IT Healthcare Project Manager

This IT Healthcare Consultant and Project Manager position serves within the bureau of systems management at a state healthcare agency. This role leads teams that support business-critical operations for managed care organization (MCO) enrollment, claims and encounter processing, payment systems, and MMIS (Medicaid Management Information System) operations, including upcoming system replacements. Operating on a 12-month contract with a high possibility of extension, the consultant oversees system implementations, release management, security compliance, and external development vendors. Due to the critical nature of these healthcare platforms, after-hours and on-call support will be required to manage production releases and unplanned incidents. Key Responsibilities Operations & MMIS System Management

• Oversee, coordinate, and execute daily operations and support activities for MMIS, Encounter Processing Systems, and related healthcare database applications.
• Lead and motivate cross-functional teams of five or more technical staff providing production support, helpdesk services, interface/EDI support, and stakeholder monitoring.
• Partner with cybersecurity, enterprise architecture, and infrastructure teams to ensure seamless data flows and security posture.
• Establish, implement, and govern Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) across all active IT operational and support workflows.

Project & Vendor Management

• Lead enterprise project management initiatives focused on system implementations, modernizations, and platform enhancements.
• Manage and oversee external technology vendors responsible for system development, ensuring delivery schedules and technical standards are maintained.
• Work closely with contract monitoring teams to define, monitor, and enforce Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with external providers.

Incident, Release, & Change Management

• Oversee comprehensive release management processes, including pre-implementation readiness checks, post-implementation monitoring, and stakeholder communications.
• Manage incident, change, and issue ticketing systems, ensuring thorough documentation, escalation tracking, and rapid resolution of production-impacting bugs.
• Provide change management support by directing backlog grooming and enforcing compliance with established technical approval gates.
• Participate in on-call and after-hours incident management rotation to address critical production issues and support system releases.

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure system and operational compliance with federal security frameworks (including CMS and SSA) and monitor all findings to successful remediation.
• Act as the escalation point for both internal and external requests, resolving operational issues and reporting metrics to leadership.
• Foster a highly professional, collaborative, and safe work environment for technical teams.

Columbia, SC (Hybrid - Required onsite 100% for the first 30 to 90 days, transitioning to hybrid 3 days onsite and 2 days remote at the manager’s discretion. Candidates must reside in South Carolina or be willing to relocate prior to starting at their own expense.), * 5 or more years of experience managing system operations or administrative program functions for claims or encounter processing within a healthcare environment.

• 5 or more years of project management experience managing enterprise system implementations or large-scale technical enhancements.
• 3 or more years of experience managing and directing external vendors who provide system and application development.
• Ability to provide on-call and after-hours incident management support to resolve critical system issues.
• Bachelor’s degree in a technical, business, or healthcare-related field (or 5 or more years of equivalent professional experience in business/systems analysis or software development).
• Ability to successfully pass a criminal background check, drug screening, and sign a state confidentiality agreement., * Prior experience managing operations for Medicaid Enterprise systems (MMIS).
• Professional certifications such as AWS Cloud Certifications.
• Deep functional knowledge of Medicaid eligibility, enrollment, and MMIS domain concepts.
• Direct experience utilizing incident management and ticketing software.
• Experience writing detailed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for net-new system implementations.
• Experience preparing analytical reports and delivering technical presentations to project management.

Core Skills & Attributes

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to staff ranging from frontline analysts to executive management.
• Strong leadership capabilities to manage team workloads, provide technical guidance, and allocate resources effectively.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the system development lifecycle (SDLC) and modern release patterns.
• Exceptional process management, organization, and documentation skills.

Flexible work from home options available.