Public Sector Strategy Senior Manager

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Job Description:

The California State Controller’s Office (SCO) is leading the implementation of the California State Payroll System (CSPS), a large-scale SaaS solution supporting Personnel and Payroll operations for approximately 300,000 employees across 160 agencies and 21 bargaining units.

This is a highly complex, multi-year initiative with:

• $1B+ estimated budget
• ~300 IT professionals
• Enterprise-wide impact across the State of California

Role Overview

The Senior Project Manager will support the Project Management Office (PMO), which oversees execution, governance, and continuous improvement of CSPS project management processes. This role requires deep experience managing large-scale SaaS implementations and working across multiple stakeholders, including state leadership and system integrators.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure standardized project management processes are implemented and followed across all workstreams (functional, technical, leadership, and change management)
• Maintain project documentation in compliance with policies and procedures
• Provide regular reporting on project risks, issues, and overall health, including stakeholder presentations
• Support oversight of system integrator performance
• Deliver analysis and recommendations to improve PMO processes
• Contribute to execution and maintenance of the overall CSPS Project Management Plan and subsidiary plans, including:
  • Change Control Management
  • Cost Management
  • Resource Management
  • Schedule Management
  • Communications & Governance
  • Requirements & Scope Management
  • Contract Management
  • Quality Management
  • Risk & Issue Management

Required Qualifications

• SaaS / SDLC Experience:
  • Minimum 3 years working with SaaS solutions following SDLC
  • Experience with systems supporting at least 2,000 users and $2M+ project value
• Project Management Expertise:
  • Minimum 5 years of experience across:
    • Schedule Management
    • Risk & Issue Management
    • Scope & Change Management
    • Communications Management
    • Governance Management
• Documentation & Reporting:
  • 5+ years creating complex reports, technical documentation, and lessons learned
• Project Oversight:
  • 5+ years monitoring project performance across full lifecycle
  • Experience managing and updating project plans (schedule, scope, risk, quality, governance, etc.)
• Tools:
  • 5+ years using Microsoft Project for scheduling, resource management, and tracking
• Certifications (Required – one of the following):
  • PMP (Project Management Institute)
  • CAPM
  • Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB)
• Public Sector Experience:
  • At least 5 years on a large-scale California state IT project
  • Defined as:
    • 25,000+ users
    • $10M+ project value

Additional Qualifications

• Proven ability to manage large, complex IT implementations
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work effectively with clients and system integrators
• Comfortable working independently and within a team
• High level of professionalism and client service orientation
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio)
• Ability to quickly learn new tools and technologies

Additional Details

• Candidates must pass a background check conducted by SCO prior to starting
• Remote work is permitted; candidates must be based in the continental United States
• Occasional travel to Sacramento, CA may be requir