Program Manager 3 – Data Analytics & AI | Austin, TX Onsite | 8+ Years Complex Analytics Experience

**Location:** Austin, Texas **Duration:** September 1, 2026 – August 31, 2027 (up to 2,008 hours; renewable for up to three one-year optional renewals) **Hours:** Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (excluding state holidays); occasional evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed **Interview Mode:** In person **Overview** A Texas state agency is seeking a senior program manager to serve as a critical liaison between IT leadership and executive-level project sponsors, managing communications across technical and non-technical staff stewarding complex data curations. This role empowers staff to effectively develop a data analytics program, including the use of AI to synthesize and report accurate data for official agency reporting and strategic decision-making. The position supports the ongoing development of a data integration hub under the Performance Management & Analytics System (PMAS) using agile methodology. The ideal candidate has strong leadership and management skills, a broad and deep understanding of health and human services programs and data domains, a strong history of BI/DW development projects, and exceptional communication abilities to bridge the gap between leaders and technologists in the emerging context of AI. **Key Responsibilities** - Work with program areas and project sponsors to plan and execute multiple analytics projects asynchronously - Lead as technical program manager creating hybrid Agile sprint cycles, epics and stories, as well as Waterfall project plans and all project artifacts - Manage scrum of scrum ceremonies to sync across Agile sprint teams and apply principles from the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) - Act as a primary point of contact for program staff with data needs for federal, state, and internal reporting - Explain project findings and data limitations in simple, non-technical language to agency leadership and program staff - Develop and refine effective AI prompts and query strategies to retrieve and synthesize program strategies for complex data domains - Develop a library of standardized prompts and query templates for common reporting needs - Ensure project teams properly extract, integrate, and analyze data from multiple complex internal and external sources to support program needs - Collaborate with end-users and performance analysts or IT leaders to create and validate visualizations for program monitoring and official reporting - Provide subject matter expertise on validating output from AI, particularly with respect to identifying and mitigating hallucinations - Ensure all data outputs adhere to agency reporting standards, data governance, and compliance regulations - Champion data literacy across the organization by planning and staffing AI training teams - Promote a data-driven culture by enabling and empowering all staff to effectively utilize data and AI - Work closely with data engineering, IT, and program teams to troubleshoot data-related issues and address inconsistencies and mitigation strategies - Provide expert guidance to program staff on interpreting data trends and answering complex data questions - Stay up to date on new AI and data analytics tools and techniques to continuously improve program competencies - Organize programs and activities in accordance with the mission and goals of the organization - Develop new programs to support the strategic direction of the organization - Create and manage long-term goals - Develop a budget and operating plan for the program **Required Qualifications** - 8+ years of experience translating complex analytics project intakes and business requirements into clear, actionable plans for prioritization and implementation - 8+ years of experience explaining complex data initiatives in simple, non-technical language to end-users and leaders of all levels - 8+ years of experience in complex data programs as a senior project manager and/or data liaison role - 8+ years of experience collaborating with end-users, performance analysts and agency leaders to validate project/program reports, presentations for monitoring and official reporting - 8+ years of excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills - 8+ years of experience with presentation and design tools such as PowerPoint and Visio **Preferred Qualifications** - 5+ years of experience leading as a senior project manager creating hybrid Agile sprint cycles, epics and stories, as well as Waterfall project plans and all project artifacts - 5+ years of experience with Business Intelligence/Data Warehouse - 5+ years of experience acting as the primary point of contact for program staff with data needs for federal, state, and internal reporting - 5+ years of experience working in a health and human services or similarly regulated environment, with a strong understanding of program data and reporting requirements - 5+ years of experience with data governance and data quality principles - 5+ years of experience managing scrum of scrum ceremonies to sync across Agile sprint teams and applying principles from the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) - 5+ years of experience ensuring project teams properly extract, integrate, and analyze data from multiple complex internal and external sources to support program needs - 5+ years of experience collaborating with end-users and performance analysts or IT leaders to create and validate visualizations for program monitoring and official reporting - 3+ years of experience leading a performance management and analytics initiative at a State of Texas agency - 2+ years of experience championing data literacy across the organization by developing and conducting training sessions for non-technical staff - 2+ years of experience training and mentoring staff with varying levels of data literacy - 2+ years of experience with State and Federal monitoring and reporting compliance for a Major Information Resources Project (MIRP) - 2+ years of experience developing Advanced Planning Documents (APD) and Business Case Workbooks for a Major Information Resources Project (MIRP) with blended State GR and Federal Financial Participation (FFP) - All Funds - 1+ year of experience applying responsible AI practices and compliance with agency standards **Work Location & Requirements** - Primary work location is in Austin, Texas - Position is 100% onsite at the location listed (no remote work) - Local candidates only (within 50-mile radius); candidates must already reside in Texas - Must be available to work outside normal business hours on weekends, evenings and holidays, as requested - All travel, per diem, parking, and/or living expenses are at the candidate's and/or vendor's expense - Must pass criminal background check as authorized by Texas law - Must sign an Acceptable Use Agreement as a condition of employment - Must sign and return an Information Technology Staff Augmentation Contractor Integrity Agreement before a purchase order is issued - Must sign and return an Information Security Cybersecurity Training Acknowledgement before a purchase order is issued - Must comply with the Data Use Agreement