Project Manager

VTG Defense; Fairfax (VA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

VTG Defense is seeking an experienced Project Manager located in Fairfax, VA to oversee data science initiatives for a government client. The Project Manager will manage day-to-day operations, coordinate with technical teams, and track project milestones using JIRA.

The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in Agile methodologies and have experience working with government customers. An active TS/SCI clearance is required for this position.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of experience managing technical projects, preferably in data science or mission-focused environments.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including status updates and project documentation.
• Active TS/SCI with FSP clearance.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate day-to-day project execution for data science initiatives.
• Manage work through JIRA and track progress against milestones.
• Prepare and deliver project status updates for customer stakeholders.

Skills

Agile methodologies

JIRA

Communication skills

Risk management

Stakeholder coordination

Tools

JIRA

Confluence

Job description

Overview

VTG is looking for a Project Manager in Fairfax, VA.

What will you do?

We are seeking an experienced Project Manager to support a government customer in Fairfax, VA. The Project Manager will coordinate day‑to‑day project execution for data science initiatives, manage work through JIRA, track progress against milestones, and ensure deliverables remain aligned with customer priorities. This role requires strong communication, Agile project management experience, and the ability to work closely with technical teams and stakeholders in a mission‑focused environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor data scientist tasks, assignments, and progress using JIRA.
• Review task status, updates, dependencies, and ownership to ensure accurate project visibility.
• Coordinate with data scientists and technical contributors to keep project activities aligned with approved timelines.
• Identify, document, and help mitigate roadblocks, risks, and bottlenecks that could affect delivery.
• Ensure project deliverables remain on track and communicate impacts when priorities, scope, or schedules change.

JIRA and Agile Management

• Create, manage, and maintain JIRA tickets, workflows, dashboards, and boards.
• Ensure JIRA configurations, ticket fields, and reporting views are current and accurate.
• Use JIRA to track project metrics, KPIs, sprint progress, task completion, risks, and impediments.
• Support Agile ceremonies such as sprint planning, daily stand‑ups, backlog reviews, sprint reviews, and retrospectives.
• Maintain clear project artifacts, schedules, action items, and status documentation.

Stakeholder Communication

• Prepare and deliver project status updates for customer stakeholders, program leadership, and internal teams.
• Provide timely updates on project timelines, milestones, deliverables, dependencies, and risks.
• Address stakeholder questions and concerns with clear, accurate, and professional communication.
• Facilitate coordination across technical and non‑technical stakeholders to support decision‑making and issue resolution.

Issue Resolution and Risk Management

• Identify and resolve issues or impediments that may affect project progress.
• Collaborate with data scientists and technical team members to understand blockers and coordinate solutions.
• Escalate risks, resource needs, and priority conflicts when appropriate.
• Track corrective actions through closure and maintain visibility for stakeholders.

Prioritization and Planning

• Prioritize tasks and coordinate resource allocation to support business and mission objectives.
• Plan and coordinate project activities to meet schedule, scope, and delivery expectations.
• Balance competing priorities while maintaining focus on customer needs and measurable outcomes.
• Support project planning, schedule maintenance, and coordination of near‑term and long‑term activities.

Do you have what it takes?

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of experience managing technical projects, preferably (but not required) in data science, analytics, software, or mission‑focused environments.
• Experience using Agile methodologies and JIRA to manage work, track progress, and report project status.
• Experience working directly with government customers.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate across technical teams, stakeholders, and leadership.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing status updates, briefings, and project documentation.
• Ability to identify risks, remove blockers, manage priorities, and drive tasks to completion.
• Active TS/SCI with FSP clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting data science, AI/ML, analytics, or software development teams.
• Experience with JIRA dashboards, workflow administration, reporting, and project metrics.
• Familiarity with Confluence, SharePoint, ServiceNow, or similar collaboration and tracking tools.
• Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), SAFe, or other relevant project management or Agile certification.
• Experience working in classified environments and supporting Intelligence Community or national security missions.