Functional Lead (Hands-on AI Product Development)

About the role

NetImpact Strategies is seeking a Functional Lead (Hands-on AI Product Development) to join our delivery team supporting Federal clients. The ideal candidate combines client-facing leadership skills with hands-on functional expertise, bridging the gap between business needs and technical implementation.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide thought leadership for product development, solution implementation, and continuous improvement.
• Serve as the primary client-facing lead, managing communication, expectations, and stakeholder engagement.
• Lead project planning, coordination, and execution across Agile or hybrid delivery methodologies.
• Manage project scope, schedules, risks, dependencies, and quality to ensure successful delivery.
• Facilitate requirements-gathering sessions and develop clear functional and non-functional requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria.
• Act as the functional expert for a proprietary toolset, advising on capabilities, constraints, and solution feasibility.
• Collaborate with technical teams, architects, and QA to ensure alignment between business needs, system design, and implementation.
• Review and guide development of functional deliverables including process flows, configuration documentation, and design artifacts.
• Analyze existing business processes and recommend improvements that drive efficiency and mission success.
• Support development of test scenarios, provide guidance throughout testing cycles, and assist with UAT execution.
• Support training, deployment planning, and transition-to-operations activities.
• Ensure all deliverables and project artifacts comply with Federal standards and quality assurance requirements.
• Apply strong problem-solving, technical understanding, curiosity, and delivery focus to proactively address issues and identify opportunities for improvement.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Business Administration, Information Systems, or related field
• 8+ years of experience in IT project delivery roles, including at least 3 years in project management or business analysis within Federal environments
• Experience interacting with AI (Artificial Intelligence) to support delivery of software modernization projects
• Proven ability to interface with clients and senior stakeholders, facilitating discussions and driving consensus
• Experience with requirements elicitation, process mapping, and functional documentation
• Strong understanding of software delivery methodologies
• Proficiency with project management and collaboration tools
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor communication to both technical and non-technical audiences
• US Citizenship required; must be eligible for a Secret clearance

Prior Experience

• Prior Software Development background
• Prior experience in Federal IT consulting or program delivery
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or Certified Scrum Master (CSM) certification
• ITIL or Agile Certification
• Experience supporting modernization or digital transformation initiatives
• Familiarity with Software Development and SaaS platforms in Federal environments
• Knowledge of Federal acquisition, governance, and reporting processes