Health and Human Services Project Manager (Project Manager 1)

What You Will Do

Lead projects that make a difference!

This position reports to the Assistant Director, Health and Human Services (HHS) and oversees projects that enhance programs supporting families and communities across Ohio, including Child Support, Family Assistance, Community Support Services, and the Youth and Family Ombudsmen Office—from concept to completion. This role closely partners with internal leadership, teams, external partners, and stakeholders to improve processes, implement policies, and advance strategic initiatives.

Candidates should have a proven history of successfully planning, executing, and evaluating projects—preferably within the health and human services sector—along with strong expertise in policy implementation and stakeholder engagement. This role demands exceptional organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects and other assignments in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Plan, manage, and monitor projects from initiation to completion, including timelines, budgets, resource allocation, risk assessment, and deliverables.

• Coordinate and serve as a liaison among leadership, internal teams, external partners, and community stakeholders to ensure alignment and effective communication.

• Prepare reports and updates for leadership and stakeholders.

• Develop and maintain policies and procedures to ensure compliance with state and federal laws.

• Address operational needs and resolve issues impacting HHS programs and services.

• Manage deadlines and priorities on behalf of the HHS Assistant Director.

• Represent leadership and agency on committees, boards, commissions, public forums, and meetings with local offices and service providers.

• Lead meetings, presentations, and trainings; travel as needed for conferences and stakeholder engagement.

• Oversee procurement processes, including document preparation, proposal review, and vendor recommendations.

Potential challenges of this position could include having to complete tasks quickly, having lots of information to manage and analyze, and having to coordinate multiple projects at one time.

This position (PN: 20102221) is Unclassified per ORC 124.11 (A)(9) and is overtime exempt.

Schedule: Full time. Standard workdays are Monday through Friday. Hours are between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Location: This position is in-office and is assigned to the Rhodes State Office Tower at 30 E. Broad Street, 32nd Floor, Columbus, OH 43215.

Travel: Occasional travel within the state of Ohio.

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation)

• Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

The ideal candidate, at minimum, must have the following:

Option 1:

• 3 yrs. exp. in project management (i.e., management & development of project/program requirements, design, development, testing/pilot, training & full-scale implementation), with experience to be commensurate with project/program &/or position description on file (e.g., specific human service program area, management information sciences, fiscal);

• and 12 mos. exp. in budgeting & calculating cost projections of program/projects.

Option 2:

• Successful completion of 2 yrs. post-secondary education majoring in business administration, public administration, computer science/information technology, social science, or health, with major being commensurate with project to be assigned;

• and 12 mos. exp. in budgeting & calculating cost projections of program/projects.

Option 3:

• Equivalent of minimum class qualifications for employment noted above.

Tips For Your Application

When completing the different sections of this application, be sure to clearly describe how you meet the minimum qualifications outlined in this job posting. We cannot give you credit for your Work Experience and Education & Certifications if you do not provide that information in your online application. Information in attached resumes or cover letters must be entered into your application in the appropriate Work Experience or Education & Certification sections to be considered.

Pay Information

This position is in the State of Ohio’s E1 Pay Schedule, Pay Range 15. Unless required by legislation or union contract, starting salary will be the minimum salary of that pay range (step 1, currently $43.09 per hour). These ranges provide a standardized pathway for pay increases. With continued employment, new hires move to the next step in the range after 6 months and annually thereafter. Cost of Living Adjustments increase wages in these ranges each fiscal year. The current step progression wages are in the table below.

Pay Range 15

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

Hourly

$43.09

$45.51

$48.08

$50.72

$53.54

$56.47

$58.79

$61.56

Annual

$89,627

$94,661

$100,006

$105,498

$111,363

$117,458

$122,283

$128,045

Months of Employment

At Hire

6 Months

18 Months

30 Months

42 Months

54 Months

66 Months

78 Months

ADA Notice

If you require an accommodation based on a disability for any step of the selection process, please contact [email protected].

Background check information

The final candidate selected for this position will be required to undergo a criminal background check. Some positions may require drug testing and/or fingerprinting. Criminal convictions do not necessarily disqualify candidates from consideration.

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.