Program Manager, Geothermal Data Modernization

About the role

This position sits within the Consortium’s public data modernization workstream. The program spans multiple states, each with multiple relevant agencies, across complex, sequential stages. Its success depends on disciplined workplanning, vendor management, and the ability to coordinate across state agencies whose structures, systems, and data-stewardship maturity vary widely.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end program management across all phases including workplanning, scheduling, budget tracking, and milestone and deliverable management across a multiphase, multi-year effort.
• Serve as the central coordinating point across state data custodians whose organizational structures and data stewardship maturity differ from state to state (e.g., geological surveys, oil and gas commissions, water boards, and water resource agencies).
• Manage technology vendor relationships, including scope of work, deliverables, and timelines for an AI enabled digitization workflow and its integration with the target data host.
• Coordinate development of a regional data catalogue and dataset prioritization process, including running a developer RFP to gather industry input on the highest-value datasets to digitize.
• Secure the permissions and access needed to work with data housed across state agencies, and manage coordination with in-house state geologists for verification of low confidence data.
• Track budget and in kind contributions across phases, manage risks and dependencies, and maintain a clear reporting cadence to Consortium leadership and funders.
• Cookordination across partners and the broader Consortium team to keep technical, state agency, and philanthropic stakeholders aligned.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of program or project management experience, ideally leading multi-stakeholder, multiphase programs involving external vendors and public-sector partners.
• Demonstrated experience managing external technical vendors or contractors (e.g., software development, data services, or IT integration) including scoping, deliverable tracking, and quality management.
• Prowen ability to coordinate across multiple government agencies or institutional partners with differing structures, systems, and capacity.
• Strong budget management, workplanning, and milestone-tracking discipline, with a track record of delivering complex programs on time and on budget.
• Working fluency with data-management concepts (e.g., file formats, standardization, metadata, and GIS-ready outputs) sufficient to manage technical scope without needing to be the technical expert.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate between technical vendors and non-technical government stakeholders.

Preferred Experience

• Experience working with or alongside state geological surveys, oil and gas commissions, water boards, or state energy offices.
• Familiarity with geothermal or adjacent subsurface data (oil and gas, mining, geologic resource assessment).
• Experience with AI-enabled document extraction, data digitization, GIS, or geospatial dataset development.

Expected Outcomes

• A completed regional data catalogue identifying all publicly available data.
• A prioritized dataset list informed by developer input.
• A functioning AI enabled digitization workflow delivered by the technology vendor and integrated with the target data host.
• Priority legacy datasets scanned, digitized, standardized, and published into a verified regional geospatial database, delivered on schedule and on budget.
• Durable working relationships across the Mountain West region’s state data custodians and a repeatable coordination model that can scale to additional states and datasets.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $100-125,000; commensurate with experience.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) with organizational match.
• Generous paid time off and professional development opportunities.

About CPE

The Center for Public Enterprise is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on growing public sector capacity to deliver broad and inclusive economic development. CPE works with public agencies and similar organizations to develop, design, and implement programs, tools, and strategies for public investment and development, with a particular focus on the housing and energy sectors.