The Specialty Health Project Manager III

Texas Health & Human Services Commission•Austin, TX

1d•$5,425 - $7,156•Remote

About The Position

The Specialty Health (SH) Project Manager leads and coordinates high-impact, cross-functional projects that support statewide Specialty Health programs. This role serves as the central hub for all project-related activities by overseeing the Specialty Health project pipeline and ensuring projects are appropriately prioritized, assigned, tracked, and successfully delivered. The Project Manager partners closely with leadership, section and program teams to translate complex program needs into structured plans, measurable outcomes, and clear, accessible reporting. This position plays a critical role in strengthening project management practices across the section by maintaining enterprise project tracking tools, supporting program dashboards, and ensuring leadership has timely, accurate insight into project status, performance, and program operations. This role my include responsibility for supervising staff and overseeing team priories and deliverables. In addition, the role supports legislative and executive-level requests by coordinating responses, tracking assignments, and ensuring alignment across teams. This position requires strong initiative, strategic thinking, and the ability to lead without authority in a fast-paced, highly visible environment. Works under the direction of the SH Operations and Support Services Section Manager with considerable latitude for initiative and independent judgment.

Requirements

Knowledge of project management principles, methodologies, theories, and best practices applicable to projects of varying size and complexity; systems and procedures used to plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate project performance; operational improvement, process analysis, and continuous quality improvement methodologies; program planning and implementation; basic statistical, data reporting, and performance measurement concepts; organizational coordination, stakeholder engagement, and change management principles; state government budget processes and fiscal methods; and federal and state laws, regulations, policies, and procedures applicable to Health and Human Services programs.
Skill in project management, organization, planning, and prioritization; coordinating and tracking multiple assignments, projects, activities, milestones, and deliverables to meet established deadlines; identifying project risks, gaps, dependencies, and changes in scope or timing and developing effective solutions; analyzing and evaluating complex program, operational, technical, and financial information; independently researching, gathering, correlating, synthesizing, and reporting information from multiple sources; translating complex information into clear, concise reports, status updates, briefings, charts, and presentations that support decision-making; data analysis and reporting; meeting facilitation, stakeholder coordination, negotiation, conflict resolution, and collaboration; problem solving and exercising sound judgment; and communicating effectively both verbally and in writing.
Ability to independently research and analyze complex operational and programmatic issues; manage multiple projects and competing priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment with demanding and shifting deadlines; establish project goals and objectives, manage project activities, monitor progress, and identify and address project risks and gaps; work collaboratively and build effective professional relationships across diverse teams and disciplines, including executive leadership, program and operational staff, technical teams, policy teams, vendors, and other internal and external stakeholders; develop actionable recommendations and implement solutions; interpret data and identify meaningful operational and performance trends; adapt to changing priorities and operational needs; exercise sound judgment and independent decision-making; communicate complex information effectively to technical, non-technical, and executive audiences; assign duties and responsibilities and coordinate the work of project staff; oversee and/or supervise the work of others; and effectively use computer software and project management tools, including SmartSheet, Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Planner, Project, Power BI, and Power Automate.
At least two (2) years of experience as a project manager or project coordinator.
Experience in financial management or coordination of financial operations

Nice To Haves

Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or related project management certification
Experience with Texas Health and Human Services Programs.

Responsibilities

Serves as the administrator of the Specialty Health project intake form and pipeline, ensuring all project are prioritized, assigned, and tracked from initiation through completion.
Establishes and maintains project governance practices that promote accountability, transparency, and consistency across all Specialty Health projects.
Leads project intake and prioritization processes in coordination with leadership, ensuring alignment with strategic goals and operational capacity.
Assigns projects and ensures appropriate resource alignment across section and program teams.
Develops and maintains comprehensive project plans, timelines, and tracking mechanisms.
Monitors progress against milestones and proactively identifies risks, delays, or competing priorities, elevating issues and recommending solutions as needed.
Drives adoption and effective use of enterprise project management tools and standardized processes across the section.
Provides guidance, training, and technical assistance to staff to strengthen project management capabilities and ensure consistent use of tools for both project-based and operational work.
May supervise staff and provide leadership and direction by assigning and monitoring work, establishing priorities, providing coaching and technical guidance, evaluating performance, supporting staff development, and ensuring individual and team deliverables are completed accurately and timely.
Promotes collaboration, accountability, and consistent project management practices across the team.
Maintains a centralized project management workspace and repository, ensuring project documentation, statuses, and resources are current, accessible, and aligned across teams.
Coordinates the intake, tracking, and fulfillment of data and reporting requests across Specialty Health.
Serves as the primary liaison between section and program teams and technical staff to ensure requests are clearly defined, prioritized, and delivered within established timelines.
Works closely with teams to gather requirements, clarify reporting needs, and ensure alignment on scope, timelines, and expected outputs.
Monitors the status of ongoing and recurring reports, ensuring deadlines are met and stakeholders are kept informed of progress.
Reviews and validates reports and dashboards for accuracy, completeness, and clarity prior to distribution.
Interprets and validates data outputs without serving as the primary analyst.
Collaborates with teams to ensure data is presented in a way that is meaningful, user-friendly, and tailored to leadership or stakeholder needs.
Supports the coordination and maintenance of program and project dashboards by ensuring information is current, consistent, and aligned across reporting tools.
Identifies opportunities to improve reporting processes, enhance usability, and strengthen communication of program information.
Collaborates with budget analysts and program staff to monitor program expenditures, track spending trends, and support financial reporting across Specialty Health programs.
Assists in maintaining tools and dashboards that provide visibility into program budgets and expenditures.
Supports forecasting, cost analysis, and identification of risks such as lapses or over-expenditures.
Provides technical assistance to program staff and leadership to support informed financial and operational decision-making.
Coordinates and tracks legislative inquiries, executive assignments, and other high-priority requests.
Ensures timely, accurate, and well-coordinated responses by working across programs and section teams.
Builds and maintains strong working relationships across Specialty Health, HHSC divisions, and external partners.
Provides responsive, solutions-oriented support and technical assistance to stakeholders.
Assists in organizing, analyzing, and preparing materials for leadership, including reports, briefings, and responses related to program operations, performance, and policy.
Maintains tracking tools to monitor assignment status, ensure deadlines are met, and improve overall coordination and communication.
Identifies opportunities to improve internal processes and cross-team collaboration, recommending and implementing enhancements to strengthen operations and service delivery.
Supports additional projects and operational needs as required, including participation in disaster response and Continuity of Operations (COOP) activities.