Program Manager (Veterans Affairs)

The Department of Veterans Affairs is advancing major modernization initiatives that improve how care is coordinated, delivered, and experienced across the enterprise. This role is designed for a senior leader who can unify Appian-related efforts into a centralized program model and help position Appian as a standard platform for workflow modernization across current and future VA priorities. VA’s operating environment includes major mission areas such as Community Care and Telehealth, both of which depend on secure, scalable digital workflows and strong cross-functional coordination. 

We are seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead the VA Appian Modernization Program across strategic healthcare and operational initiatives. This individual will serve as the central leader responsible for platform strategy, delivery governance, stakeholder alignment, and the evolution of Appian from a set of project implementations into a unified enterprise program.

This role combines program leadership, platform governance, delivery oversight, and client engagement. The right candidate will bring experience leading federal digital transformation efforts, a practical understanding of VA workflows, and the ability to build a repeatable model for scaling secure, mission-focused Appian solutions across the organization.

This role is based at our HQ in McLean, VA. Appian was built on a culture of in-person collaboration, which we believe is a key driver of our mission to be the best. Employees hired for this position are expected to be in the office 4 - 5 days per week to foster that culture, ensure we thrive through shared ideas and teamwork, and maximize opportunities to connect with the exceptional people across Appian. While working in-person with customers is our main priority, we also believe the office environment enables more opportunities to celebrate wins, collaborate effectively, and build strong relationships across teams.

What you’ll do:

• Lead the transition from separate Appian projects to a centralized VA Appian modernization program with shared governance, standards, and delivery priorities.

• Establish and mature an Appian Center of Excellence that supports intake, prioritization, architecture review, reusable assets, and platform adoption across multiple VA initiatives.

• Drive the roadmap for Appian solutions supporting Community Care Referrals, Virtual Care, and future modernization opportunities aligned to VA mission priorities.

• Partner with VA stakeholders across VHA, OIT, business operations, and clinical leadership to translate operational needs into scalable workflow and case management solutions.

• Oversee cross-functional delivery teams including Appian developers, architects, business analysts, QA specialists, scrum leads, and integration resources.

• Build a reusable delivery model that includes design standards, component libraries, integration patterns, release controls, and performance reporting.

• Guide program-level risk management related to legacy dependencies, security approvals, platform sprawl, and enterprise change adoption.

• Support executive communications, governance reviews, roadmap planning, and value reporting tied to modernization outcomes.

What you’ll own:

• Enterprise Appian program strategy and operating model.

• Platform governance, standardization, and reuse.

• Delivery oversight across multiple Appian workstreams.

• Stakeholder alignment across business, technical, and compliance teams.

• Growth of Appian as a modernization platform for future VA use cases.

What we’re looking for:

• 7+ years of experience in IT program management, digital transformation, or enterprise platform delivery.

• 3+ years leading IT initiatives or clinical workflow application programs in a complex enterprise or federal environment.

• Direct experience supporting VA, VHA, or other federal healthcare-related organizations is strongly preferred.

• Strong understanding of workflow modernization, case management, integration delivery, and Agile program execution.

• Experience working in regulated environments with security, privacy, and compliance expectations tied to federal systems.

• Familiarity with VA operational domains such as Community Care, referral management, telehealth, or related Veteran service workflows is highly desirable.

• Ability to lead matrixed teams, influence senior stakeholders, and connect delivery decisions to mission outcomes.

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field; Scrum, SAFe, or Appian certifications are preferred.

Ideal background:

The strongest candidates will bring a mix of the following:

• Experience centralizing delivery across multiple projects into a true program structure.

• Success building or operating a low-code Center of Excellence.

• Comfort working at both executive and delivery-team levels.

• Knowledge of integrating Appian with enterprise systems, APIs, and healthcare-related platforms.

• Experience shaping future opportunities while managing active delivery.

Why this role matters:

This position sits at the center of a high-impact modernization effort that can improve how the VA coordinates care, manages referrals, and expands access to digital health services for Veterans.

The Program Manager in this role will help create the structure, governance, and momentum needed to make Appian a durable modernization platform across the VA. That means improving consistency, accelerating delivery, reducing duplication, and supporting better experiences for Veterans, providers, and VA operational teams. 

Join us to help shape a modern, scalable workflow platform that supports better outcomes for Veterans and the teams who serve them every day. This is an opportunity to lead both active delivery and long-term platform strategy in one of the most meaningful modernization environments in government.