IT Operations Project Manager at Agile Defense

About Agile Defense   At Agile Defense we know that action defines the outcome and new challenges require new solutions. That’s why we always look to the future and embrace change with an unmovable spirit and the courage to build for what comes next.   Our vision is to bring adaptive innovation to support our nation's most important missions through the seamless integration of advanced technologies, elite minds, and unparalleled agility—leveraging a foundation of speed, flexibility, and ingenuity to strengthen and protect our nation’s vital interests. Requisition #: 1536 Job Tittle: IT Operations Project Manager Location: Alexandria, VA Required Clearance: Secret  Required Certifications: Security+, ITIL v4 Foundations, Scrum Master, Agile Coach, or Scrum@Scale-related certification  Job Description We are seeking a highly capable Project Manager to direct IT operating model delivery execution, operational governance, project management, customer engagement, and continuous improvement for a U.S. Air Force Technical Directorate IT Services environment. This role serves as an operational leader responsible for driving performance across multiple teams, ensuring contract and delivery excellence, maintaining visibility into risks and trends, and partnering with customer and contractor stakeholders to improve outcomes. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable with leading execution, improving systems, coordinating cross-functional teams, supporting program governance, and translating operational data into action. This person should be able to stabilize, optimize, and scale delivery in a fast-moving environment while building trust with both internal teams and the customer. Experience in the Department of the Air Force (or other Department of War component) is a significantly valuable differentiator. Why This Role Exists This role is critical to ensuring day-to-day program delivery remains coordinated, measurable, repeatable, responsive, and aligned to customer expectations. The position supports an IT services environment where operational consistency, delivery visibility, service quality, and proactive problem solving are essential to success. Key Responsibilities • Drive day-to-day delivery coordination across technical, service, and operational workstreams Manage IT Operations projects from ideation to completion by requirements analysis, planning, monitoring, risk management, stakeholder management, and status reporting. • Support the Program Manager in monitoring program health, delivery trends, risks, dependencies, and performance metrics, escalating issues when needed • Partner with customer stakeholders, IT team leads, and internal leadership to align priorities and improve execution Maintain strong visibility into service performance, delivery quality, SLA attainment, and customer satisfaction • Develop, improve, and manage dashboards, reporting cadences, and executive-level operational insights Help establish and reinforce effective ways of working across teams, including Agile, Scrum, Kanban, and hybrid delivery models • Support audit readiness, compliance requirements, process documentation, and operational governance activities Lead continuous improvement efforts that reduce waste, improve cycle times, and strengthen delivery predictability • Facilitate meetings, reviews, retrospectives, planning sessions, and stakeholder engagements that drive clarity and accountability Education and Years of Experience Bachelor’s degree in business, management, information systems, or related field, or equivalent experience 4+ years of experience in project management, program operations, service delivery, or federal IT environments Required Skills • Demonstrated experience managing operational performance, delivery oversight, and stakeholder communications • Professional experience working with Agile, Scrum, Kanban, or hybrid program delivery models • Experience using reporting and visualization tools to communicate trends, status, risks, and performance • Ability to work across technical and non-technical teams to align priorities and drive outcomes • Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to brief both leadership and customers • Experience supporting compliance, documentation, process discipline, or audit-readiness efforts Ability to identify breakdowns in systems or workflows and implement pragmatic solutions Preferred Skills Experience in Department of Defense or Air Force environments Experience supporting ITSM, service delivery, infrastructure, end-user support, or enterprise IT operations Experience with tools such as ServiceNow, Jira, Power BI, Tableau, Smartsheet, or Microsoft ecosystem tools Experience managing portfolios, service operations, or multi-team delivery structures Familiarity with CMMI, quality frameworks, or structured delivery/governance models The strongest candidates will bring: • Leadership presence without ego -Operational rigor without bureaucracy bloat -A systems mindset, not just task tracking • Strong customer instincts and contractor professionalism -The ability to coach teams while still holding the line on standards • Highly organized and detail-oriented, yet comfortable with managing change. Comfort moving between strategy, reporting, facilitation, and execution Success Measures in the First 6–12 Months -Builds trust with customer stakeholders and internal leads quickly • Establishes strong visibility into delivery health, risks, and performance -Improves coordination across teams and reduces execution friction • Maintains or improves SLA and service performance metrics- • Strengthens reporting quality and leadership decision support • Supports clean contract execution, documentation, and governance -Identifies meaningful process improvements that improve throughput, predictability, or customer experience Core Competencies • Program and project leadership • Delivery management • Stakeholder engagement • Cross-functional coordination • Resource planning -Risk and issue management • Continuous improvement -Agile and Lean practices -Executive communication Our Core Values   Employees of Agile Defense are our number one priority, and the importance we place on our culture here is fundamental. Our culture is alive and evolving, but it always stays true to its roots. Here, you are valued as a family member, and we believe that we can accomplish great things together. Agile Defense has been highly successful in the past few years due to our employees and the culture we create together.    What makes us Agile? We call it the 6Hs, the values that define our culture and guide everything we do. Together, these values infuse vibrancy, integrity, and a tireless work ethic into advancing the most important national security and critical civilian missions. It's how we show up every day. It's who we are.   Happy - Be Infectious. Happiness multiplies and creates a positive and connected environment where motivation and satisfaction have an outsized effect on everything we do. Helpful - Be Supportive. Being helpful is the foundation of teamwork, resulting in a supportive atmosphere where collaboration flourishes, and collective success is celebrated. Honest - Be Trustworthy.Honesty serves as our compass, ensuring transparent communication and ethical conduct, essential to who we are and the complex domains we support. Humble - Be Grounded.Success is not achieved alone, humility ensures a culture of mutual respect, encouraging open communication, and a willingness to learn from one another and take on any task. Hungry - Be Eager.Our hunger for excellence drives an insatiable appetite for innovation and continuous improvement, propelling us forward in the face of new and unprecedented challenges. Hustle - Be Driven.Hustle is reflected in our relentless work ethic, where we are each committed to going above and beyond to advance the mission and achieve success.   Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities