Technical Services Manager II - Department of Technology & Communications Services

Howard County Government; Columbia (MD); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 127,000; Full time

Job summary

Howard County Government is seeking a Project Management Team Lead to establish and direct policies for effective management of IT and business initiatives. You will oversee the full project and software development life cycles, ensuring governance, risk controls, and successful outcomes across County programs.

The role includes supervising the PMO, coordinating with CIO and Deputy CIO, and guiding IT infrastructure and governance efforts within a potentially hybrid work arrangement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree required with 6+ years related experience or equivalent combination.
• ITIL Expert Certification preferred; PMP certification a plus.
• Proficient in Microsoft Project and SDLC knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Plan, oversee, and implement IT projects and programs for HTCS and County initiatives.
• Lead and supervise the PMO, Project Managers, and Trainers.
• Provide status updates, risk assessments, and governance reporting to executives.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Communication

Stakeholder management

Risk management

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Microsoft Project

Job description

Howard County:

Conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, Howard County offers the charm of a historic past mixed with the excitement of a cosmopolitan community.

Howard County Government:

Howard County Government is a leader in innovation, sustainability, and consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country. In 2026, Howard County Government received a record-breaking 113 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) – the highest number of annual NACo awards achieved in the history of the State of Maryland, and the highest number of awards of any county in the State of Maryland which received a collective 165 awards. NACo is the leading organization representing county-level government operations. These awards recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new services for county residents, improve existing programs, upgrade working conditions, and enhance citizen participation and public policymaking.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for outstanding individuals to join our team and contribute to excellence in Howard County operations.

What you'll like most about working at Howard County Government:

• We are committed to workplace excellence in every area of County government.


• We have a highly talented, diverse, and inclusive workplace. Your input will not only be heard, but it will be encouraged!


• We offer competitive compensation and great benefits including medical, retirement, and wellness programs.


• As a member of the Howard County Government team, you'll be helping drive our culture and directly impact what makes us an amazing place to work.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Project Management(“PM”) Team Lead is responsible for establishing and directing the policies and procedures for effective management of departmental and Countywide programs. This position will oversee the full project management life cycle and software development life cycle for the implementation of highly complex, large-scale, strategic IT and business initiatives. Responsibilities include implementing policies, system monitors and controls to ensure successful management and reporting of all County initiatives.

The position will supervise and lead the Program Management team, assigned Project Managers and Trainers. The PM Team Lead has the responsibility to assist departments and agencies in the implementation of significant technology projects and to undertake the project management of enterprise or departmental IT initiatives as directed by the Chief Information Officer and Deputy Chief Information Officer. The position will oversee the impacts and inter-dependencies between programs and work to ensure initiatives meet goals and objectives of the executive leadership team. The position will provide both verbal and written communications regarding project status, risks and issues.

One of the position’s primarily responsibilities is the planning, oversight, and implementation of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework for the Department of Technology and Communication Services (DTCS). Secondary responsibility includes functioning as a Project Manager on in-house technical projects.

STARTING SALARY HIRING RANGE:

$50.63 - $91.90/Hourly

$105,308 - $191,160/Annually

*This is the anticipated starting salary range for this position. Please note that the final salary will be determined by the Office of Human Resources, commensurate with experience and aligned to ensure internal equity with similarly situated roles.*

CLASS DESCRIPTION:

Performs management and advanced level technology and communication services work under general supervision from an administrative or technical superior. Assignments include managing the operations of the Office of Central Services, such as mail services, printing services, and fleet management; or developing and maintaining the County’s information processing and systems programming systems; or planning, directing, and managing the Technical Support component within the Information Systems Services Office; or coordinating County-wide geographic database information and integration system; and administering systems programming, data communication, and data base administration; or, overall management of the County’s radio and telephone communication systems. Work also includes monitoring budget expenditures.

*This is a Classified position, meaning that it is a part of the Howard County Classified Service upon completion of a probationary period of at least six (6) months.*

*This position may be eligible for a hybrid work schedule, depending on performance and operational need.*

*The duties of this position may require the selected candidate to travel between multiple locations and work sites.*

Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and Governance Leadership:

• Serve as primary coordinator and project lead for planning, oversight, and implementation of the ITIL framework.


• Create, refine, and enforce structured processes for the design, development, testing, and deployment of corporate systems.


• Adhere to and promote formal change management procedures, ensuring changes to scope, deliverables, timelines, and resources are documented and approved.

Project and Program Management:

• Oversee and prioritize resource and asset allocation to ensure projects are properly supported.


• Provide end-to-end project management including strategy development, requirements definition, SOW creation, design, implementation, deployment, and post-implementation support.


• Develop project plans, charters, communication plans, quality and risk plans, contingency plans, and lessons-learned documentation.


• Identify and communicate project interdependencies; manage project issue logs and resolutions.


• Track work efforts across business, technical, and QA teams through daily project plan management.


• Monitor project performance, analyze status, and report progress to stakeholders and senior management.


• Ensure quality of services, deliverables, and documentation throughout project lifecycle.

Risk, Quality, and Process Management:

• Plan, evaluate, and communicate project risks using risk management techniques; develop contingency plans.


• Evaluate documentation effectiveness to continually improve project infrastructure and processes.


• Actively pursue issue resolution and ensure timely completion of project tasks.

Stakeholder, Client, and Vendor Management:

• Manage expectations of internal and external stakeholders, including clients, business units, and leadership.


• Maintain strong working relationships with stakeholders, project teams, vendors, and cross-functional departments.


• Act as key liaison across all functional areas including business units, IT, and external partners.


• Gather input and feedback for reporting to senior management and guiding project decision-making.

Team Leadership and Coordination:

• Provide direction to project teams, assigning individual responsibilities, tasks, and technical functions.


• Continually monitor individual progress, ensuring deadlines are met.


• Coordinate efforts across multiple business units to ensure efficient project execution.


• Support training needs for systems projects, including “train the trainer” programs and development of training materials.

Business Analysis and Solution Development:

• Participate in the development, coordination, and implementation of business solutions with internal stakeholders.


• Support project initiatives by identifying and analyzing business needs, budget factors, resource estimates, and scope definition.


• Interface regularly with business managers to define project direction and system change priorities.


• Work with departments to define business requirements and assess technical, organizational, and economic feasibility.


• Effectively outline software requirements.


• Apply knowledge of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) and various software development models.

Systems and Technology Oversight:

• Oversee large-scale systems projects involving complex software, hardware, staffing demands, and time constraints.


• Identify resource needs and ensure appropriate allocation to meet project objectives.


• Perform other related duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The position will supervise the Program Management Office, Project Managers and Trainers.

Bachelor's Degree and six (6) years related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.

REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSES, AND REGISTRATIONS:

• Possession of a valid driver's license.

PREFERRED EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• ITIL Expert Certification.


• PMP certification from PMI, Project Management Institute or equivalent experience. 5 years Project Management experience.


• Proficient in Microsoft Project.


• Intermediate to advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee is frequently require to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, or crawl..

The employee must occasionally lift and or move up to 15 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level of the environment is usually moderate.

LANGUAGE SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL SKILLS, AND REASONING ABILITY:

The ability to communicate effectively with the constituents of Howard County, by establishing a rapport with users of the social media to focus the County and its representatives in the best light possible.

Ability to apply basic math and algebra.

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid logical conclusions.