Manager, ARPA PMO Jobs & Education

Harris County•Houston, TX

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

Harris County received direct allocations of $1 billion in federal funds via the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). To accelerate recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, Commissioners Court prioritized investing these funds in Health, Housing, Jobs & Education, Justice & Safety, and County Operations. The Manager, ARPA Portfolio Management Office (PMO) Jobs & Education supports the implementation, evaluation, and close-out of projects in the ARPA Jobs & Education portfolio, working across Commissioners Court offices, County departments, external program administrators, and other stakeholders to deliver target outcomes while ensuring compliance with federal requirements. The Manager, ARPA PMO Jobs & Education oversees program management activities for the ARPA Jobs & Education portfolio, including portfolio reviews, ARPA Steering Committee presentations, milestone and key performance indicator (KPI) tracking, communications, compliance, monitoring, and financial forecasting. Programs in the Jobs & Education portfolio include Workforce Development, Early Childhood, and Small Business programs, among others. The Manager, ARPA PMO Jobs & Education will work and collaborate with colleagues across the PMO to support other portfolios as needed. The role reports to the Director, American Rescue Plan PMO within the Office of County Administration. This is a unique opportunity to have a transformational impact on the County and its residents. This position ends on June 30, 2027.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
At least (3) years of work experience required.
Project management experience, including managing multiple projects on tight deadlines.
Stakeholder management, including engagement across internal departments, third-party consultants, outside experts, and community partners.
Knowledge of local, state, and/or federal government; experience in policy analysis or work experience in a highly regulated field.
Experience in metric design, managing to key performance indicators, and outcome evaluation.
Understanding of and commitment to advancing equity throughout the program; commitment to achieving the Equity Goals set out in the ARPA Equity Framework.
Experience with community-based organizations and community engagement.
Proactive and self-starter initiative, being able to operate within a program start-up environment and handle associated ambiguity.
Strong writing, presentation, and meeting management skills.
Excellent data analysis and Excel skills required

Nice To Haves

MBA, MPP, MPA, or related advanced degree with at least three years work experience preferred.
Experience in management consulting or project management.
Other degrees or work and volunteer experience demonstrating analytical skills, project management and delivery experience, and commitment to the public or non-profit sectors may be substituted.
data visualization experience is helpful.

Responsibilities

Lead and support delivery of ARPA-funded projects
Manage the implementation of selected projects, including project compliance, monitoring, evaluation, and close-out.
Support Harris County departments in implementing projects, managing program administrators and relationships with stakeholders.
Manage and lead team meetings, including developing presentations, facilitating discussions, and communicating appropriate follow-up summaries and action items.
Ensure project implementation, monitoring, and evaluation are consistent with the ARPA Equity Framework adopted by Commissioners Court, engaging community members and community-based organizations throughout, and championing the Equity Goals.
Support preparation of regulatory reporting and work with the Compliance team to ensure deadlines are met.
Engage the Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity, Purchasing, the County Attorney’s Office, the County Auditor’s Office, the Office of Management & Budget, and other supporting departments to ensure the portfolio is effectively supported.
Review agreements and amendments for relevant projects, ensure delivery of contract requirements, and manage extensions and renewals of contracts, as needed.
Support projects across the ARPA PMO as needed.
Monitor overall portfolio performance, including key performance indicators, project plans, and milestones.
Proactively and routinely track project deliverables and deadlines against program goals.
Identify issues, follow escalation processes, and engage appropriate parties to mitigate risks.
Manage submissions to Commissioners Court, ensuring contracts and supporting materials are prepared thoroughly and on time.
Analyze investments at the portfolio level, forecast future spend, and monitoring overall equity of investments across the County.
Coordinate site visits and regular meetings with vendors and other stakeholders
Coordinate with the OCA Communications team to develop and update content shared with internal and external stakeholders (website, press releases, social media, newsletter, etc.).
Collaborate with County departments and partners to identify and document stories of program beneficiaries.