Senior project director

ICF is seeking an experienced Senior Project Director to lead the Technical Assistance on State, Tribal, and Federal Child Welfare Information Systems (CWIS) contract. This senior leadership role provides strategic direction, technical oversight, and full contract accountability for a large, complex, multi-million-dollar federal initiative supporting the Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) Children’s Bureau (CB) and state, Tribal, and federal child welfare information system programs.

The Senior Project Director serves as ICF’s senior management interface with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), federal program leadership, and other government stakeholders. This individual will lead a multidisciplinary team and ensure that contract activities, staffing, deliverables, finances, risks, and quality-assurance processes are effectively managed and aligned with contractual requirements and federal priorities.

The successful candidate will bring extensive experience managing complex technical assistance (TA) contracts, strong knowledge of child welfare information systems, including Comprehensive Child Welfare Information Systems (CCWIS) and Title IV-E automation, and the ability to translate federal policy, program, data, and technology requirements into effective TA strategies and solutions for government partners.

This is a remote position.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and oversee a large, complex, multi-million-dollar federal contract, providing overall strategic, operational, and programmatic leadership and maintaining accountability for performance, staffing, deliverables, schedules, finances, communications, quality, and risk management.
• Serve as the senior-level interface with the CB, COR, ACF, and Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) leadership, and other government stakeholders, acting as a trusted advisor on program strategy, implementation, performance, and emerging risks.
• Develop and maintain integrated project management processes and tools, including work plans, schedules, resource plans, performance measures, executive reporting, and risk and issue management.
• Manage contract finances, including budgeting, forecasting, expenditures, invoicing, profitability, and overall financial performance.
• Lead workforce planning, staffing, recruitment, onboarding, staff development, performance management, and retention while fostering a collaborative, accountable, and high-performing culture focused on quality, responsiveness, continuous improvement, and exceptional client service.
• Provide leadership, oversight, and quality assurance for TA services, deliverables, and activities supporting state, Tribal, territorial, and federal child welfare information systems.
• Guide work related to CCWIS and legacy Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information Systems; Title IV-E planning and implementation; Advance Planning Documents (APDs); federal reporting programs, including AFCARS, NYTD, NCANDS, and Prevention Services Data; and data governance and quality initiatives.
• Support compliance with ACF and OCIO governance requirements, including project intake, stage-gate reviews, Integrated Project Team activities, and project-health reporting, and other federal oversight processes.
• Prepare and deliver status reports, executive briefings, management reviews, meeting materials, and other contract communications while facilitating coordination among government leaders, program and policy staff, technical teams, contractors, and other partners.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, business, public administration, social work, or a related field.
• 15+ years of progressive project, program, or contract leadership experience in child welfare, human services, information technology, or a closely related field, including:
• Significant experience managing large, complex, multi-million-dollar federal projects or contracts, with responsibility for personnel, activities, schedules, costs, risks, deliverables, communications, and quality.
• At least 10 years of experience supporting child welfare or closely related human services programs, with demonstrated knowledge of federal child welfare requirements, policy, data, and information technology.
• Demonstrated experience leading large multidisciplinary, geographically dispersed teams.
• Demonstrated experience managing annual contract budgets greater than $10 million, including expenditures, forecasting, invoicing, and financial oversight.
• Demonstrated knowledge of child welfare information system modernization, including CCWIS, Title IV-E automation, and the relationship among child welfare practice, federal requirements, data, and technology.
• Demonstrated knowledge of CCWIS, legacy Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information Systems, and federal child welfare reporting programs, including AFCARS, NYTD, and NCANDS.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the Advance Planning Document (APD), state procurement, independent verification and validation, agile delivery, and information technology governance.
• Experience working directly with senior government clients and coordinating across program, policy, operational, and technical stakeholders.
• Ability to obtain and maintain the level of suitability or public trust required by the contract, identified in the supporting contract summary as HHS Level 5 Public Trust.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in information technology, business, public administration, social work, or a related field.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
• Executive leadership experience on a large federal child welfare, human services, or related contract.
• Experience supporting ACF, the CB, and/or OCIO in a senior advisory or contract leadership capacity.
• Experience managing a federal prime contract, major federal task order, or a comparable state, Tribal, or territory contract.
• Experience providing TA to federal, state, Tribal, or territorial human services agencies.
• Experience implementing or overseeing large-scale public-sector information systems.
• Experience with organizational change management, human-centered design, data governance, or modernization-readiness planning.

Required Professional Skills

• Demonstrated ability to provide strategic, operational, and fiscal leadership for large, complex federal contracts with multiple workstreams and stakeholders.
• Proven ability to serve as a trusted advisor to senior officials, manage high-level client relationships, and align a range of stakeholders around shared objectives.
• Ability to translate complex child welfare policy, program, data, and technology requirements into clear, actionable guidance for technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Strong executive briefing, presentation, and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly and represent the program with credibility.
• Strategic, collaborative, and practical leadership style that creates clarity, accountability, and shared purpose across multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to balance client needs, project requirements, timelines, resources, and financial constraints while maintaining mission alignment and high-quality outcomes.

Bot and Third-Party Applications

Please note that this application must be submitted directly by the applicant for consideration. Failure to do so may result in the application being excluded for consideration. Applicants needing an accommodation for disability or religious purposes in connection with the application process should contact Candidateaccommodation@icf.com for assistance.

Working at ICF

ICF is a global advisory and technology services provider, but we’re not your typical consultants. We combine unmatched expertise with cutting-edge technology to help clients solve their most complex challenges, navigate change, and shape the future.

We can only solve the world's toughest challenges by building a workplace that allows everyone to thrive. We are an equal opportunity employer. Together, our employees are empowered to share their expertise and collaborate with others to achieve personal and professional goals. For more information, please read our EEO policy.

We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Reasonable Accommodations are available, including, but not limited to, for disabled veterans, individuals with disabilities, and individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs, in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation, please email Candidateaccommodation@icf.com and we will be happy to assist. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.

Read more about workplace discrimination rights or our benefit offerings which are included in the Transparency in (Benefits) Coverage Act.

Candidate AI Usage Policy

At ICF, we are committed to ensuring a fair interview process for all candidates based on their own skills and knowledge. As part of this commitment, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate or assist with responses during interviews (whether in-person or virtual) is not permitted. This policy is in place to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the interview process.

However, we understand that some candidates may require accommodation that involves the use of AI. If such an accommodation is needed, candidates are instructed to contact us in advance at candidateaccommodation@icf.com. We are dedicated to providing the necessary support to ensure that all candidates have an equal opportunity to succeed.

Pay Range

There are multiple factors that are considered in determining final pay for a position, including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and competencies that align to the specified role, geographic location, education and certifications as well as contract provisions regarding labor categories that are specific to the position. The pay range for this position based on full-time employment is: $131,256.00 - $223,134.00