Project Manager

Project Manager – PACSS Operations & Maintenance

Location: Columbia, SC
Employment Type: Contract
Work Arrangement: On-site/Hybrid as required
Client: State of South Carolina – Department of Social Services (DSS)
 

Position Overview

The South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) is seeking an experienced Project Manager to support the ongoing Operations and Maintenance (O&M) of the Palmetto Automated Child Support System (PACSS), the federally certified child support system of record for the State of South Carolina.

The Project Manager will work in a leadership capacity within the DTS team and closely collaborate with the Child Support Services Division (CSSD), State project teams, vendor partners, and executive stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced project management leader with strong PMI methodology expertise, large-scale production system experience, excellent communication skills, and the ability to lead diverse technical and business teams.

Key Responsibilities

Project Management & Leadership

• Lead the PACSS team in managing, coordinating, and overseeing vendor-provided Operations and Maintenance services.

• Apply PMI project management methodologies to plan, direct, and coordinate initiatives.

• Manage multiple functions and teams while maintaining alignment with project objectives, schedules, and risks.

• Develop and maintain project schedules covering all approved work.

• Monitor project progress, risks, dependencies, and deliverables.

• Provide leadership and direction to State and vendor project teams.

Change & Defect Management

• Lead the agency's formal application change management process.

• Ensure application change requests are properly evaluated, documented, prioritized, and approved.

• Manage application changes throughout the complete Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).

• Work with State and vendor teams to ensure system defects are documented, triaged, prioritized, and resolved.

• Coordinate defect-related code changes through the SDLC.

Reporting & Stakeholder Management

• Develop and deliver monthly management reports detailing project progress against approved schedules.

• Work with State project teams to collect required project data and performance metrics.

• Present project status, progress, risks, and findings to DSS executive management.

• Communicate effectively with technical teams, business stakeholders, State and Federal stakeholders, and executives.

• Provide project guidance and direction to team members and stakeholders.

Knowledge Transfer & Process Improvement

• Lead the development of plans and processes for transferring PACSS O&M knowledge from vendor teams to State personnel.

• Identify opportunities for organization-wide process improvements.

• Work with management and other Project Leaders to implement improved processes and procedures.

• Support long-term sustainability of PACSS operations and maintenance activities.

Compliance & Audit

• Lead IRS Publication 1075 audit activities for the SC57X-CS and PACSS system.

• Coordinate audit preparation, documentation, stakeholder activities, and follow-up actions.

• Ensure project activities remain aligned with applicable security and compliance requirements.

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience as a Project Manager using PMI project management methodologies.

• 7+ years of experience in Information Technology, including areas such as computing, telecommunications, printing, data storage, and data transmission.

• 7+ years of experience with large-scale production system implementations.

• Bachelor's degree.

• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

• Strong project planning, organization, and leadership skills.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical personnel, customers, stakeholders, and executives.

• Ability to plan, organize, instruct, and review the work of large teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Child Support Enforcement system design and development.

• Experience with TFS.

• Experience with MS Project.

• Experience with SharePoint.

• Experience with Power BI.

• Experience working with State or Federal government technology programs.

• Experience managing vendor-supported Operations and Maintenance environments.

• Experience with government compliance and audit initiatives.