Senior Program Manager

Jobtailor; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor is seeking an experienced governance and quality assurance lead in Oakland, CA. You will develop a standardized readiness process, establish review methods, and guide reporting standards for major projects.

The role requires strong project controls expertise, PMP/PMI certification, and the ability to drive improvements across a portfolio while coordinating with leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or equivalent experience.
• 8 years of related experience or equivalent.
• Advanced knowledge of Project or Program Management.
• PMI Certification.

Responsibilities

• Develop and document a standardized governance readiness and project quality review process.
• Establish review methodologies, governance procedures, scoring criteria, reviewer instructions, and evaluation reporting standards.
• Create recommendations for ongoing quality assurance activities across Major Projects and Programs.
• Support transition of the quality review function into a sustainable EPG operating model.
• Perform independent reviews of project and program documentation, including scope management, change control, RACI and decision governance, charters, business cases, project management plans, schedules, cost forecasts, resource plans, risk registers, communication plans, and procurement or contracting strategies
• Evaluate and validate the Project Controls Documentation Review Checklist, scoring matrix, weighting factors, review criteria, and governance thresholds
• Recommend modifications to the scoring model, checklist structure, review methodology, and implementation guidance
• Conduct readiness reviews prior to GRB submissions
• Identify deficiencies in project documentation, project controls, compliance, and governance artifacts
• Provide recommendations to project teams to improve readiness before formal GRB review
• Track recurring gaps and identify process improvement opportunities across the Major Projects portfolio
• Prepare quality assessment summaries and findings for EPG leadership
• Identify portfolio-wide trends, systemic issues, and improvement opportunities
• Support presentations and reporting to leadership and governance bodies as needed
• Travel to Oakland when needed

Skills

Project management

Governance

Communication

Time management

Stakeholder engagement

Risk management

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration

PMI Certification

Job description

• Develop and document a standardized governance readiness and project quality review process
• Establish review methodologies, governance procedures, scoring criteria, reviewer instructions, and evaluation reporting standards
• Create recommendations for ongoing quality assurance activities across Major Projects and Programs
• Support transition of the quality review function into a sustainable EPG operating model
• Perform independent reviews of project and program documentation, including scope management, change control, RACI and decision governance, charters, business cases, project management plans, schedules, cost forecasts, resource plans, risk registers, communication plans, and procurement or contracting strategies
• Evaluate and validate the Project Controls Documentation Review Checklist, scoring matrix, weighting factors, review criteria, and governance thresholds
• Recommend modifications to the scoring model, checklist structure, review methodology, and implementation guidance
• Conduct readiness reviews prior to GRB submissions
• Identify deficiencies in project documentation, project controls, compliance, and governance artifacts
• Provide recommendations to project teams to improve readiness before formal GRB review
• Track recurring gaps and identify process improvement opportunities across the Major Projects portfolio
• Prepare quality assessment summaries and findings for EPG leadership
• Identify portfolio-wide trends, systemic issues, and improvement opportunities
• Support presentations and reporting to leadership and governance bodies as needed

Requirements

• Bachelor degree in Business Administration or equivalent experience
• 8 years of related experience or equivalent
• Advanced knowledge of Project or Program Management
• Ability to communicate findings and recommendations to various levels of management
• Ability to effectively manage multiple projects with demanding time constraints
• Knowledge and understanding of business drivers
• PMI Certification
• Experience reviewing project controls deliverables, governance documentation, project readiness, or quality assessment materials
• Ability to assess and recommend solutions for assigned projects
• Experience supporting or facilitating executive reviews and governance decision-making processes
• Experience with Board-level or executive-level capital project governance
• Expert knowledge of project controls disciplines, including scheduling, cost management, risk management, scope management, change control, resource management, and performance metrics
• Experience performing project health assessments, project audits, stage gate reviews, quality assurance reviews, or governance readiness reviews
• Experience developing governance frameworks, standards, procedures, checklists, scoring models, or assessment methodologies
• Knowledge of estimating practices and earned value management principles
• Utility industry experience strongly preferred
• Travel may be required
• Ability to travel to Oakland when needed

Core Competencies

Demonstrates advanced knowledge of Project and Program Management, with expertise in project controls disciplines such as scheduling, cost management, and risk management. Proven ability to develop governance frameworks and conduct quality assessments to enhance project readiness and compliance.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• PMI Certification
• Project Controls Expertise
• Governance Framework Development
• Quality Assurance Reviews
• Executive-Level Governance Experience

Hard Skills

• Project Management
• Quality Assessment
• Governance Documentation Review
• Change Control
• Risk Management
• Scope Management
• Cost Management
• Resource Management
• Performance Metrics
• Stage Gate Reviews

Soft Skills

• Effective Communication
• Project Management
• Problem Solving
• Time Management

Certifications & Qualifications

• PMI Certification

Industry Keywords

• Utility Industry Experience
• Governance Readiness
• Project Health Assessments
• Compliance
• Business Drivers