Job Description

Overview:

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is seeking skilled professionals to support a wide range of program and technical services across the institute. This is a remote position with occasional onsite visits required for key personnel to support collaboration, planning, and program delivery.
The NICHD OIT team provides full lifecycle IT support, helping the institute maintain a secure, efficient, and modern technology environment. Team members will work alongside NIH scientists, administrators, and stakeholders to deliver innovative, compliant, and user-centered digital solutions that advance NICHD's strategic goals.
The Deputy Program Manager / Product Owner (DPM/PO) plays a dual role in supporting the Program Manager with strategic and tactical oversight of NICHD's IT portfolio and serving as a key liaison between business stakeholders and technical delivery teams. In addition to assisting with program-level governance and reporting, the Deputy Program Manager directly manages select products and projects as a Product Owner--defining business value, maintaining product backlogs, engaging with users and stakeholders, and ensuring alignment with NIH/HHS priorities.
What You'll Do:
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Program Management Support

Assist the Program Manager in managing the overall contract, ensuring execution meets performance, cost, schedule, and quality objectives. Oversee day-to-day operational delivery in accordance with the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). Coordinate with technical leads to track progress, manage dependencies, and ensure compliance with NIH and HHS IT governance. Prepare deliverables for the NICHD IT Steering Committee (ITSC), OIT PMO, and leadership--including executive dashboards, risk registers, and milestone reports.
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Product Owner Responsibilities

Serve as Product Owner for selected systems or capability areas, ensuring products deliver value aligned with NICHD's mission and stakeholder needs. Own and manage the product backlog, prioritize user stories, and work closely with Scrum teams during sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives. Collaborate with the Product Manager, Business Analysts, and stakeholders to: + Define product vision, success metrics, and business cases
+ Translate stakeholder feedback into actionable requirements
+ Ensure user-centric design and accessibility (Section 508 compliance)
Support development of Business Case Documents and IT Project Assessments in accordance with HHS EPLC standards. Guide system enhancements through iterative development while maintaining operational reliability.

Required Knowledge and Skills:
Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Business Administration, or related technical field. 7+ years of IT program management experience, including 3+ years supporting Agile delivery teams or serving as a Product Owner. Experience managing or supporting federal contracts, preferably within NIH, HHS, or similar public health environments. Strong working knowledge of: + Agile methodologies and frameworks (Scrum, SAFe)
+ PMI PMBOK practices and project management disciplines
+ Federal IT governance frameworks (HHS EPLC, FISMA, etc.)
Experience managing product backlogs and collaborating with cross-functional delivery teams.

Abilities:
Strategic Alignment - Ensures products and projects support NICHD's long-term IT modernization goals and mission objectives. Product Ownership - Defines value, prioritizes features, and guides product development with clarity and accountability. Stakeholder Engagement - Builds consensus across business, technical, and leadership stakeholders in a highly regulated environment. Agile Execution - Translates roadmaps into executable backlogs and leads teams through iterative delivery. Analytical Thinking - Uses KPIs, ROI, and outcome-driven metrics to track success and guide decision-making. Compliance-Oriented - Ensures alignment with NIH, HHS, and federal standards (EPLC, FISMA, Section 508). Communicative Leadership - Delivers clear, concise, and effective messaging to technical and non-technical audiences alike.

Nice to Haves:
Master's degree in a related discipline. Certifications highly preferred: + PMP (Project Management Professional)
+ Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) or PMI-ACP
+ SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager (POPM)
Familiarity with: + Tools such as Jira, Confluence, Power BI, MS Project
+ Federal modernization initiatives (AI/ML, RPA, Cloud Migration)
+ Accessibility standards (Section 508, USWDS)


Salary Range:

The salary range is $155,000-172,000/year. The salary range for this position reflects a variety of factors that influence compensation decisions, including skills, experience, training, certifications, and organizational needs.