Senior Program Manager - Project Governance

About the Role

Enterprise Project Governance (EPG) is seeking two senior-level contractors to develop, pilot, and implement a Project Quality Review Program supporting Major Projects and Programs. These resources will partner with EPG personnel to establish a repeatable quality assessment process that evaluates project and program management deliverables prior to GRB reviews. The effort will initially focus on Board-level projects and programs before expanding across the broader Major Projects portfolio. The selected resources will evaluate project documentation against project management standards, validate the effectiveness of existing review criteria and scoring methodologies, identify gaps in project management/controls deliverables, and recommend improvements to governance readiness and overall project execution quality.

Key Responsibilities

• Quality Review Program Development
  • Develop and document a standardized governance readiness and project quality review process.
  • Establish review methodologies, governance procedures, scoring criteria, reviewer instructions, and evaluation reporting standards.
  • Create recommendations for ongoing quality assurance activities across Major Projects and Programs.
  • Support transition of the quality review function into a sustainable EPG operating model.
• Project Deliverable Assessments
  • Perform independent reviews of project and program documentation, including but not limited to:
    • Scope management documentation and scope approval evidence
    • Change control records and change logs
    • RACI and decision governance artifacts
    • Project Charters, Program Charters, Business Cases, and Project Management Plans
    • Master schedules, critical path schedules, schedule baselines, and schedule status information
    • Cost forecasts, authorized amount comparisons, basis of estimate documentation, earned value metrics, and contingency tracking
    • Resource plans, risk registers, communication plans, and procurement or contracting strategies
• Assessment Tool Validation and Enhancement
  • Evaluate the current Project Controls Documentation Review Checklist for effectiveness and continued applicability.
  • Validate alignment with current project and program management standards.
  • Assess whether the existing scoring matrix, weighting factors, review criteria, and governance thresholds remain appropriate.
  • Recommend modifications to the scoring model, checklist structure, review methodology, and implementation guidance.
• Governance Readiness Support
  • Conduct readiness reviews prior to GRB submissions.
  • Identify deficiencies in project documentation, project controls, compliance, and governance artifacts.
  • Provide practical recommendations to project teams to improve readiness before formal GRB review.
  • Track recurring gaps and identify opportunities for process improvement across the Major Projects portfolio.
• Executive Reporting and Portfolio Insights
  • Prepare quality assessment summaries and findings for EPG leadership.
  • Identify portfolio-wide trends, systemic issues, and opportunities for improvement.
  • Support presentations and reporting to leadership and governance bodies, as needed.

Required Skills

• Advanced knowledge of Project or Program Management
• Ability to communicate findings and recommendations to various levels of management
• Ability to effectively manage multiple projects with demanding time constraints
• Knowledge and understanding of business drivers
• PMI Certification
• Experience reviewing project controls deliverables, governance documentation, project readiness, or quality assessment materials
• Ability to assess and recommend solutions for assigned projects
• Experience supporting or facilitating executive reviews and governance decision-making processes

Preferred Skills

• Experience with Board-level or executive-level capital project governance
• Expert knowledge of project controls disciplines, including scheduling, cost management, risk management, scope management, change control, resource management, and performance metrics
• Experience performing project health assessments, project audits, stage gate reviews, quality assurance reviews, or governance readiness reviews
• Experience developing governance frameworks, standards, procedures, checklists, scoring models, or assessment methodologies
• Knowledge of estimating practices and earned value management principles
• Utility industry experience strongly preferred

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or equivalent experience
• 8 years of related experience or equivalent
• Advanced knowledge of Project Management (preferably utility related)
• Quality control of project documentation
• Process mapping/definition

Pay

$90.00–$100.00 per hour (USD)

Schedule

Contract position for 4 months. Hybrid — mostly remote; advanced notice will be given when on-site presence is required at the Oakland, CA office per business need.

Benefits

• Medical, Vision, and Dental Insurance Plans
• 401k Retirement Fund