Senior IT Program Manager with Vendor Management Focus (813506)

Smart Cloud Solution; Ohio; On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A Columbus, Ohio-based contract Program Manager will cover an internal Project Manager, overseeing a portfolio of IT projects with strong vendor oversight and procurement involvement. The role requires coordinating cross-functional teams, tracking scope, schedule, and budget, and delivering solution delivery across business units.

Responsibilities include managing vendor relationships, monitoring deliverables, and communicating status to leadership.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience managing complex IT projects across full life cycles.
• Experience overseeing vendor relationships and procurement-involved IT initiatives.
• Strong communication skills to bridge business requirements and technical delivery.

Responsibilities

• Manage multiple IT projects against plans, milestones, and deliverables.
• Oversee vendor performance and contractual compliance across initiatives.
• Serve as primary point of contact for project communications with cross-functional teams.
• Identify risks and dependencies and implement mitigation strategies.
• Ensure adherence to IT governance, security, and quality standards.

Skills

IT project management

Vendor oversight

Cross-functional leadership

Risk management

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Tools

Azure DevOps

Jira

Microsoft Project

Job description

Job Title: Senior IT Program Manager with Vendor Management Focus
Location: Columbus, Ohio

Role Overview

As a temporary contract Program Manager, you will provide critical coverage and backfill for an internal Project Manager. This role involves managing an active portfolio of concurrent IT projects, with a strong emphasis on vendor oversight, procurement-involved initiatives, and solution delivery across various business units. You will drive projects from initiation through closure, ensuring adherence to schedule, scope, budget, and quality requirements while maintaining operational continuity.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and track progress for multiple concurrent IT projects against established plans, milestones, and deliverables.
• Oversee vendor performance, contractual compliance, and deliverables on vendor-led IT initiatives, interfacing with suppliers and internal procurement channels.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for project-related communications, balancing workloads across cross-functional teams and aligning deliverables with business goals.
• Proactively identify project risks and technical dependencies, formulating actionable mitigation strategies and resolving issues.
• Manage project scope changes, obtain necessary approvals, and adjust project timelines or resource estimates as needed.
• Deliver regular status reports to leadership, team leads, and key stakeholders outlining budget health, schedule tracking, accomplishments, and upcoming risks.
• Ensure all projects adhere to the organization's IT governance, security standards, quality standards, and baseline project management templates.

Required Skills

• Demonstrated experience managing complex IT projects across full project life-cycles (7+ years)
• Experience tracking multiple workstreams, managing cross-functional technical teams, and reporting to senior IT leadership (7+ years)
• Hands-on experience using formal project management methodologies to deliver IT projects on time and within scope (7+ years)
• Experience in vendor oversight, third-party contract monitoring, or procurement-involved technology projects (5+ years)
• Demonstrated experience managing vendor relationships, reviewing vendor deliverables, and ensuring contractual execution
• Strong expertise in risk identification, issue resolution, schedule tracking, and scope change control
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to bridge business requirements and technical solution delivery

Preferred Skills

• PMP (Project Management Professional) or equivalent project management certification
• Familiarity with the organization's IT governance, security frameworks, and public procurement processes
• Experience utilizing modern work-tracking, workflow, or project tools (e.g., Azure DevOps, Jira, Microsoft Project)
• Experience with vendor-managed COTS implementations or cloud-hosted solution deployments

Years of Experience: 7+ years

Additional Notes

• This is a temporary contract position to backfill an internal Project Manager on leave.
• Location: Ohio