IT Program Manager

City of Charlotte•Charlotte, NC

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The IT Program Manager leads planning, coordination, and delivery governance for Technology programs and major initiatives at the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). This position provides portfolio-level oversight of technology projects and cross-functional initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities, operational needs, funding constraints, and delivery standards. The role establishes program management practices, supports prioritization and sequencing of initiatives, and ensures project delivery is coordinated across Infrastructure, Applications, Cybersecurity, and Strategy & Quality functions. The IT Program Manager strengthens visibility, accountability, and execution discipline as CATS expands Technology capabilities and transitions toward greater independence from City-managed services. Working under limited direction, this position exercises broad judgment in shaping the technology delivery portfolio and advancing consistent program management practices.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Business Administration, Public Administration, Engineering, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Five (5) years progressively responsible experience in project/program management, technology delivery, or related leadership roles.
Knowledge of Program and portfolio management concepts and practices.
Knowledge of Technology delivery lifecycle and implementation planning.
Knowledge of Governance, reporting, and stakeholder coordination methods.
Knowledge of Operational impacts of technology changes in 24/7 environments.
Knowledge of Resource planning and dependency management principles.
Skill in Building and maintaining program governance tools and standards.
Skill in Facilitating decision-making forums and stakeholder alignment.
Skill in Communicating complex status/risk information clearly.
Skill in Coordinating schedules and dependencies across multiple teams.
Skill in Developing structured plans and reporting outputs.
Ability to Exercise independent judgment in prioritization and sequencing decisions.
Ability to Influence outcomes without direct operational authority over delivery teams.
Ability to Balance competing priorities and constraints.
Ability to Anticipate and mitigate delivery risks.
Ability to Support organizational maturity and continuous improvement.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading portfolios or multi-project programs.
Experience in public-sector, transportation, or operationally critical environments.
Project/program management certification (PMP or similar).
Experience coordinating vendor-supported implementations.

Responsibilities

Maintain portfolio visibility across technology initiatives, projects, and workstreams.
Support leadership in prioritization, sequencing, and capacity planning.
Establish and maintain governance structures for program execution (e.g., intake, stage gates, status reporting).
Monitor program performance against schedule, scope, and outcomes.
Identify cross-project dependencies and risks; coordinate mitigation strategies.
Lead development of program plans for major initiatives and multi-project efforts.
Coordinate planning activities across technical and business stakeholders.
Ensure project plans include appropriate scope definition, milestones, stakeholder engagement, and delivery readiness elements.
Support consistent delivery practices and standards across project teams.
Develop and maintain standard templates, reporting methods, and program management tools.
Promote consistent project documentation and control practices.
Partner with ITIL/ITSM governance functions to align change coordination and deployment planning.
Support continuous improvement of project delivery methods.
Coordinate with Technology managers and supervisors to align staffing, resourcing, and delivery schedules.
Facilitate communication and escalation pathways for major risks and issues.
Support coordinated delivery and change readiness for operational environments, including 24/7 transit impacts.
Provide portfolio and program reporting to Technology leadership and stakeholders.
Facilitate governance meetings and decision forums as assigned.
Promote transparency and timely communication of status, risks, and outcomes.
Support coordination of vendors and external partners for program delivery activities.
Align vendor timelines and deliverables with CATS governance and reporting expectations.
Coordinate with IT Contracts/Asset governance as needed to support program readiness and continuity.
Identify opportunities to strengthen delivery discipline and reduce recurring execution challenges.
Promote lessons learned practices and portfolio-level improvements.
Support adoption of scalable delivery practices as Technology expands.