Project Manager (Gov't Tech)

Sikich is hiring a Project Manager to support CMS's Digital Quality Initiative on the Security, Innovation, and Operations program. The role coordinates planning, technical and stakeholder activities, change management, delivery, risk management, governance, and reporting across interconnected DQI efforts.

Responsibilities:

• Translate DQI strategy and priorities into actionable project plans, roadmaps, milestones, deliverables, and work products
• Coordinate activities across CCSQ teams and workstreams, including close partnership with ISG and other stakeholders supporting DQI implementation
• Maintain integrated plans that provide visibility into scope, schedules, dependencies, risks, decisions, and delivery progress across interconnected efforts
• Drive work from planning through execution, identifying barriers and coordinating actions needed to maintain progress
• Build on existing CMS capabilities, standards, processes, and prior work to support implementation while avoiding unnecessary duplication
• Support planning and coordination of FHIR-based interoperability, healthcare data exchange, and related DQI implementation activities
• Work with architects, engineers, developers, data teams, program representatives, and other subject matter experts to understand requirements, dependencies, constraints, and implementation priorities
• Facilitate discussions across technical and business stakeholders, translating decisions into clear actions, owners, and next steps
• Maintain a working understanding of relevant CMS technical standards, platforms, architecture, and interoperability approaches to effectively support project execution
• Support change management activities associated with DQI implementation, including stakeholder engagement, communications, organizational readiness, and adoption planning
• Identify potential impacts to existing processes, workflows, roles, and responsibilities as new digital quality capabilities are introduced
• Work with CMS stakeholders to assess readiness, identify potential barriers to change, and coordinate appropriate mitigation strategies
• Support the development and execution of change management plans, communications, training coordination, and stakeholder engagement activities
• Monitor organizational readiness and adoption-related activities, identifying areas requiring additional attention or support
• Align DQI project activities with CMS's established Agile and Lean Portfolio practices
• Develop, coordinate, and help manage Agile work products, including epics, features, backlog items, roadmaps, and other planning artifacts needed to advance the initiative
• Support prioritization and sequencing of work based on dependencies, readiness, risks, and program priorities
• Facilitate planning sessions, working groups, and other forums needed to coordinate activities and move implementation forward
• Ensure project work and progress are visible through established CMS program and portfolio management processes
• Proactively identify and manage project risks, issues, dependencies, assumptions, and decisions across DQI workstreams
• Analyze cross-team and cross-system dependencies and work with appropriate stakeholders to develop mitigation and resolution strategies
• Establish clear escalation paths and bring issues requiring CMS direction forward with sufficient context to support timely decisions
• Track key decisions and ensure resulting actions are incorporated into project plans and execution
• Provide CMS leadership and stakeholders with clear, concise visibility into project status, upcoming milestones, risks, dependencies, decisions, and areas requiring attention
• Develop and maintain project plans, roadmaps, dashboards, status reports, and other artifacts that provide an integrated view of DQI activities and progress
• Support established DQI governance and decision-making processes, including preparation of leadership briefings, meeting materials, and follow-up actions
• Coordinate reporting through standard program workflows and tools rather than creating unnecessary one-off reporting processes
• Build effective working relationships across CMS leadership, ISG and other CCSQ teams, technical teams, contractors, and stakeholders involved in DQI
• Communicate complex information clearly to technical and non-technical audiences and help connect project activities and decisions to broader program objectives

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Project Management, Information Technology, Engineering, Health Informatics, Healthcare Administration, or a related field required
• 8+ years of progressive experience managing complex projects or programs, preferably within healthcare, federal government, or another large, highly regulated environment
• Demonstrated experience leading or coordinating complex initiatives involving multiple teams, stakeholders, systems, and interdependent workstreams
• Experience supporting organizational change management, including stakeholder engagement, change impact assessments, readiness planning, communications, and adoption activities
• Working knowledge of healthcare interoperability and FHIR standards, including an understanding of how standards-based data exchange supports healthcare systems and digital quality initiatives
• Experience working with technical teams, including architects, engineers, developers, data specialists, and product or platform teams
• Experience identifying and managing project risks, dependencies, issues, and decisions across complex initiatives
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build consensus and drive progress across organizational boundaries
• Experience developing executive-level reporting, project roadmaps, dashboards, and decision-support materials
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to facilitate discussions and communicate complex information to executive, technical, and non-technical stakeholders
• Experience in regulated or compliance-driven environments, particularly healthcare or the public sector
• Servant Leader – You are hyper focused on engaging employees, fostering their development, and building a positive culture
• Solutions Focused – You see opportunities in every business problem and can develop, articulate, and implement solutions
• Collaboration – You are a relationship builder across all levels of the organization and across all business units
• Instills Trust - You do what you say, and you follow through on commitments, you act with integrity, you are consistent and are perceived as credible
• Impact & Influence Thinking – You gain support for ideas, proposals, and solutions, and get others to act, with or without formal authority, to advance initiatives/objectives
• FHIR certification preferred
• though comparable federal health system experience will be strongly considered
• CMS/CCSQ experience preferred
• Experience applying Agile and Lean Portfolio practices
• SAFe certification strongly preferred
• Strong project management skills
• PMP or comparable project/program management certification preferred
• Experience supporting large-scale organizational or technology transformation initiatives, particularly those involving healthcare modernization, interoperability, or changes to established business processes