Product Manager

Job: Product Manager

Location: Rocky Mount, NC ( Hybrid)

The ideal candidate understands state government procurement, complex contract structures, Statements of Work (SOWs), amendments, deliverable schedules, performance metrics, and vendor escalation paths. They bring a strong blend of operational savvy, relationship management, and technical fluency required to navigate a hybrid delivery and operations environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Supports vendor relationships across DMV modernization and operations as a key point of contact, partnering with senior program leadership on complex or escalated issues.
• Manages multiple contracts simultaneously, ensuring vendors meet all deliverables, milestones, service levels, and quality expectations
• Oversees contract compliance, including SOW obligations, financial terms, data requirements, reporting, and performance metrics
• Partners with Procurement, Legal, Operations, Project Teams, and Budget teams to support contract amendments, renewals, RFP development, and evaluations
• Coordinates across internal teams (IT, Product, BA, Testing, OCM, Operations) to ensure vendor work aligns with DMV goals and program priorities
• Identifies risks early and supports escalation and issue-resolution processes, contributing to corrective action plans.
• Reviews vendor deliverables for completeness and alignment, coordinating with technical SMEs for deep technical validation.
• Ensures vendors follow security, compliance, integration, and data standards required by DMV and NCDIT
• Supports cross vendor coordination by identifying dependencies and raising alignment needs to senior program leadership.
• Supports financial tracking activities including invoice validation and burn rate monitoring.
• Monitors vendor resource usage and enhancement hours, ensuring accurate categorization, proper documentation, and adherence to approved budget and scope.
• Translates technical issues, risks, and impacts into clear and actionable communication for leadership
• Supports planning and procurement activities and supports vendor evaluations efforts.

Required Skills & Experience

• Experience managing vendors, contracts, or delivery partners in complex technology environments
• Strong working knowledge of state government procurement, contracting processes, and compliance requirements
• Experience managing large technology contracts, system implementation vendors, SI partners, or SaaS/hosting providers
• Proven ability to interpret SOWs, technical deliverables, project plans, SLAs, acceptance criteria, and contract language
• Ability to drive vendor performance through influence, diplomacy, escalation management, and structured accountability
• Technical fluency to understand systems, integrations, testing workflows, data impacts, and modernization related technical dependencies
• Experience coordinating across cross functional teams, including IT, business leaders, SMEs, and executive stakeholders
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills; ability to proactively identify risks and navigate complex vendor issues
• Experience validating deliverables, reviewing technical documentation, and confirming readiness for acceptance or payment
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate contract terms and technical impacts to nontechnical audiences .

Desired Attributes

• Highly organized and detail oriented, with the ability to manage many moving contractual and technical components
• Proactive, assertive, and accountable steps in early to address issues and ensures thorough resolution
• Strong relationship builder who can foster trust while holding vendors to high-performance standards
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and establishing structure in evolving modernization and operational environments
• Balances firmness with diplomacy, maintaining productive vendor relationships while protecting DMV interests
• Demonstrates sound judgment when balancing contractual obligations, business needs, and technical constraints
• Thrives in fastmoving, high-stakes delivery programs with multiple stakeholders and dependencies
• Brings a continuous improvement mindset and seeks opportunities to improve vendor processes, deliverables, and outcomes

Education

• Bachelor s degree in business, public administration, information systems, contract management, or related field
• Equivalent professional experience accepted
• Certifications in contract management, procurement, vendor management, or project delivery are beneficial but not required