Technology Solutions Project Manager

Salary: $90,000.00 - $120,000.00 Annually
Location : SouthWest Transit-Eden Prairie, MN
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number:
Department: Information Technology
Opening Date: 10/29/2026

Job Summary

About The Role
The Technology Solutions Project Manager is a key member of SouthWest Transit's Innovation & Technology team, serving as the primary project lead and strategic partner for agency-wide technology initiatives.

This role works across departments to understand business challenges, identify opportunities for improvement, and implement practical, high-value technology solutions that deliver exceptional quality and organizational impact. A critical responsibility of this position is actively managing external partners engaged on projects within your portfolio, ensuring third-party deliverables align with agency goals while serving as a bridge to internal teams. This person serves as a proactive partner to internal teams and leadership, ensuring peer feedback shapes vendor deliverables, aligning expectations across departments, and translating vendor estimates into realistic operational timelines. Success in this position requires proactive and effective communication with management and leadership regarding project timing, vendor relationships, outputs, and unexpected changes or needs. Success also requires curiosity, collaboration, and a strategic mindset that ensures every technology investment yields maximum performance, usability, and long-term impact. This is a hands-on project lead and solutions role, distinct from standard desktop support or network engineering.

We are looking for someone who enjoys solving complex problems, building relationships, and helping organizations work smarter. We are looking for someone who appreciates technology and digital tools and sees their potential to transform how we work and serve our community. This understanding may come from hands-on experience helping implement solutions, or from being a highly engaged user or enthusiast who stays current with emerging tools.

The ideal candidate excels at requirement gathering through thoughtful listening and conversations, deeply understanding our agency by reviewing our comprehensive plan and speaking with staff, and advocating for what people need to succeed in their roles. They possess a deep grasp of how to evaluate build vs. buy scenarios, balancing total value against real-world usefulness, and know when to inform a hunch with data versus when to execute on a strong operational gut instinct. Above all, they become an expert in our IT systems to drive simplification, streamline processes, and leverage new technologies to their fullest potential, ensuring minimal components of any new system go to waste. They serve as the agency subject matter expert on new solutions upon implementation and comfortably guide staff through system onboarding to make adoption simple while driving maximum impact. While technology is an important part of the role, success depends equally on executive communication, vendor coordination, internal partnership, business analysis, fiscal stewardship, and the ability to guide change across the organization. Equally on communication, project leadership, business analysis, and the ability to guide change across the organization.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities
The Technology Solutions Project Manager is a key member of SouthWest Transit's Innovation & Technology team, serving as the primary project lead and strategic partner for agency-wide technology initiatives. This role drives digital transformation by recommending and implementing technology solutions that improve operational efficiency and enhance the customer experience at SouthWest Transit.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Formal Project Management & Governance: Lead project lifecycles using formal Project Management methodologies, frameworks, and deliverables. Conduct thorough requirements gathering and develop user stories through active listening and deep stakeholder alignment. Utilize core project management artifacts (including Project Charters, Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), Detailed Schedule Baselines, RACI Matrices, Stakeholder Analysis, Risk Registers, and Status Reporting) to keep projects organized, transparent, and moving forward.
• Vendor Management & Internal Expectation Management: Serve as the primary liaison and relationship manager for external partners on projects within your portfolio. Manage partner deliverables, hold external teams accountable to project milestones and SLAs, and identify efficiencies to simplify processes. Serve as the voice of internal peers to ensure external partners deliver solutions that meet true operational needs, while proactively managing internal expectations around vendor timelines and scope.
• Proactive Leadership Communication & Documentation: Communicate proactively and transparently with executive management and leadership regarding project milestones, timeline shifts, vendor health, key deliverables, and unexpected changes or resource needs. Produce concise, high-quality presentations, executive briefings, and white papers that distill complex technical initiatives into clear, actionable decision frameworks for leadership.
• Technology Implementation, Modernization & Systems Expertise: Become an expert in SouthWest Transit's existing IT systems, actively identifying opportunities for simplification and process optimization. Oversee technology migrations, system modernizations, and digital transformation initiatives with minimal disruption and maximum benefit. Serve as the internal Subject Matter Expert (SME) on new solutions once implemented. Rigorously evaluate build vs. buy decisions, ensuring selected software and systems offer maximum capability and long-term usability while optimizing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Distinguish when to inform an approach with data and when to act on sound operational judgment.
• Systems Architecture & Enterprise Solutions: Work on behalf of internal staff with external partners to implement enterprise platforms and operational tools, including CRM systems, farebox and point-of-sale technologies, and data warehousing. Oversee digital interfaces, mobile app integrations, and website enhancements to ensure third-party tools deliver genuine operational impact, long-term sustainability, and seamless adoption across departments. Serve as a primary point of contact for complex technical troubleshooting and issue resolution.
• User Onboarding & Adoption Support: Lead staff onboarding and facilitate hands-on training during the rollout of new systems. Create clear end-user documentation, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and user guides that simplify complex workflows, build staff confidence, and drive long-term tool utilization. Facilitate cross-departmental collaboration to resolve conflicting priorities and establish
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as Business, Management Information Systems, Information Technology, or a related discipline; or Master's degree in a related field.
• Minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in technical project management, product management, solution design, or digital transformation.
• Demonstrated experience in vendor management and overseeing partner-led technology implementations for assigned project portfolios.
• Proven track record of evaluating technology solutions for strategic impact, high usability, and performance returns.
• Proven ability to communicate proactively with senior leadership, including experience drafting concise executive presentations, summaries, or white papers.
• Demonstrated track record of serving as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for new systems and guiding end-users through successful technology onboarding.
• Proven ability to serve as a bridge between technical vendors, internal business units, and leadership, effectively managing expectations and advocating for internal peer needs.
• Proven mastery of formal project management processes and tools (e.g., project charters, RACI matrices, risk registers, schedule tracking).
• Strong capability in active listening, formal requirement gathering, and evaluating build vs. buy technical decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to master internal IT systems, streamline workflows, and identify process efficiencies to accelerate project delivery.
• Highly inquisitive mindset with the confidence to challenge assumptions and ask "why."
• Proactive problem-solving mindset with a focus on shared outcomes, stakeholder expectation management, and organizational flexibility.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and modern project management tools.
• Embraces the SWT values of Purpose, Integrity, Innovation, Accountability, and Belonging.

Physical Demands & Working Conditions

Physical Demands & Working Conditions

Work is performed in a standard indoor office environment. The position requires occasional lifting of up to 30 pounds. Daily work involves prolonged periods of sitting, computer use, and handling documents. The role also requires strong attention to detail and the ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced setting.
We offer the following benefits package to full-time employees:

• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Pension plan: PERA (employer contributions vest after 3 years!)
• PTO: 21 Days Off Per Year!
• Flexible Spending Account
• Health Savings Account
• Life and AD&D Insurance and Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance
• Voluntary 457 and (Roth) retirement plans
• 11 Paid Holidays
• 2 Floating Holidays
• Long-term Disability Income (60% of base rate of pay)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Professional Development Assistance
• Employee Assistance Program

01

The information provided in your application must support your selected answers in the supplemental questions. The information you provide will be verified and documentation may be required. Please be as honest and accurate as possible. You may be asked to demonstrate your knowledge and skills in a work sample or during an interview. By completing this supplemental questionnaire you are attesting that the information you have provided is accurate. Any misstatements, omissions, or falsification of information may eliminate you from consideration or result in dismissal.

• Yes, I understand and agree
• No, I do not agree

02

What is the minimum salary you would accept for this position?
03

Have you led the planning and coordination of technology projects, software rollouts, or digital tool implementations for at least 3 years?

• Yes
• No

04

Have you provided leadership and direction to external software vendors, consultants, or technology partners to keep project deliverables aligned with team needs?

• Yes
• No

05

Have you successfully performed as a liaison between technical teams (or software vendors) and non-technical staff to translate business needs into practical solutions?

• Yes
• No

06

Do you routinely use project management methods or tracking tools (such as project schedules, task boards, risk tracking, or RACI charts) to keep initiatives on schedule?

• Yes
• No

07

Have you created end-user documentation, standard operating procedures (SOPs), or hands-on training to help staff adopt new systems or workflows?

• Yes
• No

08

Do you have a Bachelor's degree or higher in ________ or a related field?

• Yes
• No

Required Question