Project Manager - Onsite

**** Very long term project; initial PO for 1 year but expected to go for multiple years *** Webcam interview*** Onsite***

Job Description

The Mississippi Secretary of State's Office is seeking a qualified contractor with 10 years or greater of relevant experience to provide elections oriented project management, elections systems and support technical coordination, and county consultation and support services for the Statewide Elections Management System (SEMS).

Primary Responsibilities

• Oversee all SEMS development activities, coordinating and managing the third-party development vendor
• Monitor project progress and ensure that development activities, enhancements, and deliverables align with agency requirements and operational needs
• Serve as a primary liaison between the agency, county election officials, and the development vendor
• Document, communicate, track, and escalate system issues or enhancement requests submitted by the agency or counties
• Coordinate with the vendor to ensure timely and effective resolution of issues
• Provide consultation and assistance to county election officials regarding SEMS functionality, utilization, troubleshooting, and related inquiries
• Assist with the development, coordination, and delivery of training to counties concerning SEMS operations, system features, and other relevant or applicable election procedures and processes, utilizing agency-approved guidance and materials
• Serve as an intermediary by referring inquiries to appropriate authorized agency personnel or other official sources when elections-related policy, procedural, or legal interpretations or advice matters arise, and communicate the guidance received

Required Skills and Experience

The candidate must have the following minimum required skills and/or experience to qualify for this position. Candidates without these requirements reflected on their resume will NOT be presented to the manager for consideration:

• Relevant experience in software application project management, third-party vendor coordination, and technical issue resolution
• Familiarity with Mississippi election administration, Mississippi county election processes and procedures, and the Statewide Elections Management System (SEMS)
• Strong organizational, analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate software development activities, document and track technical issues through resolution, and communicate effectively with technical and nontechnical stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications

The following qualifications are preferred but not required for consideration:

• Experience with election management systems, governmental information systems, or comparable enterprise applications
• Experience providing system consultation, user support, and training to government personnel or other end users
• Familiarity with application security best practices, including secure software development, vulnerability management, access controls, data protection, and identification and remediation of security risks
• Software development lifecycle (SDLC) methodologies experience
• Quality assurance experience
• User acceptance testing (UAT) experience
• Database management experience
• Systems integration experience
• Software change and release management experience
• Experience with the Statewide Elections Management System (SEMS) or comparable election management applications
• Familiarity with Mississippi election administration, county election operations, and applicable election procedures
• Prior experience coordinating technology projects involving state or local government agencies
• Experience managing third-party software vendors
• Experience providing technical consultation and training to governmental personnel