Job Summary:The Principal Project Manager is a senior individual contributor role within OpenGov's Professional Services organization, responsible for owning and driving delivery across enterprise-scale, multi-product government software implementations. This role is designed for a seasoned practitioner who can manage programs of the highest complexity, multi-department, multi-stakeholder, cross-functional deployments spanning concurrent workstreams, without requiring people-management authority.
The Principal PM operates as the connective tissue across delivery, commercial, and executive relationships on the most strategic engagements in the PS portfolio. Drawing on deep expertise in matrix program management, delivery governance, and change enablement, this role independently structures ambiguous engagements, establishes accountability frameworks across internal and client teams, and maintains delivery momentum through competing organizational dynamics.
The ideal candidate brings both the technical command to navigate complex SaaS implementations and the strategic acumen to align stakeholders at every level-from operational leads to C-suite champions. The ideal candidate who pairs technical implementation mastery with sharp strategic instincts. They possess the range to manage day-to-day project governance, direct complex go-live reviews, and confidently advise executive leadership on program risk.
Responsibilities:Program & Portfolio Management- Own end-to-end program delivery for enterprise, multi-product implementations across state and local government clients, including engagements with multiple city departments, overlapping workstreams, and phased go-live timelines.
- Apply matrix program management discipline to coordinate cross-functional delivery teams (Project Managers, Implementation Consultants, Solutions Architects, Engineering, Product) without direct reporting authority.
- Establish and maintain program governance structures: charter frameworks, RACI matrices, escalation paths, decision logs, and configuration freeze protocols tailored to each engagement's complexity.
- Define and manage scope boundaries at both the program and workstream level; identify client-side triggers for change orders and maintain clear written documentation to support commercial decisions.
- Maintain delivery health across concurrent engagements; surface portfolio risks with sufficient lead time to allow for resource rebalancing and executive action.
- Partner with PS Leadership on portfolio goals, delivery strategy, and methodology evolution for complex engagement models.
Stakeholder & Executive Management- Serve as the primary program-level point of accountability for client executives, department heads, and project sponsors throughout the implementation lifecycle.
- Navigate complex client political environments, including multi-department governance, conflicting priorities, and evolving decision-makers with professionalism and clarity.
- Deliver structured, executive-ready program communications: status reporting, escalation memos, steering committee presentations, and go/no-go readiness briefs.
- Partner with Sales and PS Leadership during scoping to assess delivery feasibility, frame program risk, and inform SOW structure on complex, high-value opportunities.
- Support Change Order development; translate delivery dynamics into commercial narrative aligned with client accountability frameworks.
Delivery Governance & Quality- Define and enforce go-live readiness criteria, configuration freeze processes, and UAT acceptance standards across program workstreams.
- Proactively identify risks at the program level-scope, resource, timeline, and client-readiness-and own mitigation plans through resolution.
- Lead root-cause analysis on delivery issues that span multiple workstreams or products; translate findings into durable process improvements rather than one-off fixes.
- Ensure delivery consistency through adherence to implementation methodology, use of shared tooling (Rocketlane, Salesforce), and contribution to PS playbook development.
- Provide quality oversight on program documentation: status reports, decision registers, scope change logs, and client-facing program artifacts.
Change Management & Client Enablement- Design and execute change management strategies for complex governmental implementations, addressing organizational readiness, user adoption risk, and stakeholder alignment across departments.
- Develop repeatable enablement frameworks, including training design, adoption tracking, stakeholder communication plans that can be operationalized across PS teams and product verticals.
- Advise client executive stakeholders on readiness gaps, adoption risks, and change strategies tailored to variable governmental constraints and political dynamics.
- Guide clients through multi-phase scope evolution without losing momentum or allowing ambiguity to become a delivery liability.
Cross-Functional Leadership & Methodology- Act as a thought leader and informal mentor for Project Managers and Implementation Consultants across the PS team; share delivery judgment, escalation instincts, and stakeholder management expertise.
- Identify systemic trends across the portfolio, including scope patterns, resource gaps, client readiness indicators, and synthesize into structured recommendations for PS leadership.
- Partner with Product and Engineering to translate field delivery observations into product feedback and roadmap input; serve as a credible voice from the customer and delivery perspective.
- Contribute to the ongoing evolution of OpenGov's PS delivery methodology, particularly for complex engagement models involving multi-department charters, outcome-based scoping, and phased delivery structures.
Requirements and Preferred Experience:Experience- Minimum of 8 years of progressive program and project management experience in a SaaS environment, with demonstrated ownership of enterprise-scale implementations.
- Proven track record managing multi-product, multi-stakeholder programs simultaneously coordinating across implementation, product, engineering, and sales functions without direct authority over those teams.
- Demonstrated experience with complex governmental clients or equivalent regulated/public sector environments; understanding of procurement constraints, multi-department governance, and executive sponsor dynamics is strongly preferred.
- Prior experience supporting or developing Statement of Work language, change order rationale, and commercial framing in partnership with sales or PS leadership.
Technical & Analytical Proficiency- Strong technical aptitude for complex SaaS platforms and enterprise deployment methodology, including configuration management, data migration oversight, and integration coordination.
- Proficiency with project and program management tooling and CRM platforms.
- Ability to evaluate cross-system dependencies, resource constraints, and scope variables and translate findings into clear risk mitigation plans and actionable program decisions.
- Fluency in portfolio-level forecasting, resource capacity planning, and delivery margin awareness.
Communication & Stakeholder Influence- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; proven ability to produce executive-ready documentation (status briefs, steering committee materials, escalation memos) and present program health to C-suite stakeholders with confidence.
- Demonstrated ability to influence without authority, aligning cross-functional teams, managing competing priorities, and driving accountability across matrix environments using structured recommendations and sound judgment.
- Skilled at translating technical delivery complexity into clear, accessible narrative for non-technical client stakeholders and executive sponsors.
Certifications & Methodology- PMP certification strongly preferred; Scrum Master (CSM or PSM) or SAFe Agile certification accepted as equivalent or supplementary.
- Prosci, CCMP, or equivalent Change Management certification preferred.
- Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt preferred; experience applying process improvement methodology to delivery operations and implementation quality is a strong differentiator.
- Strong knowledge and practical application of PMBOK, Agile, and hybrid delivery frameworks.
Additional Requirements- Willingness to travel to client sites for discovery sessions, steering committee meetings, go-live support, and executive relationship management.
- Bachelor's degree preferred or commensurate experience demonstrating the ability to perform the responsibilities above.
- This is an individual contributor role with significant cross-functional influence; people management experience is not required, though mentorship capability is expected.
Compensation:San Francisco, CA: $185,000 - $200,000
On target ranges above include base plus a portion of variable compensation that is earned based on company and individual performance.
The final compensation will be determined by a number of factors such as qualifications, expertise, and the candidate's geographical location.
