Associate Project Management Jobs in Markham, IL

• Subject to Management Approval, plans, develops, organizes, controls, and manages the agency’s Project Management Office (PMO) framework and governance processes.
• Serves as the business owner for any PMO support tools, such as Microsoft Planner, to maintain project management tracking and support executive-facing dashboard creation. 
• Serves as the executive project management resource for IDEC managerial staff, developing templates, including materials for establishment of governance structures, project documentation, and standardized practices for complex initiatives. This position directly or indirectly facilitates project management meetings and ensures projects are aligned with agency priorities, scope, and timelines.
• Establishes project lifecycle processes for onboarding new projects and offboarding completed projects across all divisions.
• Serves as full line supervisor.
• Supports IDEC business owners directly and indirectly in establishing project management support for implementation of systems and technology solutions.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned, which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above. 

• Requires knowledge, skill, and mental development equivalent to the completion of four (4) years of college, with coursework in public administration, early childhood education, social work, program management, business administration, or a related field.
• Requires four (4) years of progressively responsible professional experience in project or program management, policy analysis, operational oversight, or process improvement within public-sector, social service, or education-focused organizations.
• Requires professional credential or education validating expertise in leading projects, such as Certified Associate of Project Management (CAPM) to advanced Project Management Professional (PMP), Program Management Professional (PgMP), Agile Certified Professional (PMI-ACP), Scrum, Waterfall, Masters in Business Administration (MBA), or comparable certification or degree.

• Prefers three (3) years of experience in advanced project and program management within a complex public-sector, government, or large-scale human services organization, including supporting cross-functional and interagency initiatives. 
• Prefers three (3) years of professional experience meeting deadlines with strong attention to detail and the ability to utilize critical thinking skills while multi-tasking multiple projects.  
• Prefers three (3) years of experience in strategic planning, performance management, and KPI development, including translating agency goals into measurable operational outcomes and using data to inform executive decision-making. 
• Prefers three (3) years of experience applying process improvement and operational excellence methodologies, such as Lean, Six Sigma, or comparable continuous improvement frameworks, across multiple divisions or programs.
• Prefers three (3) years of experience partnering with executive leadership, including Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries, Directors, or equivalent senior leaders, to develop governance structures, recommend policy and program improvements, and support agency-wide change initiatives. 
• Prefers three (3) years of experience demonstrating leadership, communication, and facilitation skills, with the ability to guide cross-divisional teams, manage competing priorities, and build consensus among internal and external stakeholders. 

• Requires the ability to successfully pass an agency criminal history check through the Illinois State Police.
• Requires the ability to successfully pass a Child Abuse and Neglect Tracking System (CANTS) background check.
• Requires ability to travel in the performance of duties, with overnight stays as appropriate.
• Overtime is a condition of employment, and you may be requested or required/mandated to work overtime including scheduled, unscheduled, or last-minute overtime. This may require the ability to work evenings and weekends.
• Certain provisions of the revolving door restrictions contained in 5 ILCS 430/5-45 apply to this position. As a result, the employee should be aware that if offered non-State employment during state employment or within one year immediately after ending State employment, the employee shall, prior to accepting any such non-State employment offer, notify the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor (OEIG) or may be subject to a fine.
• This position has been found to meet the requirements in section 4A-101 of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act requiring the occupant/employee to file a Statement of Economic Interest. The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (5 ILCS 420/4A et seq.) requires certain state officials and employees to file annual Statements of Economic Interest with the Office of the Secretary of State that will be made available for examination and copying by the public. All employees required to file a Statement of Economic Interest are also required to file the Supplemental Statement of Economic Interest with the Executive Ethics Commission. (See Executive Order 15-09) Fines and penalties apply to untimely filings

*The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description.

The Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC) was signed into law in June of 2024 with the focus of making early childhood education and care services simpler, better and fairer for families with young children across the state. During fiscal years FY25 and FY26, IDEC will be working through transitioning data, programs and services from three state agencies – the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), – to IDEC in order to be fully operational by July 2026.   

Illinois strives to be the best state in the nation to raise a family with young children and IDEC is committed to continue putting children and families center while reducing complexities and finding efficiencies in the system and advancing equity.