Project Manager Pension or Benefits industry State Agency Experienced

Job Summary The Project Manager will lead the Agency/Employer Outreach, Business Procedures, and Training efforts for a pension and benefits system replacement program. The role is responsible for planning, coordinating, monitoring, and managing outreach and readiness activities to ensure external employers/agencies and internal staff are prepared for technical, interface, process, training, and reporting changes associated with system implementation and go-live. The Project Manager will serve as the central liaison between the organization, employers/agencies, internal teams, vendors, and other stakeholders while managing risks, communications, testing, training, and overall project readiness.

Key Responsibilities Develop and maintain comprehensive project plans for Agency/Employer Outreach, Business Procedures, and Training activities, including timelines, milestones, and deliverables. Coordinate with internal teams and solution vendors to align outreach, business procedures, testing, and training efforts with system implementation phases. Serve as the primary liaison between the organization and external employers/agencies, ensuring clear and consistent communication.

Design and execute communication plans to educate employers/agencies on upcoming changes, technical specifications, processes, and timelines. Establish and manage an Employer Advisory Group to gather feedback and guide outreach strategies. Oversee the development and delivery of training materials and sessions to ensure employers understand new reporting processes and system functionality. Manage coordinated testing activities, including interface testing between the organization and employers/agencies, and oversee issue resolution.

Track employer certification and readiness related to new file layouts, reporting requirements, and system specifications. Develop and execute employer outreach strategies and plans covering 50 or more employers. Coordinate employer outreach testing and training activities. Serve as the primary liaison with solution vendors for organizational training and readiness efforts. Oversee training activities between solution vendors and internal organizational teams. Identify potential risks related to employer/agency and organizational readiness and develop appropriate mitigation strategies.

Monitor and resolve issues promptly to maintain project timelines and quality standards. Provide regularly scheduled progress reports and presentations to project sponsors, steering committees, and other stakeholders. Identify and mitigate project risks and provide feedback on quality issues. Lead project activities involving testing, training, communication, stakeholder coordination, and organizational readiness.

Ensure external employers/agencies and internal staff are prepared for technical, interface, procedural, training, and reporting changes associated with system implementation and go-live. Communicate respectfully and work effectively with internal teams, customers, vendors, and other stakeholders. Manage multiple project activities and priorities while meeting delivery deadlines and organizational requirements. Take initiative to identify, prevent, and resolve project issues.

Required Qualifications 20+ years of Project Management experience. 10+ years of experience working in the pension or benefits industry. Experience working with public pension and benefits retirement systems. 2+ years of Agency/Employer Outreach experience. Experience leading an Agency/Employer Outreach Project Lead/Manager role. Experience managing outreach efforts involving 50 or more employers. Experience developing and executing Employer Outreach Strategies and Plans. Experience coordinating Employer Outreach testing and training activities.

Experience leading large projects requiring extensive communication and stakeholder coordination. Experience leading testing and training activities within project environments. Bachelors degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field. PMP (Project Management Professional) certification. Strong project planning, communication, coordination, risk management, and stakeholder-management skills. Ability to work effectively with internal teams, external employers/agencies, vendors, and other stakeholders.

Ability to work under pressure, adapt to changing priorities, and manage multiple tasks simultaneously. Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to take initiative in preventing and resolving issues.

Education: Bachelors Degree Certification: Project Management Professional