PEGA COE Lead

Position Summary

We are seeking a Pega Center of Excellence (COE) Lead to support the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Digital Transformation Center (DTC). In this role, you will serve as the technical program manager lead for Pega, responsible for driving delivery, managing risk, and leading the Pega team in support of VA mission systems.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical and strategic leadership for the Pega platform, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture, business objectives, and governance standards
• Lead platform delivery, sustainment, and operations, ensuring reliable, secure, and scalable solutions
• Establish and maintain governance processes, delivery standards, documentation, and operational procedures
• Manage program risks, dependencies, and issues, proactively driving mitigation and escalation when needed
• Oversee release management, platform performance, monitoring, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Lead and mentor cross-functional teams, fostering accountability, collaboration, and professional development
• Drive Agile delivery practices, resource planning, prioritization, and execution of program objectives
• Serve as the primary customer and stakeholder liaison, providing strategic guidance, status updates, and executive-level communications
• Ensure compliance with contractual requirements, security standards, and organizational policies
• Develop and execute a long-term roadmap that supports platform growth, operational excellence, and business transformation goals

Qualifications

• Must be able to obtain and maintain the appropriate VA background investigation and PIV credential required to perform the role
• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline is required. Additional relevant experience may be substituted for education in accordance with contract guidelines
• Minimum of 7–10 years of experience overseeing the delivery of enterprise software platforms, digital transformation initiatives, or large-scale technology programs, with responsibility for coordinating technical teams, managing dependencies, mitigating risks, and driving successful outcomes
• Demonstrated experience leading or overseeing platform delivery across development, test, and production environments
• Experience working in large-scale, enterprise IT environments, including cloud platforms
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with technical teams, stakeholders, and leadership, including presenting platform status, risks, and recommendations
• Experience preparing and delivering structured reporting on platform performance, risks, and operational health, including forward-looking insights
• Proven experience supporting or leading platform lifecycle activities, including deployment, monitoring, incident response, and continuous improvement
• Identify, manage, and escalate technical and delivery risks in complex, multi-team environments
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate across cross-functional teams and drive alignment on technical priorities and execution

Preferred Certifications

• Certified Pega Business Architect Certification or Certified System Architect (CSA)
• Agile/Scrum certifications
• PMP

Required Technical Expertise

• Demonstrated ability to lead technical teams and deliver enterprise programs
• Experience managing risk, stakeholders, and cross-functional delivery teams
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced, high-visibility environment (federal experience preferred)
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and DevSecOps practices in an enterprise environment
• Experience with data reporting, dashboards, and performance metrics

Required Leadership Competencies

• Executive presence in high-visibility escalation and governance forums
• Proven proactive risk identification and structured escalation discipline
• Strong written executive briefing and summary communication skills
• Demonstrated contract/PWS fluency within federal programs
• High personal accountability, urgency, and ownership
• Strategic thinker with a focus on business value, scalability, and innovation