Software Project Manager

Empyrean Benefit Solutions•Houston, TX

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

As a member of the Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO), the Software Project Manager provides project management leadership and delivery oversight for enterprise technology initiatives, with primary accountability for the Security and Procurement & Vendor Management portfolios. This role is responsible for leading the delivery of IT security initiatives (such as Identity & Access Management (IAM), Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC), and security platforms) as well as the design, build, and operationalization of the Procurement and Vendor Management Framework. The role may also support additional software, platform, or systems-related initiatives as the organization’s technology and governance needs evolve. The Software Project Manager works in a matrixed environment, leading cross-functional teams across Security, IT, Procurement, Legal, Finance, Product, Operations, and external vendors. This role communicates project status, risks, and outcomes to senior and executive leadership and is ultimately accountable for successful project delivery.

Requirements

Strong written and verbal communication, documentation, and stakeholder management skills.
Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment and drive alignment across business and technology teams.
Experience delivering IT security initiatives, including IAM, GRC, compliance, audit readiness, or security platforms.
Experience leading Procurement and Vendor Management initiatives, including framework design, process implementation, and operational rollout.
Strong understanding of third-party risk management, vendor governance, and compliance considerations.
Working knowledge of Agile delivery frameworks (Scrum, Kanban) and traditional project methodologies (Waterfall, hybrid).
Proficiency with Jira and Confluence for project planning, tracking, and documentation.
Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with a strong delivery mindset.
Ability to manage multiple complex initiatives simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail.
Self-directed, adaptable, and comfortable navigating ambiguity in evolving enterprise environments.
Bachelor’s degree preferred (or equivalent experience in enterprise project management).
5–7 years of overall project management experience in software, IT, or enterprise technology environments.
3–5 years of experience delivering IT security–related projects, such as IAM, GRC, compliance, audits, or security platforms.
Demonstrated success managing complex, multi-workstream projects across scope, schedule, and budget.
Experience delivering projects that require formal documentation, process definition, and operational handoff.
Strong understanding of risk-based delivery, including identifying, assessing, and mitigating delivery, security, and compliance risks.
Experience supporting audit readiness, control implementation, or compliance-driven initiatives.
Proven ability to translate strategic objectives into executable delivery plans.
Experience working with external consultants or system integrators to deliver enterprise initiatives.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with enterprise IAM platforms (e.g., Okta) is preferred.
Hands-on experience leading Procurement and Vendor Management initiatives, including framework build and operationalization, is strongly preferred.
Experience working in regulated, enterprise, or compliance-driven environments is preferred.
Experience managing third-party vendors, including delivery coordination, performance tracking, and dependency management.
Demonstrated ability to lead projects involving cross-functional governance, including Legal, Security, Finance, Procurement, and IT.
Familiarity with security and risk management frameworks (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001, SOC 2, or similar) is a plus.
Experience delivering projects involving policy development, standards, or enterprise frameworks.
Prior experience operating within or alongside an Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO) is preferred.

Responsibilities

Act as Project Manager for multiple initiatives across the Security and Procurement & Vendor Management portfolios.
Lead delivery of IT security projects, including but not limited to Identity & Access Management (IAM), Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC), security tooling, audits, and regulatory-driven initiatives.
Lead the end-to-end delivery of the Procurement and Vendor Management Framework, including design, documentation, tooling, process implementation, and operational readiness.
Partner with Procurement, Legal, Finance, Security, and IT stakeholders to ensure vendor governance, third-party risk management, and compliance requirements are embedded into enterprise processes.
Support and manage additional software, platform, or systems initiatives as assigned by the EPMO.
Clearly communicate project delivery frameworks and enforce EPMO standards, governance, and best practices across assigned teams.
Create, maintain, and manage detailed project plans, timelines, milestones, dependencies, and deliverables.
Track project progress, identify risks and dependencies, and proactively communicate potential impacts to stakeholders.
Define project success criteria and ensure alignment throughout the project lifecycle.
Provide regular, concise project status updates to senior and executive leadership.
Coordinate and delegate work across internal teams and external vendors, ensuring accountability and on-time delivery.
Identify, assess, and manage risks related to scope, schedule, budget, security, compliance, and vendor dependencies; develop and execute mitigation strategies.
Identify and resolve project issues, conflicts, and blockers to maintain delivery momentum.
Manage cross-project dependencies and critical path activities across multiple workstreams.
Lead project and workgroup meetings, clearly documenting decisions, action items, owners, and next steps.
Ensure project deliverables meet quality standards, compliance requirements, and organizational policies.
Create and maintain dashboards, roadmaps, and project documentation to support governance, transparency, and stakeholder visibility.
Collaborate with software developers, service reliability engineers, product owners, security teams, and IT engineers to deliver mission-critical initiatives.
Drive continuous improvement by refining delivery processes, streamlining workflows, and strengthening overall EPMO maturity.