Senior Project Manager bei Washington Health Benefit Exchange

The mission of Washington Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) is to radically improve how Washington residents secure health insurance through innovative and practical solutions, an easy-to-use customer experience, our values of integrity, respect, equity and transparency, and by providing undeniable value to the health care community.

The Exchange is a public-private partnership that operates Washington Healthplanfinder, the eligibility and enrollment portal used by one in four Washington residents to obtain health and dental coverage. Through this platform, and with support from a Customer Support Center and statewide network of in-person navigators and brokers, individuals and families can shop, compare and enroll in private, qualified health plans (as defined in the Affordable Care Act) or enroll in Washington Apple Health, the state Medicaid program.

The Exchange embraces the following equity statement adopted by our Board of Directors:

Equity is fundamental to the mission of the Washington Health Benefit Exchange. The process of advancing toward equity and becoming anti-racist is disruptive and demands vigilance to dismantle deeply entrenched systems of privilege and oppression. While systemic racism is a root cause of many societal inequities, we must also use an intersectional approach to address all forms of bias and oppression, which interact with and often exacerbate racial inequities. To be successful, we must recognize the socioeconomic drivers of health and focus on people and places where needs are greatest. As we listen to community, we must hold ourselves accountable to responding to recommendations to remedy inequitable policies, systems, or practices within the Exchange s area of influence. Our goal is that all Washingtonians have full and equal access to opportunities, power and resources to achieve their full potential.

SUMMARY

The Senior Project Manager leads large-scale, enterprise-level initiatives that span multiple internal departments and external agencies, impacting critical systems and services. This role is accountable for the full lifecycle of project delivery – from planning and stakeholder engagement through execution, monitoring, and closure – ensuring alignment with organizational goals and compliance with external oversight requirements. 

Please Note: This is a project funded position through 06/30/2027.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Leadership and Execution 

•    Directs complex initiatives such as the integration of Classic Medicaid (or non-MAGI Medicaid) into Washington Healthplanfinder, including end to end implementation, managing cross-functional teams and ensuring timely delivery of key milestones.

Multi-Agency Coordination 

•    Collaborates closely with project, business, and IT leadership from partner agencies-including the Health Care Authority and the Department of Social and Health Services-to align project goals with shared priorities and operational interdependencies. 

Oversight Compliance

•    Operates under formal oversight by WaTech and the OCIO, adhering to gated funding processes, technology budget approvals, and quality assurance protocols. 

•    Responsibilities include navigating gate reviews, readiness assessments, and monthly health reporting on the statewide IT dashboard. 

Governance and Risk Management 

•    Establishes and maintains governance frameworks that define decision-making roles, escalation paths, and risk mitigation strategies. 

•    Engages regularly with executive sponsors, business and IT sponsors, steering committees, and oversight consultants to ensure transparency and accountability. 

Project Planning and Alignment 

•    Develops and maintains project charters, work plans, schedules, and communication strategies. 

•    Coordinates with internal leadership and external partners to define MVP’s, scope boundaries, and funding timelines. 

Team Leadership 

•    Provides strategic direction and day-to-day leadership to the project team. Manages backlogs, resolves impediments, and adjusts scope, timelines, and budgets as needed. 

•    Tracks performance and ensures timely delivery of project objectives.  

Technical Integration and Delivery 

•    Oversees the design, development, and implementation of changes to the Healthplanfinder IT ecosystem. 

•    Ensures technical feasibility, system performance, and compliance with security, accessibility, and enterprise architecture standards.

Stakeholder Communications 

•    Delivers timely and effective communication to internal and external stakeholders regarding project status, risks, issues, and accomplishments. 

•    Prepares reports and maintains documentation for executive sponsors, governance bodies, and oversight entities. 

Performance Monitoring and Change Management 

•    Monitors project performance using industry-standard project management practices. 

•    Proactively manages change requests, issues, and risks, escalating appropriately to sponsors and governance bodies. 

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

•    Bachelor’s degree in business, IT or a related field. Note: Qualifying years of experience may substitute year for year of education. 

•    5+ years of progressive experience in project management, serving as a project manager leading medium-to-large-scale projects in a wide range of subject areas (such as IT, service delivery, operational support). 

•    Demonstrated experience managing full project lifecycles using formal project management methodologies.

•    Familiarity with software development lifecycle (SDLC) and technical implementation planning.

•    Demonstrated experience identifying, coordinating, and mitigating issues and risks for major organization-wide, high risk, high impact projects. 

•    Experience managing projects that interface with enterprise-level financial systems. 

•    Familiarity with Washington State IT policies, especially those governed by WaTech. 

•    Knowledge of regulatory and compliance requirements: Understanding of the rules and regulations governing project management and the ability to ensure compliance.

•    Comprehensive knowledge of Washington State government budgetary cycles, technology procurement protocols, and oversight processes – including familiarity with WaTech and OCIO requirements, gated funding mechanisms, technology budget approvals, and formal quality assurance programs. 

•    Advanced level of critical thinking, communication, presentation, and relationship management skills.

•    Success in effectively working with a culturally diverse group of individuals.

•    Experience managing projects that interface with enterprise-level financial systems. 

•    Strong experience and demonstrated communication skills (both written and oral) presenting to executive sponsors, technical and non-technical staff, and all levels of management. 

•    Demonstrated experience with defining and reporting metrics and KPIs for tracking purposes. 

•    Understanding of modern software development methodologies (Agile, Extreme, Kanban) and tools. 

•    Familiarity with the software development lifecycle (SDLC) and technical implementation planning. 

•    Proficiency in application of online collaborative tools used to support projects, including Smartsheet, MS Teams, Project, Excel, SharePoint, and PowerPoint; Atlassian toolset Jira and Confluence. 

•    2+ demonstrated years of experience gathering requirements. 

•    Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing project staff. 

•    Analytical and Strategic Thinking: Ability to identify issues, analyze information, and develop solutions to complex problems. Ability to identify potential risks and develop strategies to mitigate them. Ability to ensure that project goals align with organizational objectives. Ability to proactively manage issues and risks to ensure project success.

•    Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement: Ability to work collaboratively with different agencies and negotiate to align project goals with shared priorities. Understanding of how different agencies operate and how to coordinate efforts across multiple organizations. Ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders. Ability to resolve conflicts within the project team and with external stakeholders. 

•    Governance and Compliance: Ability to establish and maintain governance structures that define decision-making roles and escalation paths. Ability to ensure that the project complies with security, accessibility, and enterprise architecture standards. Ability to pay close attention to all aspects of the project to ensure accuracy and compliance.

•    Communication and Documentation: Ability to develop and implement effective communication plans to keep stakeholders informed. Ability to communicate effectively with various stakeholders, including team members, executives, and external partners. Ability to prepare reports and maintain documentation for executive sponsors, governance bodies, and oversight entities.

•    Technical and Integration Knowledge: Understanding of technical aspects of the project and ability to oversee technical integration and delivery.

Desired:

•    Project Management Professional (PMP) or similar project management certification. 

•    Agile/Scrum or similar certification. 

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

This position will be open until we find a suitable number of candidates to review. If interested, please submit an application with a cover letter as soon as possible. The Exchange reserves the right to close the recruitment at any time. 

Please Note: This is a project funded position through 06/30/2027, additionally a cover letter is a required component of the application process! 

SALARY INFORMATION

Full Salary Range: $98,482.00 to $148,263.00 annually, with midpoint at $123,552.00. 

Hiring Range: $113,668.00 and $123,552.00 annually. This is an estimate of where a qualified candidate can expect to receive an offer. 

The actual salary offer will consider candidate experience, skills, qualifications, internal equity, and the market.  Our compensation policy reserves the salary range above the midpoint for employees who are meeting and exceeding expectations and for growth and development, up to the maximum. 

BENEFITS

Take a peek at our benefits package. 

WORKING CONDITIONS

Core business hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. There are times where irregular hours will be required.  The preferred duty station is our Olympia, Washington headquarters.  The nature of this role relies heavily on remote and in-person collaboration.  While a hybrid remote and on-site schedule may be considered, the position will require flexibility to allow for in-office availability as business needs dictate. Travel requirements will be limited, however there may be occasions where an employee is required to travel and work irregular hours to attend meetings or trainings. Duties of this position require the use of standard office furniture and equipment, including setup for remote work. The employee is responsible for providing and maintaining a safe, ergonomic, and secure workspace at their remote location.   

The working conditions and physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

A criminal background screen will be conducted for candidates under final consideration, and if hired, every five years of employment where highly sensitive data is processed or maintained by the position. The result of this background screen must meet the Exchange s eligibility standards.

OTHER INFORMATION

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and levels of work being performed.  They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties and skills of personnel so classified.

This is not an employment agreement or contract.  Management has the exclusive right to alter this job description at any time without notice.

The Washington Health Benefit Exchange is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

We participate in E-Verify. You can view the Department of Justice's Right to Work poster here.