Program Manager (no 3rd parties) #1023752

Job Description

Program Manager - No subcontractors, please

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Location: Downtown Chicago (Hybrid - 3x/week)

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Duration: 12-36 months

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Compensation: $70-$80/hr depending on W2 employment or independent contractor status

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Position Overview

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a Senior IT Program Manager to support a large-scale, enterprise-wide initiative within its Emerging Technology organization. This is a five-year technology program with major milestones extending into 2030–2031. It will impact infrastructure, networking, applications, security, risk, and other areas across the enterprise.

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This is a PROGRAM MANAGEMENT role.

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• The hiring team needs a strong, experienced Program Manager who can coordinate multiple technical workstreams, drive accountability, manage dependencies, and maintain organized, detailed reporting for senior leadership.

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• Approximately six major workstreams will support the initiative, with individual project managers responsible for their respective projects. The Senior Program Manager will oversee the broader program, consolidate progress, identify risks and dependencies, and ensure the different teams remain aligned.

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• The program is currently in its early stages, focused on discovery, planning, governance, and technology readiness.

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• The most important requirement is strong program execution.

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Key initiatives:

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• Center of Excellence (COE): Establishing a COE with support from internal teams and an external consulting partner. The PM will help coordinate the effort but is not expected to independently build the COE.

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• RFP / Consulting Partner: Assist with the RFP process, vendor evaluations, and coordination of the selected consulting firm.

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• Infrastructure Discovery: Inventory hardware, networking equipment, and other infrastructure to assess readiness for post-quantum technology.

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• Vendor Readiness: Coordinate with technical teams tracking when hardware and software vendors will support quantum-ready capabilities.

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• Gap & Exception Management: Focus program attention on technology gaps, risks, dependencies, and items requiring remediation.

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• Technology Refresh Coordination: Align with existing infrastructure refresh initiatives to avoid unnecessary or duplicate upgrades.

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• Test Environment: Help coordinate the establishment of a test certificate authority environment with cybersecurity.

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Important: The first year is primarily focused on infrastructure and hardware discovery. Application assessments will follow later. There are no production implementations planned during the initial phase.

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Core Responsibilities:

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Enterprise Program Management

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• Help coordinate approximately six major technical workstreams.

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• Work closely with multiple project managers across infrastructure, networking, identity management, applications, and security.

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• Consolidate project plans, milestones, deliverables, and progress into an overall program view.

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• Identify cross-team dependencies, risks, issues, and potential delays.

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• Drive follow-up, accountability, and resolution of outstanding items.

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• Escalate issues appropriately to program leadership.

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Governance & Executive Reporting

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• Maintain organized program documentation, decision logs, and action items.

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• Prepare executive steering committee presentations and status updates.

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• Develop clear reporting and dashboards using Azure DevOps.

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• Ensure decisions, requirements, and deliverables are accurately documented and traceable.

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• Support consistent program governance across participating teams.

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Cross-Functional Coordination

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• Partner with technical leadership, infrastructure teams, cybersecurity, and external consultants.

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• Support the COE establishment and RFP/vendor coordination.

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• Facilitate communication between technical and business stakeholders.

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• Coordinate dependencies with other enterprise technology initiatives.

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Tools & Process Improvement

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• Use Azure DevOps to track work items, milestones, documentation, and reporting.

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• Support automation of program reporting and administrative activities.

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• Leverage AI tools where appropriate to improve documentation, reporting, and overall program efficiency.

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Required Qualifications:

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• Azure DevOps (ADO) - Hands-on experience with work items, queries, documentation, dashboards, and reporting

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• Senior IT Program Management - Experience overseeing large, complex enterprise technology programs

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• Multiple Workstream Coordination - Has managed programs involving multiple PMs, technical teams, and interconnected deliverables

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• AI Experience: Experience and a desire to see AI grow within a corporation. Demonstrated examples of using AI tools to improve documentation, reporting, program tracking, or administrative processes

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• Enterprise IT Knowledge - Understands infrastructure, networking, platforms, applications, and security at a program management level

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• Program Governance - Experience managing milestones, risks, issues, dependencies, escalations, and executive reporting

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• Executive Communication - Comfortable working with senior technical leaders and preparing steering committee updates

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• Execution & Accountability - Demonstrated ability to drive follow-through and keep multiple teams aligned

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• Organization & Documentation - Highly detail-oriented with strong decision tracking, documentation, and reporting practices

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Critical distinction: Candidates should be able to explain the scale and complexity of programs they have managed, including how many workstreams, PMs, and stakeholders were involved.

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