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

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

Benefits offered by this job

Remote & flex-work options

Health benefits

Education assistance

Retirement plan

Career development opportunities

Job summary

Bernalillo County is seeking a Principal IT Project Manager to lead countywide technology initiatives in person at the 415 Silver Ave SW location in Albuquerque, NM. This role directs governance for large-scale projects, mentors PMs, and aligns investments with county priorities, delivering complex, multi-year programs on schedule and within budget.

The position requires a Bachelor's degree and at least 10 years of IT project management experience, with strong leadership, stakeholder engagement,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field is required.
• Ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience managing complex IT projects, programs, or portfolios.
• Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience may be considered.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for large-scale IT portfolios.
• Define, implement, and oversee project, program, and portfolio management methodologies and processes.
• Serve as the senior advisor to IT leadership on governance, risk, and resource allocation.
• Lead the intake, evaluation, and scoring of proposed technology initiatives.
• Mentor PMO staff and coach senior PMs.
• Prepare and deliver executive reports, dashboards, and ROI summaries.

Skills

Project management experience

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, Project Management, or a related field

Job description

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

11/03/2026

Employees 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.

PREFERENCES

• Project Management Professional (PM