Program / Project Manager

Location: Bethesda, MD (On-site) Type: Full-time Role Summary We are seeking a full-time Program / Project Manager to lead and coordinate technology initiatives across federal government, commercial, and State, Local, and Education (SLED) customer environments. This role is ideal for a delivery-focused professional who serves as the primary point of coordination between customer stakeholders, technical teams, vendors, and KNZ leadership, and who is trusted to deliver projects on schedule, within scope, and in accordance with contractual and government requirements. Role Overview The ideal candidate is an experienced IT project and program manager who has managed complex infrastructure, modernization, migration, cybersecurity, or related technology programs. You will take ownership of projects end-to-end, from planning and kickoff through implementation, testing, validation, transition, and closeout. This role requires strong command of project management methodologies, the technical fluency to translate engineering activity into clear project plans, and the communication skills to work with technical teams, customer leadership, and executive stakeholders. You will serve as the main customer-facing point of contact for status, priorities, risks, issues, and escalations, and you will stay engaged with every issue until it is resolved. Primary Responsibilities Lead the planning, execution, monitoring, and completion of federal or commercial IT projects and programsDevelop and maintain project schedules, milestones, deliverables, dependencies, action items, and risk registersCoordinate activities across engineering teams, customer stakeholders, subcontractors, OEM partners, and third-party vendorsServe as a primary customer-facing point of contact for project status, priorities, risks, issues, and escalationsFacilitate project kickoff meetings, status meetings, technical coordination sessions, and executive-level reviewsTrack contractual requirements, deliverables, acceptance criteria, and project commitmentsIdentify project risks, dependencies, and resource constraints and develop appropriate mitigation plansManage project scope and coordinate changes through established change-management processesMonitor project performance against established schedules, budgets, and objectivesPrepare and deliver project status reports, dashboards, meeting minutes, action-item tracking, and executive communicationsWork closely with technical architects and engineers to translate technical activities into actionable project plansCoordinate implementation, migration, testing, validation, transition, and project closeout activitiesSupport resource planning and ensure appropriate technical resources are aligned with project requirements and schedulesMaintain project documentation in accordance with customer, contractual, and organizational requirementsSupport compliance with applicable security, privacy, and operational requirementsEscalate issues appropriately while maintaining ownership through resolutionManage multiple concurrent workstreams and priorities within complex customer environments Required Experience 5+ years of experience managing IT projects, programs, or technical service delivery initiativesExperience supporting federal government and/or other highly regulated environmentsDemonstrated experience managing complex technology projects involving multiple technical disciplines and stakeholdersExperience developing and maintaining project schedules, risk registers, status reports, action-item logs, and project documentationExcellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with technical teams, customer leadership, and executive stakeholders Preferred Experience Experience managing federal IT modernization, infrastructure deployment, cloud migration, cybersecurity, network modernization, or data center transformation initiativesExperience working with federal contracting environments, Statements of Work (SOWs), deliverables, milestones, and acceptance criteriaExperience coordinating OEMs, subcontractors, telecommunications providers, and other third-party partnersExperience managing projects involving technologies from vendors such as Cisco, VMware/Broadcom, Microsoft, Nutanix, Palo Alto Networks, AWS, Azure, or similar enterprise platformsExperience preparing executive briefings and presenting project status to government leadership Qualifications Education Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Business, Engineering, or a related field preferred. Certifications PMP, PgMP, PMI-ACP, Scrum Master, or equivalent project/program management certification preferred. Technical Expertise (Must Have) Project Delivery: Strong understanding of project management methodologies, including Waterfall, Agile, or hybrid delivery approachesPlanning & Tracking: Schedules, risk registers, status reports, action-item logs, and project documentationTools: Project management and collaboration platforms such as Smartsheet, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Jira, or similar toolsTechnical Fluency: Ability to understand technical concepts and coordinate activities across infrastructure, networking, cloud, cybersecurity, data center, or related technology teamsOrganization: Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and dependenciesClearance & Access: U.S. citizenship and ability to satisfy applicable federal customer background, access, or security requirements. Depending on the customer and assignment, a Public Trust background investigation or other federal background screening may be required Preferred Compliance Familiarity Federal security and compliance frameworks such as NIST, FISMA, FedRAMP, CMMC, or DoD security requirements Onsite Requirement This is an onsite, customer-facing position based in Bethesda, MD. Some local travel may be required to support assigned projects. You must be comfortable operating within secure government environments and complying with customer-specific physical access, cybersecurity, information-handling, and operational requirements. What Sets This Role Apart This is a hands-on delivery role for a project leader who wants to own outcomes with the customer, not just track tasks. You will be trusted to: Own projects from kickoff to closeout in complex customer environmentsDrive projects through ambiguity and changing prioritiesRemain engaged with issues through resolution rather than simply transferring responsibility between teams Benefits Medical, dental, and vision insurance coverageEmployer-paid short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurancePaid vacation starting at 12 days (96 hours) per year, increasing with years of servicePaid sick leave (up to 7 days per year)401(k) retirement savings plan upon completing a year of employmentTuition reimbursement or assistance toward continuing educationPaid attendance at approved workshops and conferencesFull access to LinkedIn LearningEmployee Assistance Program (EAP) Perks Professional development and ongoing learning opportunitiesEmployee recognition programsCompany-sponsored social events and team-building activitiesCollaborative, team-oriented work environmentOpportunities to work on high-impact projects with experienced professionals Powered by JazzHR 2kY0uKLYsW