Senior Project Manager – Accela & Municipal Permitting Systems

KAI Partners, Inc. provides management consulting and technology services to public- and private-sector clients. The Senior Project Manager will lead complex municipal permitting and development technology initiatives, serving as a project delivery leader and strategic technology manager for the Accela Civic Platform, digital permitting tools, and customer-facing solutions.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as product owner or senior functional lead for the Accela Civic Platform, including configuration, enhancements, and ongoing optimization
• Lead Accela system roadmaps, upgrades, and integrations; coordinate closely with City IT, Accela vendors, and implementation partners
• Oversee Accela based digital permitting tools, online portals, and customer self-service solutions
• Conduct process mapping and workflow redesign specifically aligned to Accela configurations, workflows, and business rules for permitting and development review processes
• Lead innovation efforts as they relate to Accela optimization, permitting modernization, and civic technology enablement, including selective evaluation of emerging technologies (e.g., AI, civic tech tools)
• Manage full project lifecycle, including planning, budgeting, execution, and reporting
• Ensure delivery aligns with public sector governance, compliance, and performance standards
• Lead system roadmap planning, enhancements, and coordination with IT and vendors
• Oversee implementation of digital permitting tools, online portals, and customer self-service solutions
• Drive adoption of low-code/no-code solutions to improve operational efficiency
• Lead initiatives to improve customer-facing services, including permitting portals, knowledge bases, and digital workflows
• Support website modernization, accessibility, and content strategy in coordination with communications and IT teams
• Apply user-centered design (UX) principles to improve permitting and development experiences
• Develop dashboards, reporting tools, and performance metrics
• Act as primary liaison between Community Development, IT, Communications, and external vendors
• Coordinate with city departments, agencies, and leadership to align priorities
• Facilitate stakeholder workshops and cross-functional collaboration
• Oversee or mentor project teams, analysts, or technical staff
• Support onboarding and development of technology-focused roles
• Manage consultants, vendors, or contract resources as needed
• Perform other related duties, as assigned

Requirements:

• Strong project and program management expertise in public sector environments
• Hands-on experience delivering, managing, or optimizing the Accela Civic Platform in municipal environments
• Deep knowledge of municipal planning, permitting, and development workflows as implemented within Accela
• Experience with digital transformation, system implementation, and process automation
• UX / user-centered design
• Content strategy / web modernization
• Data dashboards and reporting tools
• Ability to translate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
• Strong stakeholder engagement across government, IT, and vendors
• Experience with policy development or technology governance
• Analytical mindset with focus on operational efficiency and service delivery improvement
• Bachelor's degree
• Current PMP Certification
• 7+ years of experience applying project management principles, methods, techniques, and tools
• 3+ years of Senior Project Management experience leading large, complex projects
• 3+ years of experience providing PMO or project leadership support within a Government Agency (City or County)
• 3+ years of direct experience delivering, managing, or leading Accela Civic Platform implementations, upgrades, or major enhancements for City or County agencies
• Experience managing Accela or similar enterprise permitting platforms, including vendor coordination and production support
• Applicants must have direct, hands on experience leading or managing Accela Civic Platform implementations or major system enhancements for municipal clients. Candidates without prior Accela delivery experience will not be considered for this role
• Background in digital services, civic tech, or permitting modernization
• Experience with process improvement, UX, or service design