Benefits Administration Strategic Initiatives Advisor (Veterans Affairs exp required)

GDIT's Federal Health Team is hiring a Benefits Administration Strategic Initiatives Director to support associated programs and products.

The Strategic Initiatives Director is responsible for aligning strategic directions for the implementation, configuration, development, and support services to a broad Veterans Affairs Benefits Administration (VBA) Modernization program.

This position is a remote role but must be willing and able to travel up to 25% to customer and senior leadership meetings. 

In this role you will collaborate with management, as well as client-facing business, financial, operational staff, and associated IT groups. Provide support for the pursuit of new opportunities, as well as planning, acquisition, management, and implementation of systems and applications necessary to support the clinical, business, financial, and operational needs. Provide leadership, guidance and business re-engineering recommendations for the development, acquisition, implementation, integration, and support of complex applications and system software. 

HOW YOU WILL MAKE AN IMPACT:

• Drive strategic initiatives to ensure organization’s continued growth and profitability while creating and maintaining customer intimacy. Works with internal stakeholders to improve business operations, work with external sub-contractors to ensure requirements are clearly defined a delivery is at the highest level
• Oversees collaboration of internal stakeholders to identify, examine and to convey the strategic value of partner prospects
• Provides strategic support, leadership and value to pursue new VBA opportunities
• Provides foresight for the development of strategic road maps for VBA opportunities and current projects by engaging sector management team through promoting working group level exchanges between the key executive leadership, partners and division level resources
• Identifies, develops and prioritizes opportunities for VBA systems
• Acts as a strategic liaison between internal and external stakeholders during operations, implementations and pursuit activities
• Provides high level collaborative interfaces with external consultants, industry associations and organizations to maintain awareness of industry, products and implementation standards
• Oversees portfolio reshaping activities as required
• Responsible for providing guidance, organizational roadmap, staffing alignment, shaping, and other activities typical of program pursuits or implementations
• Responsible for leading, managing and supporting Agency objectives/priorities by applying rigorous methodology that ensures systems are developed and/or implemented based on specific criteria.  Incorporating standards for resiliency, user satisfaction, flexibility, reusability, scalability, and performance.
• Ensure that proposals or deliverables on a program align with the agency’s priorities and GDIT’s processes 
• Develop and maintain strong relationships in industry.  Including close relationships with customers, partners, IT management, and staff (where appropriate) to provide cost effective systems that meet customer needs.
• Strong quantitative skills in financial analysis and business case development
• Provide consultation as appropriate with a benefits systems perspective. 
• Develops, maintains, and supports policies and procedures regarding application development and data management. 
• Sets management priorities, oversees all formalized project and strategic plans related to VBA systems. 

• Establishes methodologies for the implementation and/or development of state-of-the art software systems to ensure systems meet quality, industry, and customer satisfaction standards. 
• Establishes standards and guidelines to ensure effective communication and coordination among all stakeholders. 
• Provides strategic direction for VBA, and recommends future projects based on recent trends in Veteran benefits, and technology industries.  Investigate the use of new technology to improve business processes.  Optimizes day-to-day business operations.
• Provides oversight for all direct and indirect staff, including cross-functional or matrixed teams.
• Demonstrates success in optimizing and managing programs
• Be a leader who will coach staff, including focus on strategic career growth and development

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO SUCCEED (required):

• Bachelor's Degree
• 15+ years of progressive experience in large application systems support teams in a large COTS implementation or modernization with an emphasis on program/project management 
• 5+ years of supervisory experience, preferably in a VBA or other similarly complex environment.

• Experience developing budgets with a focus on achieving business unit objectives 

• Experience in vendor management; ensuring products and services are acquired in a cost-effective and timely manner 
• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects with success in meeting budget, timeline, and quality expectations 
• Experience setting policies, procedures, equipment standards, and documentation standards 

WHAT WOULD BE EVEN BETTER (preferred):

• Master’s degree in business or information technology
• Significant experience successfully implementing/overseeing benefits/claims solutions
• 10+ years of experience supporting large Federal government contracts or benefits systems is desired  
• PMP certification is desired

​KNOWLEDGE SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Excellent interpersonal and public speaking skills
• Ability to prioritize/delegate tasks and activities for a successful program execution 
• Ability to prepare budgets and provide productivity assessments
• Ability to operate calmly under stressful conditions
• Ability to relate cooperatively and constructively with customers, partners and peers
• Effectively develop and monitor high performing teams 
• Ability to use logical and analytical thinking to interpret technical data and solve a broad range of problems
• Able to collect and interpret data related to program operating and financial performance

GDIT IS YOUR PLACE:

• 401K with company match
• Comprehensive health and wellness packages
• Internal mobility team dedicated to helping you own your career
• Professional growth opportunities including paid education and certifications
• Cutting-edge technology you can learn from
• Rest and recharge with paid vacation and holidays