Senior Human Resources Project Manager

Unissant•Herndon, VA

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

Unissant, Inc. delivers innovative capabilities to the agencies that keep our nation healthy and safe. We apply our domain expertise, data acumen, and technology know-how to achieve breakthrough results for our clients. Working collaboratively, we advance missions and careers through a focus on honesty, integrity, and dependability. We continuously look for talent, excited to join that effort. To learn more about our exciting organization, please visit us at www.unissant.com . We are seeking a Senior Human Resources Project Manager to join our team in Herndon, VA. Position Summary The Senior HR Project Manager is an individual contributor who serves as the primary project leader for strategic and operational initiatives within the Human Resources function. This role partners closely with company leadership and operates as the dedicated project leader for the HR function, ensuring strategic initiatives are delivered consistently and effectively. The role is responsible for planning, executing, and delivering projects that enhance HR processes, systems, and programs while ensuring alignment with federal contracting requirements and employment regulations, reporting to the Chief People Officer.

Requirements

7+ years of progressive experience in Human Resources, HR project management, or closely related roles.
Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-phase HR projects (such as HRIS implementation, process standardization, policy rollouts, or talent programs) from concept through stabilization.
Experience working in a government contracting or similarly regulated environment, with exposure to federal contracting requirements and related HR compliance.
Proven success managing cross-functional stakeholder groups and driving initiatives through to adoption and sustained use.
Strong project management skills, including planning, prioritization, risk and issue management, and coordination across multiple concurrent initiatives.
Solid understanding of core HR disciplines (HR operations, talent acquisition, performance management, compensation/benefits, and HRIS).
Ability to translate business and compliance requirements into practical HR processes, technology requirements, and implementation plans.
Strong analytical skills: able to interpret HR and project data, identify trends, and make data-informed recommendations.
Strong stakeholder influence skills; able to build trust and drive alignment across HR, IT, Finance, and operational leadership.
High attention to detail, organization, and follow-through, with a consistent track record of meeting deadlines and producing high-quality deliverables.
Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Project Management, Information Systems, or a related field is required.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to present complex information and recommendations to leadership in a clear, concise manner.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree or graduate certificate in HR, Project Management, or Organizational Development preferred.
Preferred certifications - Project Management certification (PMP, PRINCE2, Agile/SAFe).

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end delivery of HR projects such as HRIS implementations or upgrades, process redesign, policy harmonization, talent initiatives, and compliance projects.
Define project scope, objectives, deliverables, timelines, resource plans, and success criteria in alignment with HR and organizational strategy.
Develop and maintain detailed project plans, schedules, risk and issue logs, and communication plans; monitor progress and adjust as needed to keep projects on track.
Facilitate project meetings, status reviews, and decision-making sessions with HR leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
Identify, manage, and mitigate project risks, issues, dependencies, and change requests; escalate critical items with recommended options and solutions.
Track project budget, benefits, and performance metrics as appropriate, ensuring visibility into cost, timing, and outcomes.
Ensure project outcomes are documented, measured KPIs, adoption, ROI where applicable, and transitioned successfully into ongoing HR operations.
Partner with HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, IT, Finance, and Compliance to design and implement practical, scalable HR solutions.
Prepare and deliver stakeholder communications, including executive updates, status reports, dashboards, and change-impact summaries.
Design and support change management activities such as training, user guides, FAQs, town halls, and targeted communication campaigns to promote adoption of new processes and tools.
Engage end users and HR to gather requirements, validate designs, run pilots, and incorporate feedback into project deliverables.
Build strong relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels to drive decisions and adoption.
Lead process mapping and improvement efforts across HR areas such as onboarding, performance management, learning, benefits, and employee data management.
Coordinate HR system changes in partnership with IT/HRIS teams, including requirements definition, configuration support, testing, and deployment activities.
Draft or refine HR procedures and supporting documentation as part of project deliverables, ensuring alignment with existing policies and legal requirements.
Ensure HR projects incorporate and clearly document applicable government contracting and regulatory requirements.
Develop and maintain project documentation and standard operating procedures that support audit readiness and regulatory expectations.
Coordinate with external vendors and consultants involved in HR technology, benefits, or specialized HR projects.
Define vendor scope, deliverables, timelines, and success criteria; monitor performance and address issues to ensure high-quality outcomes.
Support HR leadership in prioritizing initiatives, sequencing projects, and balancing workload with available resources and budget.