VA Portfolio Director at Initiate Government Solutions

Overview: 

Initiate Government Solutions, LLC (IGS), is a technical services company specializing in providing leading industry expertise and support. Our mission at IGS is to innovate, design, and deliver tailored solutions that balance technical innovation against costs while providing exceptional service. IGS partners with government and commercial clients to tackle the most challenging information technology issues including large scale implementations, business informatics, analytics, and electronic health record support.  

IGS uses ISO 9001:2015, 20000-1:2018, 27001:2013, 28001:2007, CMMI/SVC3, CMMI/DEV3 best practices, and PMBOK® methods to provide clients with a strategy to build solid foundations to grow capabilities and revenue. Our range of IT services and delivery methodologies are tailored to our customer's unique needs to achieve maximum value.

Position Description:

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Portfolio Director is responsible for overseeing and managing all program contracts. This role ensures the success, of the programs, fosters stakeholder engagement, and maintains compliance with VA policies and federal regulations. The director will collaborate with various departments and government agencies to deliver results that enhance veterans' access to critical resources.

The VA Portfolio Director will be responsible for the overall management of all Tasks Orders, subcontractors and IGS staffing, ensuring that technical solutions, schedules and deliverables are executed on time and to the satisfaction of the customer. Serving as the primary point of contact for all VA contracts, the director will coordinate across the organization leveraging the IGS PMO, HR, Accounting and Business Development teams to support Task execution. Additionally, the Director will contribute to strategy development, intelligence gathering, reviewing RFP requirements, and contributing to compliant, clear and compelling responses. Regular communication with IGS’ CEO, COO, and PMO Director is required to ensure alignment and success in all contract efforts. 

Assignment of Work and Travel:

This is a remote position with travel for in-person meetings as requested. The candidate will work remotely daily, accessing IGS and VA systems and utilizing approved communication platforms provided by both IGS and the VA. 

Level of Effort: This is a full-time position. The normal working hours for this position are from 8:00 am-5:00 pm Monday-Friday. Work outside of these hours may be required to meet deadlines. 

Responsibilities and Duties (Included but not limited to): 

Customer Relationship Management

• Act as the primary point of contact (POC) between IGS and the customer.
• Respond to customer inquiries related to services and solutions.
• Triage customer requests and lead meetings to gather and analyze business requirements, determining the appropriate course of action and Level of effort (LOE) estimates. 
• Ensures deliverables are of high quality and submitted on time to the Government Program Manager (PM) and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).
• Maintain consistent customer engagement by providing weekly, monthly, and quarterly performance metrics.
• Oversee the planning, execution, and evaluation of VA programs, ensuring alignment with IGS and VA objectives, budgets, and timelines.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with VA leadership, federal government agencies, and external partners to ensure program objectives are met.
• Monitor and report on program performance, ensuring that outcomes are documented and communicated to relevant stakeholders through regular reports and briefings.
• Contribute to the development of policies, procedures, and strategic planning efforts to support IGS and VA initiatives.

Subcontractors Management

• Serve as the primary POC between IGS and Subcontractors.
• Act as the primary POC for Teaming Partner(s). 
• Coordinate with Contracts for VA Task orders, overseeing subcontractor modifications, exercised options, and other contractual related tasks.
• Ensure each teaming partner delivers high-quality contract deliverables on time and provides resources with the appropriate experience and skillsets. 
• Collaborate with the IGS Contracts Team to ensure all subcontractor documentation is complete and properly signed.
• Conduct regular check-in calls with partner teams to address and resolve any concerns or barriers their staff may be facing. 
• Coordinate with subcontractors on staff onboarding and selection, to meet contract needs, including reviewing resumes and providing final approval for proposed resources. 

Resource Management

• Collaborate with the IGS HR team to ensure selected staff and their resumes meet contract requirements.
• Work with the team to develop and maintain a contract resource matrix.
• Assist in creating job descriptions, interviewing potential candidates, and coordinating with Accounting and HR on salary ranges. 
• Conduct performance evaluation for IGS staff and provide feedback to HR for direct reports. 
• Conduct regular check-in calls with IGS staff to share updates on customer feedback and direction, and address/resolve any concerns or barriers. 
• Coordinate with HR to ensure timely completion of all required onboarding paperwork. 
• Provide direct supervision to IGS management roles including Deputy Director, Project Managers, Team Leads) within the contract portfolio.
• Lead a team of project managers and program specialists, providing guidance and direction for successful implementation of program goals.
• Develop, manage, and track program budgets. Ensure efficient resource allocation to maximize program effectiveness.

Contract Management

• Collaborate with executive leadership to review and address all prime contract related issues.
• Oversee the planning and production of deliverables, manage technical and financial reports, assign responsibilities to team members, ensure task completion, and enforce work standards. 
• Ensure all contract tasks and deliverables are completed and submitted on time. 
• Develop and implement a transition plan outlining the transfer of work and knowledge to federal employees or a new contractor at the end of the period of performance (PoP), including timelines, required activities, and necessary documentation for the VA.
• Identify, track, and address contract issues, including those reported by contract staff, and implement mitigation strategies as needed.
• Ensure compliance with federal regulations, VA guidelines, and organizational policies, and proactively manage risks through careful planning.

Metrics/Reporting

• Oversee overall contract performance, monitor IGS internal KPIs, and conduct program reviews to support audits.
• Develop, track, and maintain Key Performance Indicators (KPI), and create a comprehensive dashboard for ongoing performance monitoring. 
• Manage and produce project burndown reports to track progress and resource allocation.
• Provide monthly status reports to the PM and COR, detailing project progress, achievements, issues, and cost tracking.
• Identify and implement opportunities for continuous improvement in program delivery and processes by leveraging data analysis and stakeholder feedback to enhance overall program impact.

Innovation Development

• Support project management by improving and maintaining intake request tracking and reporting systems.
• Develop business cases, alternative analyses, and business process or system workflows, providing recommendations for optimal solutions and maximized efficiency.
• Conduct research and recommend technical approaches to enhance business processes and better support customer needs.
• Drive process improvement initiatives by identifying areas for enhancement and offering suggestions to improve both technologies and processes through collaboration.

PMO 

• Assist in Monthly Progress Reviews (MPRs) and Quarterly Progress Reviews (QPRs) by providing feedback on service delivery for all VA task orders.
• Participate in monthly IGS PMO project review meetings, sharing key project updates and reports.
• Support PMO standards and compliance, including CMMI and ISO audits of task orders.
• Perform other duties as assigned. 

Requirements

• Ability to engage and deliver high quality resources and deliverables to customer for initiatives or projects efficiently prioritized.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, along with interpersonal abilities to collaborate with project teams and various SMEs.
• Strong understanding of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), federal regulations, VA policies, procedures, including cost and schedule estimation, systems disciplines, and contract and compliance requirements. 
• Experience with federal agency staff onboarding processes and procedures.
• Experience with staffing models, complex budget management, timelines, deliverables, forecasting, invoicing, and tracking /reporting on contract financials. 
• Extensive experience with the full SDLC in project execution, including related practices, procedures, and documentation.
• Exceptional time management, multitasking and organizational skills.  
• Strong Analytical skills to evaluate program performance and identify improvement opportunities.
• Proficient in various software applications, including MS Office Suite, Visio, Adobe products, MS SharePoint, and Jira/Confluence.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships with diverse stakeholders.
• Must be self-motivated with the capability to work remotely as part of a team, or independently with minimal supervision.
• Understanding and exposure to data warehouse architectures, data management, AI/ML, cloud technologies and concepts. Proven experience in team leadership, team building, program management, subcontractor management, and cross-functional collaboration in a remote setting.

Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s Degree 
• PMP Certification
• Minimum of 2 years VA experience 
• Minimum 10 years program/project management experience with IT/data management projects which may include active-duty experience. 
• Active Public Trust security clearance or ability to obtain 

Successful IGS employees embody the following Core Values:

• Integrity, Honesty, and Ethics: We conduct our business with the highest level of ethics. Doing things like being accountable for mistakes, accepting helpful criticism, and following through on commitments to ourselves, each other, and our customers. 
• Empathy, Emotional Intelligence: How we interact with others including peers, colleagues, stakeholders, and customers matters. We take collective responsibility to create an environment where colleagues and customers feel valued, included, and respected. We work within a diverse, integrated, and collaborative team to drive towards accomplishing the larger mission. We conscientiously and meticulously learn about our customers’ and end-users’ business drivers and challenges to ensure solutions meet not only technical needs but also support their mission.
• Strong Work Ethic (Reliability, Dedication, Productivity): We are driven by a strong, self-motivated, and results-driven work ethic. We are reliable, accountable, proactive, and tenacious and will do what it takes to get the job done. 
• Life-Long Learner (Curious, Perspective, Goal Orientated): We challenge ourselves to continually learn and improve ourselves. We strive to be an expert in our field, continuously honing our craft, and finding solutions where others see problems.  

Compensation: Numerous factors can impact final salary, including, but not limited to, geographic location, Federal Government contract labor categories and contract wage rates, relevant prior work experience, specific skills and competencies, education, and certifications.

Benefits: Initiate Government Solutions offers competitive compensation and a robust benefits package, including comprehensive medical, dental, and vision care, matching 401K and profit sharing, paid time off, training time for personal development, flexible spending accounts, employer-paid life insurance, employer-paid short and long term disability coverage, an education assistance program with potential merit increases for obtaining a work-related certification, employee recognition, and referral programs, spot bonuses, and other benefits that help provide financial protection for the employee and their family.

Initiate Government Solutions participates in the Electronic Employment Verification Program.

Initiate Government Solutions is an equal opportunity employer. Our company policy is to provide equal opportunity in all areas of employment practice without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, citizenship, or disability.