Director, Program Management Office (PMO)

About the role

Commence is a rapidly scaling healthcare data and technology company serving federal, state, and commercial health markets. We support agencies including CMS, the VA, DHA (TRICARE), and the IRS across quality improvement, program integrity, medical documentation, independent dispute resolution, and large‑scale data transformation. This full‑time, remote position leads the Program Management Office (PMO) as a shared service, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer.

Requirements

• PMO Leadership and Methodology: Establish and run the PMO as a shared service with standards, templates, artifacts, tooling, and cadences used by every program. Maintain and continuously improve the delivery methodology, including the Program Director / Project Manager / Technical Delivery Manager operating model, stage gates, and delivery quality reviews.
• Assurance and Improvement Practices: Define root‑cause analysis on delivery misses, corrective‑action tracking, and lessons‑learned processes that change behavior.
• Program Health and Reporting: Run the delivery review cadence, safeguard the integrity of PM‑sourced data (schedule, delivery risk, issue status), and supply timely, accurate program health inputs to Project Controls on a defined cadence and format.
• Project Management Team: Manage, develop, and deploy the shared project‑manager and project‑coordination bench across programs in a matrixed model; recruit and onboard PM talent; oversee craft, growth, staffing assignments, and performance.
• Operational Orchestration: Coordinate approvals routing and workflow triage, absorb administrative burdens from Executive and Program Directors, keep the program‑health workspace and PM tooling (Jira or equivalent) current, and work with Contracts and Finance to keep contract one‑sheets and invoicing on track.
• Transition: Execute a structured transition of PMO‑scope responsibilities over approximately six months, taking early responsibility while drawing on the outgoing lead for context.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of program and project management experience, with at least 3 years leading a PMO or PM team in government contracting or tech‑enabled services.
• Deep working knowledge of federal contract execution: FFP, T&M, and cost‑type vehicles; EAC discipline; deliverable and CDRL management; subcontractor coordination.
• Demonstrated experience standing up or significantly maturing PMO infrastructure in a growth‑stage, often PE‑backed, environment.
• Hands‑on fluency with modern work‑management platforms (Jira or equivalent).
• Proven ability to operate in a matrixed organization, influencing without direct authority.
• PMP certification or equivalent demonstrated mastery.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Federal Public Trust.

Preferred Qualifications

• Federal health domain experience (CMS, VA, DHA/TRICARE, DoD health).
• Experience supporting proposal and capture efforts with delivery data and past‑performance inputs.
• Familiarity with Deltek Costpoint or comparable government‑contracting ERP environments.
• Experience handling CUI, PII, or PHI under NIST 800‑171, CMMC, and HIPAA regimes.

Scope Boundaries

The Director of PMO does not own program P&L, set pricing, or conduct commercial contract review; those responsibilities reside with Program and Executive Directors and the growth organization. Forecasting and enterprise program reporting are the domain of Project Controls, which consumes PMO inputs. The role does not direct Executive or Program Directors but coordinates with them and the technical delivery organization. Within the PMO, the Director defines artifacts, methods, and tooling and is expected to uphold those standards with strong‑willed stakeholders.

What Success Looks Like

• Within 90 days: PMO standards and the delivery review cadence are documented and operational; PM‑sourced program health inputs flow cleanly into Project Controls reporting on the standing cadence.
• Within 6 months: Transition is complete; the shared PM bench is fully staffed, managed, and developing under a consistent model; Project Controls receives clean, on‑time inputs every cycle.
• Within 12 months: Delivery misses surface early through the PMO rather than via escalation; the methodology has measurably reduced repeat issues; the function scales to new contract awards without executive intervention.

Work Environment / Physical Demands

This is a remote position. The employee will regularly work in a home office or other remote environment and must have reliable high‑speed internet access. Candidates must be able to sit, read, work on a computer, and view a screen for extended periods. Occasional travel may be required to support program reviews or client engagements. Reasonable accommodations are available for individuals with disabilities.

Pay

Salary range: $150,000 – $175,000.