Project Manager and Consultant
Come, Innovate, Build, Disrupt & Thrive!
Position Overview
KēSTA I.T. is seeking an experienced Project Manager and Consultant to support a statewide elections management application on behalf of an agency.
In this role, you will oversee development activities for a statewide elections management system, coordinate and manage the third-party development vendor, and make sure enhancements and deliverables align with agency requirements and operational needs. You will also serve as a primary liaison between the agency, county election officials, and the vendor.
You will consult with and support county election officials on system functionality, use, and troubleshooting, and help develop and deliver training. You will report directly to the Assistant Secretary of State for Elections or a designee within the Elections Division.
This role is a fit for a seasoned professional with 10+ years of experience who combines software project management and vendor coordination skills with knowledge of election administration and who communicates well with both technical and nontechnical audiences.
Key Responsibilities
• Oversee all development activities for the statewide elections management system, including enhancements and deliverables
• Coordinate and manage the third-party development vendor
• Monitor project progress and confirm that deliverables align with agency requirements and operational needs
• Serve as a primary liaison between the agency, county election officials, and the development vendor
• Document, communicate, track, and escalate system issues and enhancement requests submitted by the agency or counties
• Coordinate with the vendor to drive timely and effective resolution of issues and requests
• Provide consultation and assistance to county election officials on system functionality, utilization, troubleshooting, and related inquiries
• Assist with developing, coordinating, and delivering training to counties on system operations, features, and applicable election procedures and processes, using agency-approved guidance and materials
• Refer elections policy, procedural, or legal questions to authorized agency personnel or other official sources and relay the guidance received, without independently providing interpretations or advice
• Maintain detailed time sheets to support accurate record keeping and auditing
Required Qualifications
• 10+ years of relevant experience
• Bachelor's degree or higher
• Relevant experience in software application project management
• Relevant experience in third-party vendor coordination
• Relevant experience in technical issue resolution
• Familiarity with Mississippi election administration and Mississippi county election processes and procedures
• Familiarity with the Statewide Elections Management System (SEMS)
• Strong organizational, analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate software development activities
• Demonstrated ability to document and track technical issues through resolution
• Ability to communicate effectively with technical and nontechnical stakeholders
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience with election management systems, governmental information systems, or comparable enterprise applications
• Experience providing system consultation, user support, and training to government personnel or other end users
• Experience with SEMS or comparable election management applications
• Familiarity with county election operations and applicable election procedures
• Familiarity with application security best practices, including secure software development, vulnerability management, access controls, data protection, and identification and remediation of security risks
• Experience with software development lifecycle (SDLC) methodologies
• Experience with quality assurance and user acceptance testing (UAT)
• Experience with database management and systems integration
• Experience with software change and release management
• Prior experience coordinating technology projects involving state or local government agencies
• Prior experience managing third-party software vendors
• Prior experience providing technical consultation and training to governmental personnel
Available Benefits
• Medical Benefits (Platinum level plans available)
• Work from home / Hybrid / Onsite options
• PTO
• Holiday Pay
• VTO
• 401K
• Charitable Match
• Training reimbursement
About KēSTA I.T.
Our name says it all; KēSTA I.T. (Keys-to-I.T.) AND our people are our keys to our success!
KēSTA I.T. is a premier Utah-based technical staffing and consulting services firm. We specialize in temporary and permanent placement of Software, Hardware, Network, Cloud, CRM/ERP, Data, End-User support, Web and Executive / leadership-based positions on a full time and consulting basis.
If you're interested in a role where top performance is rewarded, personal time is valued, and excellence is demanded at every level we want to talk to you today!
Where do you want to go? We've got the keys! ~ KēSTA I.T.