Elections Project Manager & Consultant

Elections Project Manager & Consultant
Location: Jackson, MS — onsite
Contract: Expected to start January 2027; at least 1 year, renewed annually
Hours: Part-time, 20 hours/week (not to exceed 1,040 hours per year). Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM Central, with extended hours (7:00 AM–9:00 PM Central) on election days; schedule as needed/agreed
Openings: 1

About the role
A state elections office is seeking an experienced project manager and consultant to oversee development and support of its Statewide Elections Management System (SEMS). The contractor will manage a third-party software development vendor, monitor project progress, and make sure enhancements and deliverables meet agency requirements. The role is the main liaison between the agency, county election officials and the vendor: documenting, tracking and escalating system issues and enhancement requests through resolution.

Responsibilities

• Oversee SEMS development activities and coordinate/manage the third-party development vendor.
• Monitor project progress, enhancements and deliverables against agency requirements.
• Document, communicate, track and escalate system issues and enhancement requests from the agency and counties.
• Consult with and support county election officials on SEMS functionality, use and troubleshooting.
• Help develop, coordinate and deliver training to counties using agency-approved materials.
• Refer election policy, procedural or legal questions to authorized agency personnel (the contractor does not give legal or policy interpretations).
• Maintain detailed time sheets for record-keeping and audit.

Required

• Bachelor's degree or higher.
• 10+ years of relevant experience.
• Software application project management.
• Third-party vendor coordination/management.
• Technical issue tracking and resolution.
• Strong organizational, analytical, communication and problem-solving skills; able to communicate with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Strongly preferred

• Familiarity with this state's election administration, county election processes and its Statewide Elections Management System (SEMS).

Preferred

• Experience with election management systems, government information systems or comparable enterprise applications.
• Providing system consultation, user support and training to government personnel.
• Application security practices (secure development, vulnerability management, access controls, data protection).
• SDLC, QA, user acceptance testing, database management, systems integration, and change/release management.
• Coordinating technology projects for state or local government agencies.

Other
Travel: The client’s job description lists travel as rare and as-needed, while the posting portal lists no travel required. Final travel requirements are pending client clarification. A background check/drug screen may apply. Compensation: depends on experience.