Program Manager

RESULTS. INNOVATION. VALUES. ACCOUNTABILITY. 

That’s RIVA. 

We’re a mission-driven IT services company and systems integrator supporting digital transformation and modernization for federal government agencies. Since 2009, we’ve partnered with our customers to solve complex challenges through smart, practical innovation to deliver real outcomes where they matter most. Our teams are made up of industry-leading experts who are passionate about doing great work and making a difference. We don’t just develop solutions, we support efforts that strengthen communities and serve the public good. 
 
RIVA’s culture is built on four core values: Results, Innovation, Values, and Accountability. They guide how we work, how we collaborate, and how we measure success. Our employee-first approach is rooted in trust, ownership, and meaningful work. By investing in our people and fostering a flexible, supportive environment, employees have the opportunity to grow their skills, contribute ideas, and make an impact from day one. all while supporting missions that matter. 

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Program Manager is the single point of accountability to the Census Bureau for the program. This person leads the integrated contractor team across all program functions and owns cost, schedule, and performance. The role must hold a nationwide, surge-driven operation together as it scales from a limited 2028 Census Test deployment to processing roughly 725,000 selectees for the 2030 Census, then winds down through decommissioning.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as the primary interface with the Contracting Officer, COR, and Census Bureau program stakeholders, including Census Investigation Service (CIS) staff, Decennial program offices, and other Census contractors.
• Establish program governance, management processes, administrative controls, and reporting in line with Census Bureau program management and work breakdown standards.
• Implement an ANSI/EIA-748 compliant earned value management approach to monitor and report cost, schedule, and performance.
• Integrate the program schedule with the Census Bureau's Decennial integrated master schedule and manage critical milestones, including delivery of the non-employee onboarding portal by September 2027.
• Prepare order-level price quotes and manage burn rates, incremental funding, overtime requests, travel, and materials.
• Direct the Solution Architect, Implementation Lead, Operations and Maintenance Lead, and Security Lead, along with subcontractor and teaming partner leads, with clear accountability for each FBIB function.
• Own the staffing plan for recruiting, vetting, training, and scaling enrollment operators and suitability reviewers ahead of peak, so appropriately vetted personnel are available when needed.
• Run the program risk register, contingency plans, and corrective actions, including risks tied to volume surges, site availability, system dependencies, and changing Government requirements.
• Keep the Contracting Officer and COR informed of key personnel changes and brief the Government regularly on staffing levels and open vacancies.
• Deliver daily, weekly, and monthly status reporting and ad hoc data requests covering areas such as site utilization, fingerprints completed, site openings, and security.
• Oversee quality assurance in line with Census Bureau quality management standards and ensure deliverables meet acceptance criteria.
• Stand up a deliverables team and assign a primary and secondary technical owner to every deliverable. Route each deliverable through peer review and a quality checklist before submission.
• Consolidate weekly status from regional and functional leads into a single report to the COR, and report burn rate and hours worked in the monthly status report.
• Plan and lead post-peak transition and decommissioning, including data return, sanitization, and Title 13 media certification.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in business, management, information systems, or a related field.
• 15 or more years of professional experience, including at least 10 years managing large federal programs with multi-site field operations.
• Experience managing a program that scaled rapidly to a surge peak, ideally in identity, credentialing, biometric enrollment, background investigation, or large-scale hiring operations.
• Demonstrated use of earned value management, integrated master schedules, and formal risk management on federal contracts.
• Experience managing subcontractors and teaming partners on a prime contract.
• PMP certification.
• Ability to obtain a Department of Commerce (DOC) Background Investigation and Census Special Sworn Status.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Prior Decennial Census experience, especially 2020 Census fingerprinting or field operations.
• Experience with OPM suitability processes, HSPD-12, or FBI fingerprint submission programs.
• PgMP, Agile certification (PMI-ACP, SAFe, or CSM), or ITIL Foundation.
• Experience with GSA MAS BPAs and order-level pricing.
• Experience operating within CMMI Level 3 or ISO 9001, 20000-1, and 27001 certified delivery processes.

This position is a contingent hire opportunity on a proposal proposal effort.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY & ACCOMMODATION

We believe great teams are built from different backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences, and we mean that beyond the buzzwords. 

RIVA is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of every race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by law.

If you need an accommodation at any point in our process, send an email to talent@rivasolutionsinc.com, we'll be happy to help.

VETERAN SUPPORT & ACCESSIBILITY

As a federal contractor, RIVA follows the requirements of the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, supporting the employment and advancement of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. If you're a veteran, we encourage you to self-identify during the application process, it helps us track our hiring commitments and, in some cases, may support priority referral for open roles.

RIVA also invites applicants to voluntarily self-identify as having a disability during the application process, not because it affects your chances of being hired, but because it helps us measure how well we're living up to our commitments and identify where we can do better. Your response is confidential and entirely optional.