalillo County enjoy many thoughtful rewards such as, but not limited to generous leave accruals; career development opportunities; remote & flex-work options as appropriate; longevity pay; education assistance program; health benefits; lucrative retirement; and so much more.The Principal IT Project Manager is the top IT project, program, and portfolio expert, providing strategic leadership for countywide technology initiatives. The role guides governance, mentors project managers, and aligns major technology investments with County priorities. This position ensures successful delivery of the County’s most complex, cross‐departmental projects across scope, schedule, budget, quality, change management, and readiness.**DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES*** Provide strategic leadership for large-scale, multi-program IT portfolios, ensuring alignment with County-wide objectives and long-term technology planning.* Define, implement, and oversee project, program, and portfolio management methodologies, standards, and processes across the IT department; ensure they are consistently adopted and continuously improved.* Serve as the senior advisor to IT leadership on program and portfolio planning, organizational capacity, prioritization, risk posture, and resource allocation.* Lead the intake, evaluation, and scoring of proposed technology initiatives; recommend prioritization decisions based on strategic value, risk, cost, feasibility, and organizational impact.* Manage high-risk, politically visible, and complex initiatives that span multiple years, multiple departments, external partners, and vendor ecosystems—extending beyond the scale normally handled by Lead-level project managers (e.g., initiatives with multiple sub-programs, multi-million-dollar budgets, and extensive integration requirements).* Provide situational leadership, direction, and technical mentorship to lower-level IT Project Managers on project and program delivery challenges, escalation handling, decision-making, and project recovery strategies.* Act as the escalation point for governance, risk, and issue management across all IT-managed portfolios; lead cross-functional resolution efforts when challenges impact scope, budget, critical deadlines, or service delivery.* Partner with business leadership to define technology-enabled business transformations, assess organizational readiness, and support adoption through stakeholder engagement, training strategies, and change management frameworks.* Coordinate with IT managers, executives, and county departments to establish governance committees, steering groups, and portfolio review boards.* Prepare and deliver executive-level reports, dashboards, and presentations summarizing portfolio health, risks, dependencies, outcomes, and return on investment.* Lead the design and oversight of project execution artifacts such as enterprise-level schedules, Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), dependency maps, and resource plans.* Ensure comprehensive documentation throughout the project, program, and portfolio lifecycle, including requirements, decision logs, change management artifacts, transition plans, and end-of-life documentation.* Mentor and train PMO staff in advanced project, program, and portfolio management practices; guide Leads in coaching Senior and base-level PMs.* Monitor vendor performance and contract compliance at the portfolio level; support contract negotiations and multi-year procurement planning.* Maintain strong, trusted relationships with business partners, executive stakeholders, and external agencies; serve as a strategic liaison for long-term IT planning.***\\*The above information is intended to outline the general nature and scope of the duties required for this position. It is not an exhaustive list and may vary depending on specific job assignments and responsibilities.*****MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS*** Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, Project Management, or a related field.* Ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience managing complex IT projects, programs, or portfolios in a comparably complex environment, including enterprise‐ or county‐wide initiatives involving multiple stakeholders, systems, vendors, and organizational units.***\\*Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience may be considered for the above requirements.***SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION**PREFERENCES*** Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification, Program Management Professional (PgMP) Certification, and/or Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP) Certification.**SCREENING AND COMPLIANCE** The offer of this Bernalillo County position requires compliance with the following:* Successful completion of a post-offer employment medical examination.* Adherence to all County safety guidelines.* Complete all FEMA training(s) assigned to this position.* Possession of a valid New Mexico driver’s license by the date of hire and maintenance of a valid license while employed in this position.* Complete required supervisor training, if applicable.**WORKING CONDITIONS*** Work is typically performed in an indoor office environment but occasionally requires travel to other locations.* Work environments may include noise, dust and/or unpleasant odors, and may occasionally require work in confined spaces.* Occasional evenings, holidays, and/or weekend work may be required.**EQUIPMENT, TOOLS, AND MATERIALS*** Equipment typically used in the performance of office duties includes telephone, computer, printer, and copy machine.* Various types of paperwork and forms are handled in the performance of duties.