PROGRAM MANAGER II Senior Strategic Initiatives Analyst

State of Maryland; Maryland; Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hours and hybrid teleworking

Paid holidays 12-13 per year

Generous leave package

State Pension

Job summary

Maryland Department of Labor seeks Strategic Initiatives Analysts to tackle complex projects for the FAMLI program. You will drive discovery, development, and execution of processes addressing rapid organizational growth and improve paid family and medical leave delivery for Maryland workers.

Ideal candidates have a bachelor’s degree and at least 5 years in program management or related fields, with strong communication and data‑driven problem solving. Hybrid work options are available.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• 5 years of professional work experience in program management, program coordination, strategic planning, policy analysis, business analysis, or digital service delivery.

Responsibilities

• Lead or support cross‑functional projects to develop new capabilities and align with strategic goals.
• Lead or support incubation projects to explore new methods, processes, and technologies.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to gather insights and ensure alignment.
• Compile and analyze data to identify trends, inefficiencies, and opportunities.
• Provide actionable insights to inform decision-making.
• Develop processes and systems to address rapid organizational growth.
• Establish and monitor performance indicators for continuous improvement.
• Work with teams to ensure seamless execution of strategic initiatives.
• Foster a collaborative environment that encourages knowledge-sharing and innovation.
• Lead efforts to manage changes from new initiatives and ensure adoption.

Skills

Problem-solving

Analytical thinking

Collaboration

Project management

Strategic planning

Data analysis

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Google Workspace

Airtable

ClickUp

Job description

Introduction

Maryland’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program makes sure all workers in Maryland have paid time off for medical and family reasons. FAMLI is a social insurance system covering 2.6 million workers and 180,000 employers, delivered as a digitally native, public-facing service. We’re in the early stages of building something as big and as far-reaching as unemployment insurance or a new health department. We know that delivering services primarily through a website, over the Internet, is a new way of doing business in government.

The Strategic Initiatives & Implementation team serves as the FAMLI Division’s engine for translating vision into execution. The team brings together two core functions — a Project Management Office responsible for driving the disciplined delivery of the Division’s full portfolio of work, and a Strategic Initiatives team charged with incubating new functions that enhance the Division’s efficiency, effectiveness, and service delivery. Together, these teams steward the Division’s implementation portfolio, ensuring work is aligned with statutory requirements, strategic goals, and long‑term program success, while also building the internal capacity, systems, and practices needed to support a maturing statewide paid leave program.

This recruitment is limited to current employees of the MD Department of Labor.

• This is a Management Service position that serves at the pleasure of the Appointing Authority**

GRADE

STD0020

LOCATION OF POSITION

100 S. Charles Street

Baltimore, MD 21201

Main Purpose of Job

Strategic Initiatives Analysts bring the problem-solving mindset, analytical chops, and collaboration skills needed to tackle the most complex projects that go into the creation of a brand-new, digital-first, and user-centered government program. Strategic Initiatives Analysts staff a variety of cross‑functional projects within the FAMLI Division at the Maryland Department of Labor, including incubation projects and working groups that help FAMLI develop new capabilities, teams, and approaches to delivery paid family and medical leave to Maryland workers. Analysts also lead discovery, development, and execution of processes and systems that address frictions innate to rapidly growing organizations.

POSITION DUTIES

• Lead or support cross‑functional projects aimed at developing new capabilities, teams, and approaches for the FAMLI Division, ensuring alignment with overall strategic goals and timelines.
• Lead or support incubation projects that explore new methods, processes, and technologies to enhance the delivery of paid family and medical leave.
• Collaborate with various stakeholders, including internal teams and external partners to gather insights, identify challenges, and ensure that projects are aligned with overall strategic goals and timelines.
• Compile and analyze data to identify trends, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement within the FAMLI Division.
• Provide actionable insights to inform decision‑making.
• Develop and implement processes and systems to address challenges associated with rapid organizational growth.
• Establish and monitor performance indicators to assess the effectiveness of initiatives and ensure continuous improvement in program delivery.
• Work closely with various teams within the FAMLI Division to ensure seamless execution of strategic initiatives.
• Foster a collaborative environment that encourages knowledge‑sharing and innovation.
• Lead efforts to manage and communicate changes resulting from new initiatives, ensuring smooth transitions and adoption across the Division.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university

Experience: 5 years of professional work experience in program management, program coordination, strategic planning, policy analysis, business analysis, or digital service delivery

Desired Or Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to balance meticulous attention to detail with the capacity to think strategically.
• Strong and versatile communication skills, including ability to translate complex information visually, orally, and in writing.
• Proven history of coordinating or leading projects involving multiple internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience compiling/analyzing operational data and mapping business processes to identify inefficiencies.
• Demonstrated growth mindset, with a commitment to learning, adapting, and embracing challenges as opportunities for development and innovation.
• Experience using a variety of productivity and collaboration tools, including Google Workspace, Airtable, and ClickUp

Special Requirements

All candidates are subject to a background check against files maintained by the Division of Unemployment Insurance (Labor/DUI) to determine whether any monies are owed to Labor/DUI as a result of unemployment insurance overpayment/fraud. Any unpaid debt may have an impact on whether or not a candidate is offered employment.

SELECTION PROCESS

All information concerning the qualifications, including any required documentation (diploma, transcript, certificate, etc.) must be submitted and received by the closing date. Information submitted after this date will not be considered. Applications that meet minimum and/or selective qualifications will be referred to the hiring unit for interview selection.

Applications that meet minimum and/or selective qualifications will be referred to the hiring unit for interview selection. Units will select those candidates most closely demonstrating the qualifications for the interview.

EXAMINATION PROCESS

The assessment may consist of a rating of your education, training, and experience related to the requirements of the position. It is important that you provide complete and accurate information on your application.

Benefits

This is a full‑time, permanent position and eligible for full State benefits, which include:

• Flexible hours and hybrid teleworking
• Paid holidays 12-13 per year
• Generous paid leave package (annual, sick, personal and compensatory leave)
• State Pension ("defined benefit" plan)
• Tax‑deferred supplemental retirement savings plans (401(k) and 457)
• Comprehensive, subsidized health, dental and prescription plans with little to no deductibles, free generic prescriptions, and free preventative health services
• Flexible Spending Account plans for Health Care and Daycare
• State Employees Credit Union

U.S. Military Veterans

U.S. Military Veterans may qualify for additional bonus points towards certification. Any job offer will be contingent on the candidate providing a U.S. Military form DD 214 verifying honorable discharge from service prior to starting employment (and may be requested prior to interview). Permanent State employees do not need to submit proof of Veterans’ status.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Maryland Department of Labor is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of LABOR that all persons have equal opportunity and access to employment opportunities, services, and facilities without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, disability or veteran status.