Program Manager V

Job Title: Program Manager V
Location: Irvine, CA (Tues-Thurs Onsite)
Duration: 12 Months

Position Summary

We are seeking an exceptional Program Manager to join a high velocity project management team responsible for delivering complex, enterprise scale initiatives. The ideal candidate is a strategic leader and disciplined executor who thrives in ambiguity, drives accountability across internal teams and third party partners, and successfully delivers outcomes in a fast paced environment.

This role requires proven experience managing multi project programs, overseeing managed service providers, and leading or supporting mainframe modernization and migration initiatives, ensuring business continuity while driving transformation.

Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership & Delivery

• Lead end to end delivery of complex, cross functional programs, including legacy modernization and platform migration efforts.
• Develop and maintain integrated program roadmaps, milestones, dependency maps, and transition plans.
• Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate program risks, including vendor, operational, and legacy system risks.
• Drive execution across multiple project managers, technical teams, and external partners to meet delivery commitments.

Managed Service Provider (MSP) Oversight

• Serve as the primary program level interface for managed service providers and strategic vendors.
• Define and enforce scope, SLAs, KPIs, and governance models for MSP engagements.
• Monitor vendor performance, financials, and deliverables; address issues promptly and decisively.
• Ensure alignment between internal stakeholders and MSP teams, maintaining accountability and delivery quality.
• Lead contract execution support, renewal planning, and transition or exit activities as needed.

Mainframe Migration & Modernization Programs

• Lead or support mainframe migration initiatives, including replatforming, rehosting, refactoring, or application retirement strategies.
• Coordinate across infrastructure, application, data, and security teams to ensure safe, compliant migrations.
• Manage parallel run strategies, cutover planning, testing, and post migration stabilization.
• Ensure knowledge transfer, documentation, and operational readiness as legacy systems are decommissioned or transformed.
• Communicate impacts, risks, and readiness clearly to executive stakeholders.

Stakeholder & Executive Management

• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, providing concise, outcome focused updates (BLUF style communication).
• Facilitate executive reviews focused on progress, risk tradeoffs, funding, and decision support.
• Influence across organizational boundaries and manage competing priorities with professionalism and clarity.

Planning, Governance & Execution

• Establish program governance, reporting standards, escalation paths, and performance metrics.
• Oversee budget forecasting, resource planning, and vendor spend tracking.
• Ensure compliance with organizational standards, regulatory requirements, and audit expectations.
• Apply Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid methodologies appropriate to the program scope and risk profile.

Team Enablement & Continuous Improvement

• Mentor project managers and delivery leads to improve execution discipline and delivery maturity.
• Identify inefficiencies and implement process improvements that increase delivery speed and predictability.
• Promote a culture of ownership, diplomacy, and continuous improvement across internal and external teams.

Job Qualifications and Educational Requirements

Experience

• 8+ years of progressive experience in program and/or project management.
• Demonstrated success managing enterprise scale, multi workstream programs.
• Proven experience managing managed service providers or strategic vendors.
• Hands on experience with or direct oversight of mainframe migration or legacy modernization programs.
• Experience working with distributed technical teams and third party delivery partners.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong leadership and influence skills, including vendor and contract based relationships.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication; able to distill complex technical topics for executive audiences.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen (budgets, forecasts, vendor cost management).
• High emotional intelligence and ability to resolve conflict pragmatically.
• Comfortable operating in environments with legacy technology and evolving architectures.

Methodologies & Tools

• Experience with Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid delivery approaches.
• Proficiency with project and program management tools (e.g., MS Project, Jira, Smartsheet, Azure DevOps).
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills (Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint).

Education
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four year university in a relevant field.

Experience

·         8+ years of progressive experience in program and/or project management.

·         Demonstrated success managing enterprise scale, multi workstream programs.

·         Proven experience managing managed service providers or strategic vendors.

·         Hands on experience with or direct oversight of mainframe migration or legacy modernization programs.

·         Experience working with distributed technical teams and third party delivery partners.

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP or Agile certifications
• Experience in IT infrastructure, security, or large scale enterprise transformation
• Familiarity with mainframe technologies from a program oversight perspective
• PMO or large portfolio delivery experience.

Key Attributes of the Ideal Candidate

• Confident leading high risk, high visibility initiatives involving legacy platforms
• Skilled at holding vendors accountable while maintaining productive partnerships
• Decisive, calm under pressure, and outcomes focused
• Balances strategic thinking with hands on execution
• Trusted by executives and delivery teams alike

 
 
At SPECTRAFORCE, we are committed to maintaining a workplace that ensures fair compensation and wage transparency in adherence with all applicable state and local laws. This position’s starting pay is: $ 115.00/hr.