Product Manager

Location: Phoenix, AZ | Hybrid role | In-person interviews only

About the role

The IT Project Manager leads the planning, execution, and delivery of technology projects within Court Technology Services (CTS). Projects align with Judicial Branch priorities, strategic goals, and business mandates, and span custom application development, SaaS implementations, infrastructure modernization, and cross-agency integrations. The Project Manager uses both traditional (waterfall) and Agile delivery approaches as appropriate, partners with business stakeholders to translate needs into outcomes, and collaborates with CTS staff, court departments, outside agencies, vendors, and contractors throughout the project lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Initiate or participate in systems analysis studies and complete requirements gathering and analysis for court projects.
• Define and document project scope, objectives, and desired outcomes.
• Complete project documentation including charter, plan, schedule, communication plan, and meeting agendas.
• Prepare and manage the project budget based on scope, and adhere to allocated funding.
• Estimate resource requirements, and acquire and manage them effectively.
• Direct applications systems planning, budgeting, and the acquisition and acceptance of new equipment for the department, including written/oral reports on proposed information technology systems.
• Select and apply appropriate project management tools, techniques, and methodologies (Agile, waterfall, or hybrid) based on project characteristics.
• Lead cross-functional project teams of professional, paraprofessional, and technical staff involved in developing new and maintaining existing IT systems.
• Coordinate delivery of multiple business and technical applications through development, deployment, and support phases.
• Manage internal and external project team members and business partners, providing training and coaching as needed to achieve project goals.
• Develop work and task assignments for each team member based on project requirements and individual expertise.
• Manage SOWs and contracts with suppliers and vendors, ensuring timely delivery and execution.
• Manage interdepartmental coordination to ensure smooth project execution including but not limited to Judicial Branch employees, other Maricopa County employees, outside agencies, contractors, and the public.
• Develop analysis and programming guidelines and documentation standards.
• Evaluate and recommend needed training.
• Set and manage internal and external stakeholder expectations.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks throughout the project lifecycle.
• Monitor time and dollar expenditures to ensure projects and budgets meet established targets.
• Track project performance to ensure short-term and long-term goals are met and provide regular project updates to stakeholders as needed.
• Evaluate overall and individual work performance to determine effectiveness in delivering quality products within time and cost constraints.
• Conduct regular assessments of project execution to identify areas for improvement.
• Ensure project delivery is on time, within scope, and within the allocated budget.
• Stay current on industry best practices, tools, and standards, and promote their adoption within the team to improve delivery outcomes.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, Project Management, or a related field.
• Three (3) or more years of experience managing IT projects or IT business analysis from project initiation and planning through completion and closure, including projects delivered using Agile, waterfall, or hybrid methodologies.
• An equivalent combination of post-secondary education and job-related experience may substitute on a year-for-year basis.
• 3–5 years of supervisory or team-lead experience.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or PRINCE2 certification; Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), PMI-ACP, or SAFe certification a plus.
• Demonstrated experience leading Agile software delivery (Scrum or Kanban), including sprint planning, backlog management, and release coordination.
• Experience delivering web, mobile, or SaaS application projects in a general-jurisdiction court or other complex public-sector environment.
• Organizational change management experience, including practical application of Prosci ADKAR or comparable frameworks.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, or GCP), data integration, and information security considerations in IT project delivery.
• Experience with modern project and collaboration tooling (Azure DevOps, Jira, ServiceNow, Smartsheet, or equivalent).
• Design thinking and user-centered approaches to requirements and solution definition.
• Exceptionally strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate technical detail for non-technical stakeholders.
• Intellectually curious, with a strong problem-solving orientation and high emotional intelligence (EQ).
• Track record of advocating for the business while balancing technical, budget, and schedule constraints.

Skills

• Customer service orientation.
• Building strong interpersonal relationships with multidisciplinary internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Managing projects, teams, and competing priorities.
• Applying project management methodologies (Agile, waterfall, hybrid) to IT initiatives from initiation through closure.
• Facilitating requirements gathering, stakeholder workshops, and project ceremonies (kickoffs, standups, retrospectives, steering committees).
• Partnering with customers to elicit needs and translate them into realistic project plans, schedules, and budgets.
• Working effectively both independently and as part of a cross-functional team.
• Managing multiple concurrent projects, customers, and priorities.
• Communicating project status, risks, and trade-offs clearly to technical and non-technical audiences, including executive sponsors.
• Using project data and metrics to inform decisions and drive continuous improvement.
• Knowledge of Microsoft 365 (Teams, SharePoint, Outlook, Excel).
• Knowledge of project management tooling such as MS Project, Smartsheet, Azure DevOps, or Jira.
• Knowledge of Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), Agile (Scrum, Kanban), and hybrid delivery models.
• Knowledge of project management principles, including PMBOK and Agile frameworks.
• Knowledge of IT vendor and SOW management.
• Knowledge of high-volume court processes and public-sector technology environments.

Schedule

09:00 am to 05:00 pm | Overtime expected

Work Environment

This position operates primarily in an office environment and may include a hybrid schedule consistent with Judicial Branch policy. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may need to communicate clearly, perceive details of objects that are close by, and maintain various physical positions for extended periods, such as sitting, standing, or walking. The job may involve using hands for tasks such as typing, handling objects, or operating tools, as well as reaching with hands and arms. Occasionally, the employee may be required to move or lift objects weighing up to 20 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.