IT Program Manager
Description
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
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Maintain portfolio visibility across technology initiatives, projects, and workstreams.
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Support leadership in prioritization, sequencing, and capacity planning.
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Establish and maintain governance structures for program execution (e.g., intake, stage gates, status reporting).
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Monitor program performance against schedule, scope, and outcomes.
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Identify cross-project dependencies and risks; coordinate mitigation strategies.
Program Planning and Execution Oversight
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Lead development of program plans for major initiatives and multi-project efforts.
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Coordinate planning activities across technical and business stakeholders.
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Ensure project plans include appropriate scope definition, milestones, stakeholder engagement, and delivery readiness elements.
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Support consistent delivery practices and standards across project teams.
Project Management Standards and Tools
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Develop and maintain standard templates, reporting methods, and program management tools.
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Promote consistent project documentation and control practices.
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Partner with ITIL/ITSM governance functions to align change coordination and deployment planning.
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Support continuous improvement of project delivery methods.
Cross-Functional Coordination
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Coordinate with Technology managers and supervisors to align staffing, resourcing, and delivery schedules.
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Facilitate communication and escalation pathways for major risks and issues.
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Support coordinated delivery and change readiness for operational environments, including 24/7 transit impacts.
Stakeholder Management and Communication
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Provide portfolio and program reporting to Technology leadership and stakeholders.
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Facilitate governance meetings and decision forums as assigned.
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Promote transparency and timely communication of status, risks, and outcomes.
Vendor and External Partner Coordination
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Support coordination of vendors and external partners for program delivery activities.
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Align vendor timelines and deliverables with CATS governance and reporting expectations.
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Coordinate with IT Contracts/Asset governance as needed to support program readiness and continuity.
Continuous Improvement and Organizational Maturity
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Identify opportunities to strengthen delivery discipline and reduce recurring execution challenges.
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Promote lessons learned practices and portfolio-level improvements.
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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.
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Maintains visibility across initiatives
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Aligns delivery to strategic outcomes
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Balances constraints and dependencies
Program Governance and Accountability
Establishes structure and discipline for reliable delivery.
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Creates consistent standards
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Drives measurable execution
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Promotes transparent reporting
Cross-Functional Influence
Achieves outcomes through collaboration across technical and operational stakeholders.
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Builds alignment
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Facilitates decisions
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Resolves conflicts constructively
Risk and Dependency Management
Anticipates and manages portfolio-level risks.
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Identifies interdependencies
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Drives mitigation planning
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Supports informed tradeoffs
Supervision Given to
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Senior IT Project Manager(s)
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IT Project Manager(s)
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IT Project Coordinator(s)
Minimum Qualifications
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Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Business Administration, Public Administration, Engineering, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
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Five (5) years progressively responsible experience in project/program management, technology delivery, or related leadership roles.
Preferred Qualifications
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Experience leading portfolios or multi-project programs.
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Experience in public-sector, transportation, or operationally critical environments.
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Project/program management certification (PMP or similar).
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Experience coordinating vendor-supported implementations.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Knowledge of
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Program and portfolio management concepts and practices.
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Technology delivery lifecycle and implementation planning.
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Governance, reporting, and stakeholder coordination methods.
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Operational impacts of technology changes in 24/7 environments.
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Resource planning and dependency management principles.
Skill in
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Building and maintaining program governance tools and standards.
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Facilitating decision-making forums and stakeholder alignment.
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Communicating complex status/risk information clearly.
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Coordinating schedules and dependencies across multiple teams.
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Developing structured plans and reporting outputs.
Ability to
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Exercise independent judgm