Direct Client: Project Manager @ Dauphin County, PA Hybrid

Project Manager

Dauphin County, PA – Hybrid

3 MONTHS + Extension

Position is hybrid, both on-site and remote (The selected candidate will be required to report to the Harrisburg office up to '2' days per month)

Background

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) is one of the Commonwealth’s largest agencies, administering and overseeing programs that support health and wellbeing for Pennsylvanians across the lifespan. DHS manages Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program (Medical Assistance) and works closely with the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), managed care organizations (MCOs), providers, county and community partners, and other Commonwealth agencies to deliver services, ensure compliance, and improve outcomes.

DHS is executing multiple complex, multi-year initiatives that require strong coordination across program offices, clear decision-making, disciplined follow-through, and the ability to translate policy and program intent into operational reality. To support this work.  This role is intentionally oriented toward program implementation and stakeholder management, not an IT systems project manager position.

The Project manager will lead cross-program implementation efforts from early planning through launch and stabilization. The successful candidate will build deep working knowledge of the initiative’s policy and operational requirements, serve as a central connector across partners, and ensure timely delivery of milestones, decisions, and readiness activities. They will use practical project management tools (workplans, RACI, RAID logs, decision and action tracking) to drive clarity and accountability.
 

Examples of Initiatives being Lead:

·        Implementation of HR1 (aka President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill)-related changes affecting DHS programs, operations, eligibility, reporting, and stakeholder communications (as applicable).

·        Implementation of a Medicaid Section 1115 demonstration/waiver, including new benefits or non-traditional services, operational workflows, and CMS coordination.

·        Cross-program operational modernization initiatives (policy-to-operations translation, readiness, partner engagement, training, and launch support).

Key Responsibilities

·        Lead and facilitate initiative workstreams, workgroups, and governance forums; prepare agendas, materials, and decision prompts.

·        Develop and maintain integrated project plans (scope, milestones, dependencies, owners, deliverables, and timelines).

·        Build initiative-specific SME knowledge (policy intent, operational workflows, compliance requirements) and translate requirements into actionable tasks.

·        Establish and maintain project artifacts: RACI matrices, RAID logs (risks/assumptions/issues/decisions), action trackers, and status reports.

·        Identify risks and issues early; drive mitigation plans, escalation paths, and rapid problem-solving with accountable owners.

·        Coordinate across DHS program offices, the Secretary’s Office, county partners, providers, MCOs, and other Commonwealth agencies as needed.

·        Support external-facing coordination where applicable (e.g., CMS touchpoints for Medicaid initiatives) by organizing materials, tracking commitments, and ensuring follow-through.

·        Support change management: communications planning, stakeholder mapping, training readiness, and launch/stabilization checklists.

·        Ensure documentation is complete and decisions are recorded, including rationale, approvers, and downstream implications.

·        Coach junior PMs, strengthen governance, and independently drive complex initiatives with minimal oversight.

Required Qualifications:

·        7+ years of experience leading large, multi-workstream initiatives with external partners and executive visibility.

·        Demonstrated ability to drive cross-functional coordination, facilitate productive meetings, and move decisions to closure.

·        Strong written and verbal communication skills, including concise status reporting and stakeholder-ready documentation.

·        Experience using project controls and tools (workplans, RAID logs, RACI, change control, decision/action tracking).

·        Ability to learn complex program content quickly and build practical SME-level understanding over time.

·        Ability to work independently, manage ambiguity, and maintain momentum across competing priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

·        Experience in Medicaid, CMS-facing initiatives, managed care environments, or health and human services programs.

·        Experience with Section 1115 demonstrations/waivers or similar federal-state program implementation.

·        Familiarity with government operations, procurement/vendor coordination, or compliance/regulatory implementation.

·        PMP or similar project management certification.