Project Manager – Systems Implementations

Position: Project Manager – Systems Implementations
Location: Austin, TX – Hybrid
Duration: 12+ Months
Experience: 8+ Years
Employment Type: Contract

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Project Manager – Systems Implementations to lead a high-visibility municipal technology initiative focused on implementing, replacing, or modernizing a 311 system, citizen request management platform, or municipal citizen services solution.

The ideal candidate will have direct experience managing complex technology implementations within municipal or local government environments, coordinating across multiple City departments, and leading technology procurement and vendor selection activities.

This role requires a hands-on, senior-level Project Manager who can provide strategic guidance, manage stakeholder expectations, drive decision-making, oversee third-party vendors, and maintain accountability from procurement through implementation and delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate with City procurement teams to support the procurement and vendor selection process for a new or enhanced 311/citizen services platform.

• Lead requirements gathering across business, technical, operational, integration, reporting, and service delivery functions.

• Work with multiple municipal departments to assess existing processes, identify dependencies, and define future-state requirements.

• Develop and manage vendor demonstrations and evaluation processes based on City-specific use cases and business requirements.

• Coordinate stakeholder participation in vendor demonstrations, scoring, evaluations, clarification sessions, and selection activities.

• Advise City leadership on vendor options, implementation considerations, project risks, dependencies, and solution trade-offs.

• Manage the transition from procurement and vendor selection into the implementation phase, ensuring continuity throughout the project lifecycle.

• Develop and maintain comprehensive project plans, schedules, milestones, deliverables, budgets, dependencies, and resource commitments.

• Manage third-party implementation vendors and hold project participants accountable for agreed-upon deliverables and timelines.

• Establish project governance, decision-making frameworks, escalation procedures, risk management processes, and status reporting.

• Coordinate activities across City departments, IT teams, business stakeholders, executive leadership, procurement personnel, and implementation partners.

• Monitor project scope, schedule, risks, issues, change requests, testing, organizational readiness, and implementation milestones.

• Prepare executive-level status reports covering project health, accomplishments, risks, budget and schedule concerns, pending decisions, and upcoming milestones.

• Identify potential issues early, develop mitigation strategies, facilitate critical decisions, and maintain project momentum.

• Ensure the implemented solution and supporting business processes align with the City's long-term 311 and citizen service delivery objectives.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 8+ years of experience successfully managing large, complex technology implementations or business transformation projects.

• Direct experience with 311 systems, citizen request management, constituent services, citizen services platforms, municipal CRM, or comparable public-sector service management solutions.

• Experience working with municipal or local government organizations and coordinating initiatives across multiple City departments.

• Demonstrated experience supporting or leading technology procurement, RFP/RFQ processes, vendor demonstrations, evaluation, and vendor selection.

• Proven experience managing third-party software vendors and implementation partners throughout the project lifecycle.

• Strong understanding of requirements management, business process analysis, system implementation, testing, organizational readiness, risk management, issue resolution, and change control.

• Experience establishing project governance, managing cross-functional dependencies, and delivering complex initiatives within agreed scope, schedule, and budget.

• Ability to engage effectively with executive leadership, department heads, business users, technical teams, procurement staff, and external vendors.

• Excellent written and verbal communication, facilitation, negotiation, stakeholder management, and executive reporting skills.

• Demonstrated ability to anticipate risks, develop mitigation plans, facilitate difficult decisions, and drive successful project outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience implementing or modernizing municipal 311 or citizen service request management systems.

• Experience with citywide CRM, constituent engagement, service request tracking, case management, or public-facing service delivery platforms.

• Experience leading projects from procurement and vendor selection through implementation, testing, deployment, and transition to operations.

• Familiarity with municipal service delivery workflows, interdepartmental coordination, and public-sector procurement practices.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a senior Project Manager with direct municipal 311 or citizen services implementation experience, strong public-sector procurement expertise, and a proven ability to lead complex, multi-department technology initiatives. This is a project ownership and delivery leadership role, not a project coordinator or task-management position.