Data Systems Manager - Project Management

Office of the Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias Job Title:

• Data Systems Manager – Project Management Division: Governance and Business Management Union: IFT Location: 501 S Second St, Springfield, IL – Sangamon County Salary: Range $7,743 to $13,616 monthly – commensurate with experience Benefits: https://cms.illinois.gov/benefits/stateemployee.html Overview: Acts as a Project, Program, and Portfolio Manager defining governance, standardizing methodologies, and ensuring alignment between IT projects and business strategy.
• The Data Systems Manager – PPM will oversee a team of Project Managers and Program Managers responsible for delivering IT initiatives, ensuring project execution meets business objectives, and optimizing the IT project portfolio in collaboration with IT leadership.

This role will work closely with the Business Analysis Practice, Enterprise Architecture, and IT Governance teams to drive successful project outcomes. Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the establishment and management of a comprehensive Project, Program, and Portfolio Management (PPM) practice by defining governance structures, frameworks (e.g., PMBOK, Agile, SAFe, ITIL), and performance metrics to ensure successful project execution.
• Collaborate with IT leadership to prioritize projects aligned with enterprise strategy, optimize resource allocation, and implement portfolio management strategies.
• Work closely with the Business Analysis Practice to enhance project intake processes, define clear requirements, and develop robust business cases, ensuring all initiatives are strategically aligned and deliver maximum value to the organization. Lead and oversee a team of Project and Program Managers to ensure the successful execution of IT projects, implementing a governance framework for project intake, approvals, risk management, and reporting.
• Drive the adoption of project management methodologies (Waterfall, Agile, hybrid) to improve delivery efficiency, ensuring projects meet scope, schedule, budget, and quality objectives.
• Monitor performance, proactively identify and mitigate risks, and ensure resource capacity planning and budget management align with business priorities and IT capabilities.
• Act as a key liaison between IT leadership, business units, and external stakeholders to drive project success, collaborating with Enterprise Architecture, IT Governance, and Business Analysis teams for integrated IT planning.
• Communicate project and portfolio status to executive leadership and stakeholders, while guiding Project Managers in facilitating stakeholder meetings, gathering feedback, and adjusting project plans to ensure alignment and success.
• Establish governance mechanisms for project tracking, risk assessment, and benefit realization while driving continuous improvement initiatives through lessons learned and retrospective analysis.
• Define KPIs and reporting structures to measure project health, program effectiveness, and portfolio performance, ensuring compliance with IT policies, regulatory requirements, and financial controls.
• Identify opportunities for process automation and AI-driven analytics to enhance project oversight and efficiency.
• Oversee the selection and deployment of project management tools such as MS Project, JIRA, ServiceNow, or Smartsheet, and implement dashboards and reporting tools to provide real-time visibility into IT projects and portfolio performance.
• Leverage collaboration platforms like MS Teams, SharePoint, and Confluence to streamline communication and documentation, ensuring integration of project management tools with financial systems, business intelligence platforms, and ITSM tools for enhanced project oversight and efficiency.
• Perform other duties as assigned or as required.

Education and Experience:

• Requires knowledge, skill and mental development equivalent to completion of four years college, preferably with courses in mathematics, statistics, or computer science and four years of progressively responsible professional experience in systems analysis, operations, software or a related data processing function.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Requires extensive knowledge in computer hardware, software, communications or applications.
• Requires extensive knowledge of data systems applied research procedures and systems modeling.
• Requires working knowledge of management principles and practices.
• Requires ability to develop and manage a sophisticated function of a management information system.
• Requires ability to conduct subsystem assurances.
• Requires ability to resolve management problems through computer applications.
• Requires willingness to travel and possession of a valid Illinois driver’s license as required by individual positions within the class.
• Requires the ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds and push/pull up to 50 pounds.

Application Process:

• Please visit https://ilsos.applytojob.gov/apply to apply by completing the online application; you may also upload a resume or other attachments as needed.
• Preference will be given to Illinois residents in the hiring and selection process, in accordance with the Illinois Secretary of State Merit Employment Code.
• Questions regarding this posting or Illinois Secretary of State employment practices may be directed to Job Counselors at our Personnel offices in Chicago (312-793-5515) or Springfield (217-782-4783). Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.
• Applicants must be lawfully authorized to work in the United States.
• Applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital or veteran status, or the presence of a non-job-related medical condition or disability.
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