Senior IT Policy & Oversight Consultant

State of Washington; Olympia (WA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental plans

Paid leave and holidays

Retirement plan options

Telework options

Job summary

WaTech, part of Washington Technology Solutions, seeks a Senior IT Policy & Oversight Consultant to provide independent guidance on major state IT programs and projects. You will monitor health and risk, assess governance, and ensure compliance with state policies, delivering transparent, accountable oversight.

Role includes on-site visits to Olympia, WA, with approved telework; you will work with agency leadership and stakeholders to support successful project outcomes and drive continuous

Qualifications

• 10 years of experience performing IT project management functions (director/PMO/oversight).
• Two years on large IT projects over $30 million and enterprise service awareness.
• Two years preparing and managing integrated project schedules.
• Two years reviewing PM plans, charters, and funding requests.

Responsibilities

• Provide independent advice and guidance to major state IT programs and projects.
• Monitor health and risks of major IT programs and collaborate on mitigation.
• Communicate critical issues to WaTech, OFM and agency leadership.
• Assess governance, scope, schedule, budget and quality across projects.
• Document monthly scope, schedule, budget, and health on the IT Dashboard.
• Review charters and investment plans within SLAs.
• Work with agencies to reflect best practices and compliance.
• Ensure M&O spending is reviewed and improved.
• Approve spending plans per statutory requirements and SLAs.
• Serve as liaison between legislature and major IT programs.

Skills

IT project management

Program oversight

Integrated schedules

PM plans & funding

Education

Bachelor’s degree in IT/CS/Business

Job description

Senior IT Policy & Oversight Consultant (EMS 3)

WaTech: Leading the way in technology!

Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech) is at the forefront nationally in integrating innovative technologies that revolutionize how state services are delivered to the people of Washington. WaTech establishes the strategic technological framework for various state domains and programs, overseeing the primary technology services throughout the state.

About the opportunity:

This position is a part of the Strategy and Management Division (SMD) that provides statewide leadership for IT strategy, governance, and customer experience while also operating critical enterprise services. The division brings together customer support, small agency services, enterprise strategy and oversight, digital experience, and project delivery functions. The Senior IT Policy & Oversight Consultant reports to the Oversight Consultant Manager.

The Senior IT Policy & Oversight Consultant position provides ongoing oversight to the state's largest, most complex, highest risk and greatest impact IT projects ("major" IT projects). The consultant oversees a portfolio of projects ranging from 15 to 25 with a total average portfolio value of over $300 million. Any single program or project budget can be up to $150 million or more. Most of these have broad impacts to those receiving government services. This position is accountable for ensuring transparency of IT projects under WaTech oversight to the authorizing environment and the public, and providing independent advice, consultation and guidance in support of successful project outcomes.

Some of what to expect with this role:

• Provide independent advice, consultation and guidance to major state agency IT programs and projects under WaTech oversight.
• Monitor and independently assess the health and risks of major IT programs and projects and collaborate with agency leadership to create mitigation strategies.
• Communicate critical or sensitive issues in a timely manner to WaTech, OFM and agency IT, business and executive management, and elevate as necessary.
• Independently assess governance and decision making, project management, scope, schedule and budget management as well as quality, procurement, risk, integration, resource, vendor, change and communications management practices and outline impact on key milestones, deliverables or project outcomes.
• Document monthly scope, schedule, budget and overall health assessments of major IT programs and projects on the Washington state IT Project Dashboard.
• Thoroughly review within service level target timeframes all major IT project charters and investment plans.
• Work collaboratively with agencies to ensure charter and investment plans reflect best practices and comply with all relevant state policies and standards.
• Work with agencies, OFM budget assistants and WaTech to ensure that agencies are systematically looking at and improving the IT maintenance and operations (M&O) portion of the agency’s IT project spending.
• Thoroughly review and approve spending plans in accordance with all statutory requirements and within service level target timeframes.
• Serve as a liaison between the legislature and major IT programs and projects and respond to legislative inquiries as requested.
• Work collaboratively with agencies to ensure the performance metrics and lessons learned of completed projects are documented, reported and shared.

Here’s what we’re looking for:

• 10 years of experience performing Information Technology (IT) project management functions (e.g., project director, project manager or a dedicated member of a project management office team), IT project quality assurance, oversight, or consultant services.
• This experience must include two years’ experience in each of the following:
  • Working on large IT project implementation exceeding $30 million and awareness of enterprise service.
  • Preparing and managing integrated project schedules.
  • Reviewing project management plans, project charter, and funding requests or similar artifacts.
• A bachelor’s degree in information technology, business administration, computer science, or a related field can substitute for up to four years of experience.
• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

Preference may be granted to applicants with the following:

• Experience in IT program management, portfolio management, business systems analysis, organizational change management or other closely allied fields.
• Experience working in a complex enterprise IT project valued at over $30 million as a member of project management office.
• Experience working with a government agency.
• Formal project management training and/or certification.
• Demonstrated familiarity with agile/scrum methodologies and Lean management concepts.

Telework:

This position is approved for telework; however, the incumbent must be onsite in WaTech’s Olympia, Washington office approximately 4 times a year.

We value diversity and different perspectives:

WaTech is committed to providing equal access and opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees. We seek to attract and retain a diverse staff and welcome your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. We invite you to include your preferred name and pronouns in your material to ensure we address you correctly throughout the application process.

What WaTech offers:

As an employee of WaTech, you’ll have access to an outstanding employee benefits package that includes medical and dental plan options for you and your family, paid leave and holidays, retirement plan options and more.

While WaTech is headquartered in Olympia, Washington, which is near some of the country’s most scenic national parks, we are able to offer many of our positions telework and flexible schedule options to help support a healthy work-life balance.

To learn more about WaTech and what our employees enjoy about working here, please visit our website.

Additional information about this role:

• This position requires a background check. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability to perform in the position and is a continued condition of employment.

Reminder:

• A real person is reviewing your application material. It is in your best interest to complete the application in its entirety and review thoroughly before submitting. You will not be eligible to re-apply for this posting for 30 days.
• Applications with missing or incomplete fields, or supplemental question responses such as “see resume” may be considered incomplete and removed from consideration.
• WaTech complies with the employment eligibility verification requirements of the federal Form I-9. The selected candidate must be able to provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the United States. WaTech does not use the E-Verify system. We are not eligible to extend STEM Optional Practice Training (OPT) opportunities. For more information, please visit https://www.uscis.gov.
• Applicants wishing to claim Veterans Preference should attach a copy of their DD-214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or signed verification of service letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to their application. (Please redact any personally identifiable data such as social security number and date of birth prior to submittal.)

Recruitment process:

The first round of application assessments will be conducted seven days after the initial job posting date. The hiring authority reserves the right to offer the position at any time after the initial seven-day job posting date. It is to the applicant's advantage to apply as early as possible. This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions.

The salary range reflected above reflects the full potential for this position. The base pay offered to the selected candidate will consider the candidate’s specific qualifying experience and internal equity of the existing team.

Contact us: For inquiries about this position, please contact Rebekah Wilkes at [phone] or email to [e-mail]. If you’d like to request an accommodation for any part of the selection process, or to receive the application material in an alternate format, please contact Human Resources at [phone] or [e-mail]. Persons of disability or those who are deaf or hard of hearing can call the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.