Senior Program Manager

The Senior Program Manager will support the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) on the Performance Management & Analytics System (PMAS) project. This role serves as a critical liaison between IT leadership and project sponsors at the Deputy Executive Commissioner level, managing communications across technical and non-technical staff who are stewarding complex data integrations across HHS departments and agencies. The Senior Program Manager will lead hybrid Agile and Waterfall project teams to develop a data analytics program, including the use of AI to synthesize and report accurate data for official agency reporting and strategic decision-making. The ideal candidate possesses a broad and deep understanding of HHS programs and data domains, a strong history of BI/DW development projects, and exceptional communication abilities to bridge the gap between agency leaders and technologists in the emerging context of AI.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary liaison between IT leadership and project sponsors at the Deputy Executive Commissioner level, managing communications across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  
• Lead as technical program manager creating hybrid Agile sprint cycles, epics, and stories, as well as Waterfall project plans and all associated project artifacts.
  
• Manage scrum of scrum ceremonies to synchronize across Agile sprint teams while applying principles from the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe).
  
• Develop and refine effective AI prompts and query strategies to retrieve and synthesize program strategies across complex data domains, and maintain a library of standardized prompts and query templates for common reporting needs.
  
• Ensure project teams properly extract, integrate, and analyze data from multiple complex internal and external sources to support HHS program needs.
  
• Collaborate with end-users, performance analysts, and IT leaders to create and validate data visualizations for program monitoring and official reporting.
  
• Provide subject matter expertise on validating AI output, with particular emphasis on identifying and mitigating hallucinations.
  
• Champion data literacy across the organization by planning and staffing AI training teams and promoting a data-driven culture.
  
• Explain complex project findings and data limitations in clear, non-technical language to agency leadership and program staff at all levels.
  
• Stay current on emerging AI and data analytics tools and techniques to continuously improve program competencies.
  

Minimum Qualifications

• 8 years of experience translating complex analytics project intakes and business requirements into clear, actionable plans for prioritization and implementation.
  
• 8 years of experience explaining complex data initiatives in simple, non-technical language to end-users and leaders at all levels.
  
• 8 years of experience in complex data programs in a senior project manager and/or data liaison role.
  
• 8 years of experience collaborating with end-users, performance analysts, and agency leaders to validate project and program reports and presentations for monitoring and official reporting.
  
• 8 years of demonstrated excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
  
• 8 years of experience with presentation and design tools such as PowerPoint and Visio.
  

Preferred Qualifications

• 5 years of experience leading as a senior project manager creating hybrid Agile sprint cycles, epics, and stories, as well as Waterfall project plans and all project artifacts.
  
• 5 years of experience with Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse development.
  
• 5 years of experience acting as the primary point of contact for program staff with data needs for federal, state, and internal reporting.
  
• 5 years of experience working in a health and human services or similarly regulated environment, with a strong understanding of program data and reporting requirements.
  
• 5 years of experience with data governance and data quality principles.
  
• 5 years of experience managing scrum of scrum ceremonies to synchronize across Agile sprint teams and applying principles from the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe).
  
• 5 years of experience ensuring project teams properly extract, integrate, and analyze data from multiple complex internal and external sources.
  
• 5 years of experience collaborating with end-users and performance analysts or IT leaders to create and validate visualizations for program monitoring and official reporting.
  
• 3 years of experience leading a performance management and analytics initiative at a State of Texas agency.
  
• 2 years of experience championing data literacy by developing and conducting training sessions for non-technical staff.
  
• 2 years of experience training and mentoring staff with varying levels of data literacy.
  
• 2 years of experience with State and Federal monitoring and reporting compliance for a Major Information Resources Project (MIRP).
  
• 2 years of experience developing Advanced Planning Documents (APD) and Business Case Workbooks for a Major Information Resources Project (MIRP) with blended State GR and Federal Financial Participation (FFP) - All Funds.
  
• 1 year of experience applying responsible AI practices and compliance with agency standards.
  

Additional Requirements

• Candidates must successfully complete a criminal background check as authorized by Texas law prior to placement.
  
• All work products produced under this engagement are considered works made for hire and are the property of HHSC.
  
• Interviews will be conducted in person.
  
• Candidates must already reside in Texas within a 50-mile radius of the work location. Out-of-state candidates who are planning to relocate will not be considered.
  

Work Location and Schedule

Location: 4601 W. Guadalupe, Austin, Texas 78751