Assistant Project Manager - Federal Health (CMS)

About the role

The Assistant Project Manager (APM) supports the Project Manager in day-to-day contract execution, serves as the designated PM backup during absences or unavailability, and independently owns specific operational workstreams including regulatory reporting, Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) coordination with Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs), meeting management, and compliance tracking.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Support the Project Manager in all aspects of day-to-day contract execution; serve as the designated PM backup and assume full PM responsibilities during absences or unavailability without interruption to program operations or CMS deliverables.
• Own the regulatory reporting workstream end-to-end, including the preparation, review, quality control, and on-time submission of all required CMS reports, monthly status updates, and contractual deliverables.
• Lead coordination of Joint Operating Agreements (JOAs) with Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs), including scheduling, agenda development, documentation, follow-up action tracking, and compliance with CMS JOA requirements.
• Manage the program meeting structure, including CMS status calls, internal leadership meetings, and cross-functional operational reviews; prepare agendas, capture minutes, and track decisions and action items to resolution.
• Own compliance tracking across program workstreams, maintaining visibility into contractual performance standards, deliverable deadlines, corrective action plans, and COR/CO correspondence; escalate issues to the PM with recommended courses of action.
• Manage complex systems and medical review workflow operations, ensuring staffing levels, review throughput, and operational processes remain aligned with contractual performance standards and CMS expectations.
• Interface with CMS on day-to-day operational matters within the APM’s assigned workstreams; maintain professional, responsive relationships with the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and Contracting Officer (CO) as directed by the PM.
• Support contract transition activities, onboarding of new personnel, and special projects as assigned by the PM; contribute to continuous improvement initiatives across program operations.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years of professional experience in healthcare program management, federal contracting, or a closely related operational field.
• Minimum 3 years of experience managing complex systems and medical review workflow operations, including demonstrated ability to track performance across multiple concurrent workstreams.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) program operations, with working knowledge of Medicare coverage, payment policy, and claims processing.
• Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a related field preferred. In lieu of a Master’s degree, a Bachelor’s degree plus a minimum of 3 additional years of directly relevant experience may be substituted.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience as an operations manager, deputy director, or senior program administrator at a CMS medical review contractor.
• Working knowledge of federal contracting reporting requirements, Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and Contracting Officer (CO) relationship dynamics, and monthly status reporting cycles in a CMS contract environment.
• Direct experience coordinating Joint Operating Agreements (JOAs) with Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs), including an understanding of data sharing protocols, referral workflows, and contractor coordination obligations under CMS policy.

Work Environment/Physical Demands

This is a remote position. While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in a climate-controlled environment. Candidates must be able to sit, read, work on a computer, and watch a computer screen for extended periods of time. Occasionally required to stand, walk, use hands and fingers, kneel or crouch.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Commence is an equal employment opportunity for employer. All personnel processes are merit-based and applied without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, disability, national or ethnic origin, military and veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.