Director of IT Project Management Office

Kern Medical • Bakersfield, CA

23h • Onsite

About The Position

The Director, Project Management Office (PMO) works under the supervision of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and is responsible for providing strategic leadership, governance, and oversight of all Information Technology (IT) projects across Kern Medical. The Director establishes and maintains enterprise-wide project management standards, methodologies, and performance frameworks to ensure alignment with organizational strategic priorities. The Director oversees a diverse portfolio of clinical, financial, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital transformation initiatives. This role ensures projects are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget while maintaining compliance with healthcare regulatory standards. The Director provides leadership to project managers and PMO staff, collaborates across departmental boundaries, and ensures effective communication between executive leadership, operational stakeholders, and IT teams. Excellence in leadership, financial stewardship, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder engagement is essential.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Healthcare Administration, Business, or a related field
• Seven (7) to ten (10+) years of progressive leadership experience in IT project and/or program management, preferably within a healthcare environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-level PMO functions and managing multi-million-dollar capital project portfolios.
• Strong understanding of healthcare clinical systems, revenue cycle operations, and IT infrastructure environments.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage complex initiatives in a hospital setting.
• Strong analytical, financial planning, and risk management capabilities.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, make executive-level decisions, and communicate effectively across all levels of the organization.
• Ability to pass an extensive background investigation and be fingerprinted (dependent upon assignment).
• Possession of a current valid California Driver’s License and adherence to the Kern County Hospital Authority Vehicle Use and Driving Standard Policy (ENG-EC-119) if position responsibilities require driving a personal vehicle.
• Possession of a current valid California Driver’s license, a signed authorization for Release of Drivers Record Information and adherence to the Kern County Hospital Authority Vehicle Use and Driving Standard Policy (ENG-EC-119) if position responsibilities require driving a vehicle owned, leased or rented by Kern Medical.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree preferred
• PMP (Project Management Professional).
• PMI-ACP, PgMP, or equivalent certification.
• ITIL certification.
• Lean or Six Sigma training.

Responsibilities

• Develops and implements enterprise-wide project governance frameworks, standards, and methodologies (Agile, hybrid, waterfall)
• Aligns the IT project portfolio with organizational strategy, regulatory requirements, and hospital priorities.
• Partners with executive leadership and operational stakeholders to prioritize initiatives and allocate resources effectively.
• Provides regular portfolio performance reporting to the CIO and executive leadership, including risk, budget, scope, and timeline status.
• Establishes escalation protocols and risk mitigation strategies across all IT initiatives.
• Oversees a comprehensive portfolio of IT initiatives, including clinical systems, financial systems, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital health projects.
• Ensures disciplined project intake, business case development, prioritization, and value realization tracking.
• Monitors project health and intervenes proactively to resolve risks, constraints, and cross-functional conflicts.
• Ensures compliance with healthcare regulatory requirements including HIPAA, CMS, Joint Commission standards, and related mandates.
• Incorporates cybersecurity and data governance standards into project lifecycles.
• Develops and manages IT project capital and operational budgets in collaboration with Finance and the CIO.
• Ensures accurate forecasting, cost control, and return-on-investment measurement.
• Optimizes allocation of financial and human resources across competing organizational priorities.
• Assists with FTE planning and resource modeling to support project delivery demands.
• Leads, mentors, and develops project managers, program managers, and PMO analysts.
• Conducts performance evaluations and provides ongoing coaching and professional development.
• Builds a culture of accountability, collaboration, transparency, and service excellence.
• Promotes continuous improvement of PMO processes and organizational maturity.
• Serves as a trusted advisor to clinical, financial, and administrative leadership.
• Facilitates cross-functional collaboration to ensure project alignment and organizational readiness.
• Ensures effective communication strategies are embedded in all major initiatives.
• Maintains strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Prepares executive-level reports on project performance, risk management, and portfolio health.
• Ensures adherence to policies, procedures, and applicable laws and regulations.
• Monitors compliance with healthcare IT regulatory requirements and industry best practices.
• Performs Other Duties as Required

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director