Project Management Office Manager

Washington Department of Natural Resources; Washington; Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance

12 paid holidays

Vacation days (minimum 14)

State retirement programs

Job summary

The Office of Financial Management (OFM) in Washington State is seeking a strategic PMO Manager to lead the enterprise project management office and drive governance, portfolio management, and performance across technology initiatives.

You will coach project managers and Scrum Masters, build partnerships across divisions, and ensure alignment with IT policies and agency strategy while delivering measurable results.

Qualifications

• Expert knowledge of PMO frameworks and governance structures.
• Strategic planning and translating strategy into programs and roadmaps.
• Advanced knowledge of portfolio management and resource allocation.
• Experience leading enterprise IT projects and governance reviews.
• Strong communication to executives and governing bodies.

Responsibilities

• Establish and lead a PMO Center of Excellence.
• Define PMO strategy, governance, and performance metrics.
• Develop project performance reporting for executive decision-making.
• Lead enterprise-wide IT projects and stakeholder management.
• Coach and mentor project management professionals and Scrum Masters.
• Standardize PMO methodologies, templates, and tools.
• Coordinate with resource managers and governance boards.

Skills

PMO frameworks

Governance structures

Strategic planning

Portfolio management

IT governance

Performance metrics

Leadership & coaching

Stakeholder influence

Data-driven decisions

Job description

Description

Please Note: This recruitment is open until filled. Applications will be reviewed daily. The hiring authority reserves the right to make a hiring decision at any time. We encourage all to apply as early as possible.

Hybrid: Our physical office is in Olympia, WA. We offer flexible work schedules and locations. This is a hybrid position where most of the work can be done remotely. However, you must reside in the state of Washington and travel to in-person activities, meetings, and events as needed for business purposes.

Why work for OFM

The Office of Financial Management (OFM) serves as the backbone of Washington state government. Our mission is to make our state a better place by connecting people, budgets, policies, data, and systems for state agencies and the Legislature. Our team includes budget advisors, researchers, and other experts, all dedicated public servants working towards an equitable future for every Washingtonian.

If you want to play a key role in enhancing how state government serves its citizens, you’ve found the right place. Join us in making a meaningful difference for every Washingtonian!

As the Project Management Office (PMO) Manager within the Office of Financial Management’s (OFM) Information Technology Services Division, you will provide strategic leadership that shapes how Washington State invests in technology, delivers enterprise initiatives, and advances priorities that serve state agencies and the people of Washington. You will lead the enterprise PMO’s project portfolio and governance practices, driving accountability, transparency, and informed decision-making to ensure technology investments align with agency strategy, state IT policies, and available resources. You will influence enterprise-wide priorities, strengthen coordination across complex initiatives, and help turn strategic goals into measurable results.

In this influential leadership role, you will set direction for project management standards and practices while coaching and empowering project managers and Scrum Masters to deliver high-quality outcomes. You will build strategic partnerships across OFM divisions, bring diverse stakeholders together around shared objectives, and guide decisions amid competing priorities, project dependencies, risks, and resource constraints. We're looking for a forward-thinking leader who can connect strategy to execution, foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, and strengthen the state’s ability to successfully deliver complex technology initiatives. Join OFM to lead work that drives enterprise transformation, strengthens government operations, and creates lasting value for Washington communities.

What you’ll work on

• Establish and lead a PMO Center of Excellence, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement. Inspire teams to challenge assumptions, experiment with new approaches, and generate measurable business value aligned with organizational strategy.
• Define and implement PMO strategy, governance frameworks, and performance metrics to ensure alignment between project execution and strategic business objectives.
• Develop and operationalize project performance reporting and feedback loops that inform executive decision-making and drive strategic adjustments.
• Set clear goals, priorities, and success measures.
• Drive execution excellence by focusing teams on high-impact initiatives, tracking progress against key performance indicators (KPIs), and ensuring accountability through transparent measurement.
• Recruit, mentor, and lead project management professionals, cultivating high-performing teams and ensuring career development through coaching, training, and structured performance management.
• Standardize and continuously enhance PMO methodologies, tools, templates, and best practices to ensure consistent, high-quality delivery across programs and projects.
• Oversee and guide enterprise-wide IT projects, ensuring seamless integration of new technologies, systems, and applications while managing risk and stakeholder expectations.
• Champion effective communication and stakeholder engagement, ensuring clear, timely, and aligned messaging through robust project communication plans and executive reporting.
• Collaborate with leadership to define resource strategies, secure project staffing (internal and external), and optimize utilization of people, technology, and budget.
• Ensure disciplined project closure and knowledge transfer, capturing lessons learned, measuring outcomes against objectives, and embedding continuous improvement into future initiatives.
• Champion a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous learning across all delivery teams.
• Apply OFM's IT Project Governance criteria to route requests into Strategic Portfolio Management as demands and prepare them for technical and governance review.
• Maintain consistent intake practices so leadership sees all work in one, transparent portfolio. Ensure the IT Project Governance for Strategic Portfolio Management web page is maintained.
• Facilitate prioritization with Business Owners and Governance Boards to ensure initiatives align with OFM strategic objectives.
• Coordinate with resource managers to confirm allocations and resolve capacity conflicts.
• Prepare materials and shepherd initiatives through OFM's governance process.
• Lead and partner on Annual Technology certification deliverables tied to inventory and governance documentation.

What we need you to bring

• Expert knowledge of developing and maintaining PMO frameworks and governance structures, operating models, standards, methodologies, policies, performance frameworks, and continuous improvement practices sufficient to establish and lead a PMO Center of Excellence and advance organizational project management maturity.
• Expert skill in communicating complex technical, financial, operational, and strategic information to executive, governance, business, and technical audiences; building consensus; resolving competing priorities; and influencing decisions across organizational boundaries.
• Advanced to expert knowledge of strategic planning and execution and translating organizational strategy into actionable programs, projects, roadmaps, and measurable outcomes.
• Advanced knowledge of enterprise projects, program, and portfolio management principles, methodologies, practices, and lifecycle management sufficient to oversee complex, enterprise-wide technology initiatives and align delivery with organizational strategy.
• Advanced knowledge of portfolio prioritization, investment evaluation, and resource allocation sufficient to assess competing initiatives based on strategic value, benefits, risk, cost, capacity, and organizational impact.
• Advanced knowledge of IT governance, technology investment management, risk management, information security, privacy, compliance, and applicable organizational and statewide technology policies and standards sufficient to guide initiatives through governance and technical review processes.
• Advanced knowledge of performance measurement, KPIs, portfolio analytics, dashboards, data quality, resource planning, and executive reporting sufficient to provide accurate and actionable information for leadership decision-making and strategic adjustments.
• Advanced skills in leading, coaching, mentoring, developing, and performance-managing professional staff; building high-performing teams; leading organizational change; and fostering accountability, innovation, continuous learning, and continuous improvement.
• Advanced to expert skill in analyzing complex and ambiguous organizational issues, identifying risks and opportunities, developing sound recommendations, and making or facilitating data-driven decisions that balance strategic objectives, resources, risk, and business value.
• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to meet the needs of others.

Supplemental Information

What we offer

At OFM, we foster a culture of integrity, innovation, inclusion, and belonging. We value both learned and lived experiences, believing that diversity makes us stronger. To support your health and well-being, we offer a variety of benefit programs for our employees.

• An environment of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
• 12 paid holidays, 14 paid vacation days (minimum), and 12 days of sick leave per year
• State retirement programs

The Office of Financial Management is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects diversity in culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, persons over 40 years of age, and disabled and Vietnam-era veterans are encouraged to apply.

This position is exempt from civil service rules.

For more information, please see WAC 357-19-195.