Agency Support Lead

State of Washington•Multiple Locations Statewide, WA

About The Position

The IT Project Manager Senior/Specialist serves as a strategic leader for high-impact technology initiatives at the Washington State Department of Commerce, beginning with the statewide One Washington (OneWA) Enterprise Resource Planning modernization effort. The position leads complex projects and programs from planning through delivery, coordinating with the statewide project office and partnering with project, business, technology, and external teams. It also supports a broader portfolio of technology and business projects that advance the agency’s mission and strategic goals. The role establishes project governance, performance standards, and transparent reporting; advises leadership on project decisions; and translates executive vision and business needs into actionable plans, requirements, and technical solutions. It provides mentorship and technical guidance to project managers and team leads, promotes project management best practices, and represents Commerce in statewide forums. The position proactively manages risks, supports continuity of critical services, and ensures compliance with state standards, agency policies, and applicable privacy, cybersecurity, and procurement requirements. The position may be located anywhere in Washington State. Occasional travel to a Commerce office or within the state for meetings or events may be required, including travel to pick up equipment and receive instruction if selected. Many Commerce employees work remotely or on a hybrid schedule.

Requirements

Eight years of combined professional IT experience in project management, policy and planning, and system administration; alternatively, an associate’s degree in an IT program or closely related field plus six years of recent professional experience in those areas; or a bachelor’s degree or higher in an IT program or closely related field plus four years of recent professional experience in those areas.
Experience must include one year leading IT professionals or consulting as a technical lead; this may be concurrent with other required professional experience.
Project management experience leading cross-functional technology initiatives, developing project plans, managing resources, and ensuring compliance with statewide IT governance.
Policy and planning experience developing and maintaining IT policies, conducting compliance analyses, supporting audits, and contributing to strategic IT governance.
System administration experience overseeing enterprise IT platform deployment, configuration, and maintenance; implementing secure configurations and patching strategies; automating remediation workflows; collaborating with infrastructure teams on security controls; and ensuring standards compliance throughout the project lifecycle.
Experience effectively communicating with and aiding a diverse set of information technology peers.
Submit a complete and detailed online application, a cover letter explaining how skills and experience make the applicant an ideal candidate, and at least three professional references.

Nice To Haves

Project management certification or training, such as PMP or CSM.
Change management certification or training, such as Prosci.

Responsibilities

Lead complex IT projects and programs through initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure using formal project management methodologies.
Develop and maintain project documentation, including charters, work breakdown structures, risk registers, and communication plans.
Define project scope, objectives, deliverables, and success criteria with executive sponsors and business owners.
Coordinate cross-functional teams, including agency staff, contractors, and external partners.
Create and enforce project governance frameworks, including steering committees and escalation protocols.
Monitor project performance with KPIs, dashboards, and earned value metrics; conduct health assessments, audits, and post-implementation reviews.
Ensure compliance with WaTech policies, state IT standards, and agency governance requirements.
Advise executive leadership on project prioritization, resource allocation, and risk management.
Mentor and coach project managers and team leads, and improve internal project management standards and templates.
Represent the agency in statewide project management forums, workgroups, and interagency initiatives.
Facilitate workshops to elicit, document, and validate business requirements; translate business needs into technical specifications and deliverables.
Collaborate with IT architects, developers, and analysts to assess solution feasibility and alignment.
Prioritize and sequence project work according to business value and resource availability.
Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks and issues; develop contingency and continuity plans for critical projects.
Ensure alignment with the agency’s Continuity of Operations Plan and disaster recovery protocols.
Monitor compliance with data privacy, cybersecurity, and procurement regulations.
Coordinate and communicate with the statewide project office for the One Washington ERP modernization effort.