Lead Program Manager

We take great strides to ensure our employees have the resources to live well, be healthy, continue learning, develop skills, grow professionally and serve our local communities. We invite you to apply for a career with us. Residency in or relocation to Louisiana is preferred for all positions. POSITION PURPOSE This position facilitates the coordination of personnel and other resources (e.g. contractors, vendor partners) required to successfully complete multiple, complex programs of interdependent work, including projects and initiatives, ensuring the delivery of quality business outcomes including underlying project deliverables, overarching program deliverables, new and improved processes, and services. The Lead Program Manager manages projects of high complexity and operates in a tightly regulated industry environment. The Lead Program Manager is directly responsible for ensuring the execution of all key steps in program delivery: business, technical and functional requirements elicitation, dependency mapping, milestone projections, task-level program steps, identification and regular publishing of metrics which define program success. The position must regularly monitor work to ensure that programs remain in line with projected costs and timelines. This is accomplished by ensuring the adoption of well-established, industry best practice frameworks and methodologies. The Lead Program Manager is accountable for complying with all laws and regulations associated with duties and responsibilities. NATURE AND SCOPE This role does not manage people This job reports to: Departmental Leadership Necessary Contacts: Necessary Contacts: INSIDE RELATIONSHIPS: Interfaces directly with client management (business owners and project team members) in negotiation and definition of requirements. Negotiates, defines, interprets plan/policy requirements and presents options and processing capabilities to upper level management. Provides guidance and direction to all areas placing requirements on the system. Has management responsibility for cross-divisional programs with cross-department and cross-organization impacts. Interfaces frequently with IT, PMO and business leaders. Exercises diplomacy and tact in discussions with client management on controversial subjects. OUTSIDE RELATIONSHIPS: Frequent contact with client management to exchange information and/or make presentations on information systems concepts. Reviews and maintains contact with selected user groups with similar problems and user organizations. Attends outside technical meetings as directed, making presentations when necessary. QUALIFICATIONS Education Bachelor's degree in Project Management, Computer Science, or related field. Completion of an approved educational program or four years of related experience may be accepted in lieu of degree Work Experience 7 years of program or project management and scrum master experience required Experience managing relationships with project managers, project sponsors, senior management, and a wide range of project stakeholders required. Experience leading complex technology initiatives required. Skills and Abilities Demonstrate a proven track record of excellent project management, bringing the ability to quickly put structure in place to manage work in a dynamic complex environment Ability to moderate competing ideas, identifying risks and issues, and finding creative solutions Proven ability to lead teams and work cross-functionally in a highly collaborative environment Ability to understand industry best practices, lead and/or participate in roadmap and goal setting, along with the ability to discern the appropriate path for successful execution. Ensures goals and objectives are consistent with industry-best practices and organizational maturity and strategy. Knowledge of agile development methodologies and tools Demonstrate analytical and quantitative skills; ability to establish metrics and utilize data to measure operational efficiency, team health, organizational performance Exhibit a high degree of organizational skills and ability to manage multiple, competing priorities simultaneously Effective communicator – ability to create clarity amongst diverse groups from team members to stakeholders Demonstrated ability to identify strategic forward paths to success Demonstrate ability to operate both strategically and tactically in a high-energy, fast-paced environment Licenses and Certifications PMP preferred CSM preferred ACCOUNTABILITIES AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS Mentor and build a team of world-class program managers. Provide ongoing leadership for a team of Program Managers who have overall responsibility for the daily oversight of specific programs Build and maintain an in-depth understanding of program and project management practices (including SAFE, Agile and Kanban methodologies). Foster a culture of accountability, cross-functional collaboration, continuous improvement and coordinated execution. Organize and execute team training, mentoring, and team activities. Manage relationships with project sponsors, senior management, and a wide range of project contributors. Lead others to drive ongoing program improvements based on user feedback, performance measurements, and retrospectives. Ensure company standards are upheld and clearly defined throughout the entire process of each program and/or project’s development and execution. Lead others to carry out processes in the most efficient and effective manner while simultaneously upholding a given set of standards. Establish strong working relationships with functional counterparts. Manage project goals across multiple work streams to achieve customers’ business outcomes by managing issues, risks, decisions, and action items. Manage, monitor, and track overall program benefits realization, benefits register, outcomes Manage program interactions with the govern