Program Manager III

Fearless is looking for a Program Manager III to add to our diverse team of 250+ employees (and counting!).

What you’ll be doing

We’re looking to change the world by building software with a soul, and we want your help.

The Program Manager III is one of the key interfaces for our clients, partners, and project teams, and is responsible for managing day-to-day operations, financial monitoring, and staffing of a subset of teams in a greater portfolio. The Program Manager II is a team player with strong skills in leadership, communication, time management, and organization, and who is professional, positive, and dependable. The Program Manager II is responsible for various activities while regularly working with the following departments: People Operations, Finance, and Business Development.

We need your Program Management skills! What other skills will help you succeed at Fearless? Glad you asked! We’re excited about candidates who can accomplish the following:

Organizational Leadership 

• Is accountable for day-to-day activities of their program.
• Breaks down strategies from Portfolio Directors, managing and implementing those strategies across projects with minimal direction.
• Maintains awareness of challenges that bubble up from the project team and either manages them or works with the Portfolio Director to resolve them.
• Provides coaching and leadership to project leads assigned to the program.
• Strengthens their program and portfolio to support their success. 

Functional Role 

• Plan, initiate, and manage information technology (IT) projects.
• Lead and guide the work of technical staff.
• Serve as liaison between business and technical aspects of projects.
• Plan project stages and assess business implications for each stage.
• Monitor progress to assure deadlines, standards and cost targets are met.
• Resolves programmatic, contractual, and Fearless internal obstacles.
• Provides input into the portfolio strategy and supports program leads’ understanding of it.
• Provides updates to Portfolio Directors and other stakeholders on project status, escalating risks and concerns where relevant, and implementing mitigation strategies as needed.
• Develops an evaluation method to assess program strengths and identify areas for improvement.
• Supports project teams in planning scope and meeting contract objectives.
• Produces accurate and timely reporting of program status throughout its life cycle, including project burn rate.
• Approves timecards.
• Monitors program financials.
• Manages performance goals with input from Portfolio Directors, Passion Coaches, and Scrum Master.
• Proactively and regularly provides feedback to Passion Coaches on team members to support individual and project success.
• Tracks resource needs, including contract funding and staffing, throughout the lifecycle of the project, and proactively suggests strategies to improve team function.
• Works with the Passion Coaches when individual performance challenges occur on the team, and helps the team to grow through the challenge.
• Manages behavioral challenges, where applicable, with input from Portfolio Directors, Passion Coaches, and Scrum Master.
• Interviews candidates, makes hiring recommendations, and provides feedback for termination decisions.
• Works closely with Portfolio Director and Business Development to prepare for follow-on contracts and opportunities for new and/or expanded work.
• Works with the Portfolio Director to identify people and tools needed to deliver contract requirements.
• Provides inputs into Business Development tasks, including proposals, past performance, challenge coordination, staffing plans, etc.
• Manages company communications to the team.
• Works with Practice Directors to understand the technical vision on the project.
• Works with Practice Directors when tech concerns require escalation.
• Stands up project, if a project lead hasn’t yet been identified.
• Acts as backup for Scrum Masters and the Portfolio Director.
• Provides input and feedback into operational systems building.
• Works with recruiters to meet staffing needs of new BD opportunities.

Must-Have Skills

• ITPM experience with development focused projects.
• Certified PMP or ACP
• Demonstrated successful experience in project or program management leading complex projects or teams.
• Strong programmatic leadership skills.
• Strong relationship-building skills, with the ability to drive collaboration toward outcomes. 
• Demonstrated ability to gather and synthesize situational data and context to inform smart, business-focused decisions. 
• Demonstrated skills in stakeholder engagement and management. 
• Demonstrated experience in agile environments.
• Proven experience managing teams.
• Strong understanding of project management.

Icing-on-the-Cake Skills 

• BS in Computer Science, Information Technology Management or Engineering or BS of Business Administration degree (BS-BA) or a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
• Experience working with federal, state or local Government (if applicable).
• Experience with contract management and/or finance.
• Certified Scrum Master, Product Owner, SAFe, or equivalent agile training or certification.
• Experience with product thinking and product ownership. 
• Ability to adapt, support, grow, and optimize teams and processes working in different models (kanban vs. sprints, internal vs external delivery). 
• Advanced facilitation skills within a team or group setting
• Motivated self-starter.

What else you should know?:

Our people make us who we are. We believe that every member of the Fearless team has something to share, and we value the unique viewpoint you’ll bring to our community. But we value your community, too, so we offer fulfilling work that stays in balance with the rest of life. Because everyone has different needs, desires, and goals, our benefits offer the choices and flexibility that our team members need to live well and succeed. Here are a few highlights of our benefits package:

• Flexible schedule
• Family-friendly workplace
• 14 days of PTO allowance (not accrued so you get it up front!) PTO + 8.75 days sick leave + 11 federal holidays + your birthday off!
• 100% coverage of the employee-only premium for HSA, HMO, or PPO plan and Employee Wellness Plan
• Tech, education / training, and snack allowances
• Free parking in downtown Baltimore / public transit coverage
• Safe Harbor 401(k) plan with employer contributions and immediate vesting

Location:

• In-person, hybrid, and remote options are available. Our offices are located in Baltimore and Montgomery.
• All new employees must have received or be willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by date of hire to be considered for the position. Reasonable accommodations for qualified exemption requests will be considered.

Our Compensation System is designed to reward remarkable work, grow your impact and support the whole “you” over the course of your career.

We believe in paying people fairly, so we've established a compensation model aimed to ensure everyone at Fearless — regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age, nationality, or negotiation skills — is given equal pay for equal work.

Our approach to compensation is intended to ensure our total package serves all of your needs and includes base pay, medical and other benefits, performance rewards, 401k matching, plus a few perks (tech and wellness reimbursement programs)!

Our salary ranges are determined based on role, level and location and provide team members salary growth within a salary grade over time. Team members automatically progress within a salary range through annual increases (given to reward service at Fearless) or merit increases (given to reward and individual's demonstrated performance and growth within the position). Fearless team members are also eligible for discretionary bonuses based on company performance.

The salary ranges for this position based on location are listed below.  The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified as a part of our annual salary range review.

• AL, FL, GA, TN Residents:  $90,015 (min) - $117,019 (mid) - $144,024 (max)
• NC Residents: $92,799 (min) - $120,639 (mid) - $148,478 (max)
• DE, MD, PA, TX, VA Residents: $97,439 (min) - $126,671 (mid) - $155,902 (max)
• MA Residents: $103,007 (min) - $133,909 (mid) - $164,811 (max)
• DC Residents: $109,503 (min) - $142,354(mid) - $175,204 (max)
• CA & NY Residents:  $113,215(min) - $147,179 (mid) - $181,143 (max)

Within the range, starting pay for team members is based on the evaluation of the alignment with the position description requirements including job-related skills and experience or training.  This range reflects your earning potential over the course of your career at Fearless in this position.

So, what’s next?

Over the years, we’ve honed a 3-step interview process that helps ensure that every employee we hire is the right fit for us and that we’re the right fit for them. If we think you’re a good fit, we’ll get in touch and start scheduling your interviews!

• Culture Add Interview - We’re a people-first company, so we always start off by getting to know more about you, how you work, what your career goals are, and what you’re passionate about. This is your opportunity to ask questions and get a feel for Fearless, so don’t be shy!
• Technical Interview - This is where we get into the nitty gritty of the project. During the Technical Interview, you’ll be interviewed by our Functional Leads and/or the team’s Project Lead to make sure your skills align with the project requirements.
• Business Interview - At this point, you’ve made it to the final frontier! The Business Interview is when you’ll meet with Fearless leadership to dot the i’s, cross the t’s, and determine whether or not we’ll be moving forward with the hiring process.

About Fearless:

Fearless is a full-stack digital services firm in Baltimore that delivers sleek, modern, and user-friendly software designed to push the boundaries of possibility. It's our mission to build software with a soul — tools that empower communities and make a difference — so we can create a world where good software powers the things that matter.

That’s not our only goal, though. We also strive to create a purple culture that makes our employees excited to come to work every day. That’s why we encourage our employees to pursue their passions, both in and out of the office. With built-in company mentoring, continuing education support, flexible schedules, and a family-friendly work environment, we’ve created a culture that allows our team to thrive professionally and personally.

Fearless believes in equal opportunity employment. We won’t discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, gender, nationality, age, religion, disability, military status, or sexual orientation. As a company and as individuals, we’re committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for our team, our family members, our clients, our subcontractors, and our vendors.