Senior Project Manager – Accela & Municipal Permitting Systems

KAI Partners, Inc.; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 148,000 - 178,000; Full time

Job summary

KAI Partners, Inc. is seeking a Senior Project Manager for Accela-based municipal permitting and development systems. This role leads complex projects and serves as technology lead, driving modernization of permitting and digital service delivery for city and county initiatives.

The candidate will own Accela configurations, roadmaps and integrations, oversee digital portals and UX-driven workflows, and coordinate with IT, vendors, and leadership to ensure governance and performance standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Current PMP Certification required.
• 7+ years applying project management principles in public sector.
• 3+ years leading large, complex projects as a Senior PM.
• 3+ years PMO or leadership support in a Government Agency.
• Direct experience leading Accela Civic Platform implementations or major enhancements.

Responsibilities

• Serve as product owner or senior functional lead for the Accela Civic Platform.
• Lead Accela system roadmaps, upgrades, and integrations with City IT and vendors.
• Oversee digital permitting tools, portals, and self-service solutions.
• Coordinate with city departments, agencies, and leadership to align priorities.
• Manage full project lifecycle: planning, budgeting, execution, reporting.

Skills

Project management

Accela Civic Platform

Public sector delivery

UX design basics

Stakeholder engagement

Governance & policy

Data dashboards

Education

Bachelor’s degree

PMP Certification

Tools

Accela Civic Platform

Job description

Senior Project Manager – Accela & Municipal Permitting Systems (Onsite)

KAI Partners, Inc. (KAIP) is currently seeking a Senior Project Manager – Municipal Planning & Technology Systems, who serves as both a project delivery leader and a strategic technology manager, with primary accountability for Accela-based municipal permitting and development systems, supporting city and county initiatives related to planning, housing, permitting modernization, and digital service delivery. This role leads complex projects while also acting as a technology and systems lead, driving innovation across development services through implementation and optimization of the Accela Civic Platform, digital tools, and customer-facing solutions.

Responsibilities

• Serve as product owner or senior functional lead for the Accela Civic Platform, including configuration, enhancements, and ongoing optimization.
• Lead Accela system roadmaps, upgrades, and integrations; coordinate closely with City IT, Accela vendors, and implementation partners.
• Oversee Accela based digital permitting tools, online portals, and customer self-service solutions.
• Conduct process mapping and workflow redesign specifically aligned to Accela configurations, workflows, and business rules for permitting and development review processes.
• Lead innovation efforts as they relate to Accela optimization, permitting modernization, and civic technology enablement, including selective evaluation of emerging technologies (e.g., AI, civic tech tools).
• Manage full project lifecycle, including planning, budgeting, execution, and reporting.
• Ensure delivery aligns with public sector governance, compliance, and performance standards.
• Lead system roadmap planning, enhancements, and coordination with IT and vendors.
• Oversee implementation of digital permitting tools, online portals, and customer self-service solutions.
• Drive adoption of low-code/no-code solutions to improve operational efficiency.
• Lead initiatives to improve customer-facing services, including permitting portals, knowledge bases, and digital workflows.
• Support website modernization, accessibility, and content strategy in coordination with communications and IT teams.
• Apply user-centered design (UX) principles to improve permitting and development experiences.
• Develop dashboards, reporting tools, and performance metrics.
• Act as primary liaison between Community Development, IT, Communications, and external vendors.
• Coordinate with city departments, agencies, and leadership to align priorities.
• Facilitate stakeholder workshops and cross-functional collaboration.
• Oversee or mentor project teams, analysts, or technical staff.
• Support onboarding and development of technology-focused roles.
• Manage consultants, vendors, or contract resources as needed.
• Perform other related duties, as assigned.

Skills and Qualifications

• Strong project and program management expertise in public sector environments
• Hands-on experience delivering, managing, or optimizing the Accela Civic Platform in municipal environments
• Deep knowledge of municipal planning, permitting, and development workflows as implemented within Accela
• Experience with digital transformation, system implementation, and process automation
• Familiarity with:
  • UX / user-centered design
  • Content strategy / web modernization
  • Data dashboards and reporting tools
• Ability to translate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
• Strong stakeholder engagement across government, IT, and vendors
• Experience with policy development or technology governance
• Analytical mindset with focus on operational efficiency and service delivery improvement

Work/Education Experience

• Bachelor’s degree (Required).
• Current PMP Certification (Required).
• 7+ years of experience applying project management principles, methods, techniques, and tools.
• 3+ years of Senior Project Management experience leading large, complex projects.
• 3+ years of experience providing PMO or project leadership support within a Government Agency (City or County).
• 3+ years of direct experience delivering, managing, or leading Accela Civic Platform implementations, upgrades, or major enhancements for City or County agencies (Required)
• Experience managing Accela or similar enterprise permitting platforms, including vendor coordination and production support
• Applicants must have direct, hands on experience leading or managing Accela Civic Platform implementations or major system enhancements for municipal clients. Candidates without prior Accela delivery experience will not be considered for this role.
• Background in digital services, civic tech, or permitting modernization
• Experience with process improvement, UX, or service design (preferred)

Compensation Range

$148,000 - $178,000

The salary range reflects the expected compensation for fully qualified, senior‑level candidates performing this role in the Bay Area public‑sector consulting market.

Salary offers are typically made toward the midpoint or higher end of the range for candidates who demonstrate extensive municipal experience, direct leadership of permitting or development modernization initiatives, and the ability to operate independently with executive‑level stakeholders.

For reference, this annual range is approximately equivalent to $63–$74 per hour based on full‑time annualization.

This role is funded for the full term of the engagement and is expected to run through the stated end date, subject to client needs and performance. KAI Partners hires with the intent to retain high-performing consultants, and this engagement is anticipated to provide opportunities for the selected candidate to expand upon this work or transition into other similar, challenging roles within KAIP following completion of the initial engagement.

In addition, eligible roles qualify for a comprehensive benefits package.

Must be able to provide proof of education for all mandatory qualifications; all references will be verified.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.

Must be able to provide proof of education for all mandatory qualifications; all references will be verified.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.

KAI Partners

KAI Partners, Inc. is a Northern California‑based small business that offers world‑class management consulting and technology services to public‑and private‑sector clients on a variety of large‑scale initiatives. The KAIP team brings deep executive‑level experience in program management, project delivery, Agile services, organizational change management, training, enterprise architecture, managed IT services, and IT security.

KAIP consultants gain exposure to multiple environments and modernization initiatives, offering accelerated professional growth, broader impact, and sustained leadership opportunities beyond a single jurisdiction.

http://www.kaipartners.com/