IT Program Manager

Department: Charlotte Area Transit System Department

Salary: $114,294.00 - $164,298.19 Commensurate with Experience

Thank you for your interest in joining the team that keeps Charlotte moving, at a very exciting time for our organization. At the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), we’re committed to delivering safe, reliable, and innovative transit services for our growing community, and we value employees who bring professionalism, passion, and a commitment to public service.

This position is currently employed by CATS, a department of the City of Charlotte. With the passage of the PAVE Act and last year’s sales tax referendum, CATS is preparing to transition from a City department to the newly created Metropolitan Public Transit Authority (MPTA). The MPTA was established to strengthen regional transit governance, improve accountability, and support long‑term investment in mobility. It’s an important and exciting step forward for transit in our region.

Employees hired into this role will remain City employees through December 31, 2026, and will transition to MPTA employment on January 1, 2027. Benefits and compensation will follow City provisions through 2026 and shift to MPTA provisions in 2027, with clear information shared in advance. Your core duties, reporting structure, and daily responsibilities will remain consistent, with no break in service. If anything delays the transition, your City employment, including compensation and benefits, will remain in place until the move to the MPTA occurs.

The creation of the MPTA positions us for a more modern, sustainable, and efficient transit system, one that can better support the Charlotte region for decades to come. We’re excited about what’s ahead and appreciate your interest in being part of it.

SUMMARY

The IT Program Manager leads planning, coordination, and delivery governance for Technology programs and major initiatives at the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). This position provides portfolio-level oversight of technology projects and cross-functional initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities, operational needs, funding constraints, and delivery standards.

The role establishes program management practices, supports prioritization and sequencing of initiatives, and ensures project delivery is coordinated across Infrastructure, Applications, Cybersecurity, and Strategy & Quality functions. The IT Program Manager strengthens visibility, accountability, and execution discipline as CATS expands Technology capabilities and transitions toward greater independence from City-managed services. Working under limited direction, this position exercises broad judgment in shaping the technology delivery portfolio and advancing consistent program management practices.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

The following duties are standard for this position. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification.

Technology Portfolio and Program Governance

• Maintain portfolio visibility across technology initiatives, projects, and workstreams.
• Support leadership in prioritization, sequencing, and capacity planning.
• Establish and maintain governance structures for program execution (e.g., intake, stage gates, status reporting).
• Monitor program performance against schedule, scope, and outcomes.
• Identify cross-project dependencies and risks; coordinate mitigation strategies.

Program Planning and Execution Oversight

• Lead development of program plans for major initiatives and multi-project efforts.
• Coordinate planning activities across technical and business stakeholders.
• Ensure project plans include appropriate scope definition, milestones, stakeholder engagement, and delivery readiness elements.
• Support consistent delivery practices and standards across project teams.

Project Management Standards and Tools

• Develop and maintain standard templates, reporting methods, and program management tools.
• Promote consistent project documentation and control practices.
• Partner with ITIL/ITSM governance functions to align change coordination and deployment planning.
• Support continuous improvement of project delivery methods.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Coordinate with Technology managers and supervisors to align staffing, resourcing, and delivery schedules.
• Facilitate communication and escalation pathways for major risks and issues.
• Support coordinated delivery and change readiness for operational environments, including 24/7 transit impacts.

Stakeholder Management and Communication

• Provide portfolio and program reporting to Technology leadership and stakeholders.
• Facilitate governance meetings and decision forums as assigned.
• Promote transparency and timely communication of status, risks, and outcomes.

Vendor and External Partner Coordination

• Support coordination of vendors and external partners for program delivery activities.
• Align vendor timelines and deliverables with CATS governance and reporting expectations.
• Coordinate with IT Contracts/Asset governance as needed to support program readiness and continuity.

Continuous Improvement and Organizational Maturity

• Identify opportunities to strengthen delivery discipline and reduce recurring execution challenges.
• Promote lessons learned practices and portfolio-level improvements.
• Support adoption of scalable delivery practices as Technology expands.

Core Competencies:

The position requires demonstrated competency in the following areas

Portfolio Leadership

Leads and coordinates complex, multi-project technology work aligned to organizational priorities.

• Maintains visibility across initiatives
• Aligns delivery to strategic outcomes
• Balances constraints and dependencies

Program Governance and Accountability

Establishes structure and discipline for reliable delivery.

• Creates consistent standards
• Drives measurable execution
• Promotes transparent reporting

Cross-Functional Influence

Achieves outcomes through collaboration across technical and operational stakeholders.

• Builds alignment
• Facilitates decisions
• Resolves conflicts constructively

Risk and Dependency Management

Anticipates and manages portfolio-level risks.

• Identifies interdependencies
• Drives mitigation planning
• Supports informed tradeoffs

Supervision Given to:

• Senior IT Project Manager(s)
• IT Project Manager(s)
• IT Project Coordinator(s)

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Business Administration, Public Administration, Engineering, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Five (5) years progressively responsible experience in project/program management, technology delivery, or related leadership roles.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading portfolios or multi-project programs.
• Experience in public-sector, transportation, or operationally critical environments.
• Project/program management certification (PMP or similar).
• Experience coordinating vendor-supported implementations.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Program and portfolio management concepts and practices.
• Technology delivery lifecycle and implementation planning.
• Governance, reporting, and stakeholder coordination methods.
• Operational impacts of technology changes in 24/7 environments.
• Resource planning and dependency management principles.

Skill in:

• Building and maintaining program governance tools and standards.
• Facilitating decision-making forums and stakeholder alignment.
• Communicating complex status/risk information clearly.
• Coordinating schedules and dependencies across multiple teams.
• Developing structured plans and reporting outputs.

Ability to:

• Exercise independent judgment in prioritization and sequencing decisions.
• Influence outcomes without direct operational authority over delivery teams.
• Balance competing priorities and constraints.
• Anticipate and mitigate delivery risks.
• Support organizational maturity and continuous improvement.

Working Environment and Physical Demands:

• Work performed primarily in office environments with frequent coordination across departments.
• Extended computer use and meeting facilitation required.
• Occasional visits to operational facilities may be required to support deployment planning.

• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments.

The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or on the basis of actual or perceived gender as expressed through dress, appearance, or behavior.

Our culture is to serve the community honorably.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online.

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.

You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby, where self-service application kiosks are available. They are located in our office at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202. We are open Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (EST), excluding official City holidays.

For questions about your application or the hiring process, please email [email protected]

The City of Charlotte is committed to making our services and programs accessible to all. Upon request, auxiliary aids, written materials in alternate formats, language access, and other reasonable accommodations or modifications will be provided. To make a request, please fill out the Innovation & Technology ADA request form or call 704.336.4120.

BENEFITS

The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees.

Click here to learn more about the City of Charlotte’s benefits.

The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.