Program Manager (Non-IT)

Job Title: Program Manager (Non-IT)
Location: Washington, DC
Pay Rate: $48 per hour, W2 
Duration: 5+ Month Contract

Summary:

• Seeking a temporary Platform Evaluation & Implementation Lead to support knowledge management system (Insights Hub) and strengthen its generative AI and platform capabilities.
• This role spans two distinct but connected phases: pre-decision platform evaluation and post-decision planning and execution.

Responsibilities:

• Pre-Decision Platform Evaluation & Sandbox Testing:
  • Support the definition and operationalization of success criteria and evaluative metrics.
  • Support collection, synthesization, and analysis of testing feedback and insights.
  • Prepare decision-ready summaries and recommendations for leadership and advisory stakeholders.
• Planning & Program Management:
  • Partner with Research leadership to inform overall scope, sequencing, and decision framing for the Insights Hub initiative.
  • Deliver actionable project plans with milestones, dependencies, and deliverables.
  • Manage the integrated schedule from evaluation through execution, keeping the team on track and surfacing risks early.
  • Apply agile principles to adapt plans as new information, constraints, or opportunities emerge.
• Implementation Readiness, Migration Planning, Testing & Validation (Post-Decision):
  • Support planning and coordination required to stand up a selected system or evolve the existing platform.
  • Partner with technical and business stakeholders to ensure the solution meets functional, governance, and operational requirements.
  • Translate evaluation findings into implementation priorities and sequencing.
• Change Management & Communications:
  • Craft clear, audience-appropriate communications throughout both phases, including updates, guidance, and decision materials.
  • Provide change-management support to help stakeholders understand what’s changing, why it matters, and how to engage with new systems or workflows.
  • Anticipate adoption challenges and proactively address them through communication, training, and process adjustments.

Requirements:

• Balance strategic thinking with a willingness to roll up sleeves and produce deliverables.
• Significant experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives involving platform evaluation, system implementation, or both.
• Demonstrated expertise in project management, agile delivery, platform or vendor evaluation, sandbox or user testing design and execution, testing and validation, change management, and communications.
• Strong communication and synthesis skills, with experience creating executive-ready materials.
• Comfort operating in ambiguity and helping teams move from exploration to decision.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in research, insights, knowledge management, analytics, or data-driven environments.
• Familiarity with enterprise governance, stakeholder decision-making, and cross-team coordination.