Technical Project Manager (TPM)
Position Overview
The Technical Project Manager (TPM) will lead modernization initiatives supporting the migration of complex, interdependent systems to AWS for a Federal client. This role requires leadership of a multi-workstream, system-of-systems modernization effort replacing legacy SAS-based statistical systems with modular, cloud-native Python architectures deployed to AWS.
This is a technical delivery leadership role — not a traditional administrative PM position. The TPM is responsible for sequencing modernization, structuring discovery, enforcing DevSecOps discipline, and ensuring statistical integrity and production continuity across workstreams.
The TPM must operate with architecture-level fluency, capable of challenging technical decisions, validating migration strategies, and enforcing quality and governance standards across engineering teams.
Key Responsibilities
1. Modernization, Discovery & Migration Planning (7 Rs Governance)
- Lead structured discovery and system inventory across interdependent systems.
- Establish formal dependency mapping and cross-workstream interface tracking.
- Apply the 7 Rs migration framework (Rehost, Replatform, Refactor, Repurchase, Relocate, Retain, Retire) to classify modernization paths.
- Develop phased migration roadmaps aligned to operational cycles and provisioning constraints.
- Define sequencing strategy to prevent hybrid cloud/on-prem thrashing.
- Identify and justify candidate systems for MVP/prototype modernization.
- Coordinate architectural artifacts and governance readiness documentation.
2. MVP / Prototype Execution Leadership
- Define measurable MVP success criteria (accuracy, repeatability, scalability, deployability).
- Lead execution of time-boxed modernization prototypes.
- Ensure parallel validation between legacy and modernized outputs.
- Oversee regression and statistical equivalence validation frameworks.
- Produce reusable architectural and operational artifacts to accelerate scaled migration.
3. Agile Team Stand-Up & Delivery Governance
- Stand up cross-functional Agile modernization teams.
- Establish Definition of Ready (DoR) and Definition of Done (DoD).
- Translate architectural intent into epics, features, and sprint-ready stories.
- Align sprint cadence to modernization roadmap milestones.
- Enforce traceability from requirements → backlog → tested release artifact.
- Coordinate execution across:
- Cloud Architecture
- Cloud Engineering
- Data Engineering
- Application Refactoring
- Test & Validation
- DevSecOps
4. AWS Modernization Oversight & Technical Fluency
- Lead modernization of legacy systems into AWS-native environments.
- Oversee application of services such as:
- Lambda / Step Functions
- ECS / EKS / Fargate
- Glue
- Aurora / PostgreSQL
- S3 / Batch
- CloudWatch
- Secrets Manager / IAM
- Ensure Infrastructure-as-Code and environment promotion discipline.
- Evaluate containerization vs serverless trade-offs.
- Challenge overengineering and enforce scalable design decisions.
- Align deployments with customer provisioning and compliance constraints.
5. DevSecOps & Automated Validation Integration
- Establish CI/CD pipelines with integrated security and quality gates.
- Embed automated regression validation into delivery lifecycle.
- Oversee:
- Cell-level output comparison
- Margin of Error (MOE) validation
- Variance equivalency checks
- Ensure vulnerability scanning, SBOM, and compliance controls are embedded.
- Enforce measurable quality gates before release promotion.
6. Cross-Workstream Integration Management
- Manage system-of-systems dependencies across multiple workstreams.
- Protect upstream/downstream data and format stability.
- Coordinate sequencing to avoid disruption of production cycles.
- Maintain consolidated dependency log and integration risk tracking.
- Facilitate resolution of interface and architectural conflicts.
7. Governance & Compliance Alignment
- Coordinate documentation and readiness for:
- Architecture Review Boards
- Engineering governance reviews
- Interface Control Documents (ICDs)
- ATO support activities
- Maintain alignment with:
- Zero Trust principles
- Information Usage Security (IUS)
- Title 13 protections (where applicable)
- Section 508 accessibility standards
- Ensure modernization artifacts are audit-ready and traceable.
8. Risk & Release Protection Management
- Identify and mitigate risks related to:
- Statistical output comparability
- Data integrity
- Methodology changes
- Release timing conflicts
- Implement phased cutover planning and rollback strategies.
- Coordinate parallel validation and operational readiness reviews.
Requirements
Technical Delivery Leadership
- 10+ years leading technical modernization programs.
- Demonstrated leadership of AWS cloud-native deployments.
- Experience standing up Agile modernization teams from inception.
- Proven ability to convert architectural direction into structured backlogs.
- Experience managing cross-disciplinary engineering teams.
Migration & Modernization Expertise
- Demonstrated application of the 7 Rs migration framework.
- Experience sequencing refactor vs replatform vs rehost strategies.
- Experience leading legacy-to-cloud transformations.
- Experience delivering MVP/PoC-driven modernization initiatives.
- Experience operating in regulated or governance-heavy environments.
Statistical & Data-Intensive Systems (Preferred)
- Experience supporting large-scale data processing systems.
- Experience overseeing regression equivalency validation.
- Familiarity with statistical processing or survey-based systems.
- Experience supporting SAS-to-Python modernization efforts.
Governance & Federal Environment
- Experience supporting architecture review or similar governance bodies.
- Familiarity with FedRAMP, NIST RMF, and ATO processes.
- Experience operating in high-visibility, multi-stakeholder environments.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with SAS to Python modernization.
- Experience with large-scale data processing systems.
- Experience in U.S. Census or statistical agencies.
- Experience working with Enterprise Data Lakes (EDL).
- Familiarity with GitLab or similar DevSecOps platforms.
Core Competencies
- Architecture-level technical credibility (without serving as the Architect of Record).
- Structured migration planning and sequencing discipline.
- Strong system-of-systems thinking.
- Ability to balance speed with governance compliance.
- Risk anticipation and mitigation leadership.
- Clear executive and technical communication.
- Ability to impose structure in ambiguous modernization environments.
Benefits
- 401(k) with matching and 100% Vested
- Health Insurance - 3 plans to select from
- Dental insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Short Term Disability
- Long Term Disability
- AD&D
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Training
- Tuition reimbursement
- Flexible schedule
- Flexible spending account
- Referral program
- Paid Legal Plan
- and more....
Ignite IT is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, Veteran status, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristic. In accordance with EO 13665 Final Rule, Ignite IT will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant.
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