Description
The Manhattan Strategy Group (MSG) LLC, a rapidly growing management consulting firm, is seeking Lead Appian Developer/ Project Manager for an upcoming opportunity.
MSG provides consulting services across the federal government in the areas of training and technical assistance, grants management, research and evaluation, marketing and communications, program management, and information technology. Our federal clients include the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Justice, and Homeland Security.
We offer our team members a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment and a competitive benefits package.
Job Duties/Responsibilities:
The Lead Appian Developer / Project Manager serves as the technical lead and delivery manager for a complex, mission critical Appian application supporting a federal agency program. This individual is responsible for technical direction, Agile delivery execution, stakeholder coordination, and overall quality of system enhancements and operations.
The Lead Developer/PM acts as the primary integrator between the Government Product Owner (GPO), development team, help desk, and security/compliance stakeholders assuring technical excellence, schedule adherence, and regulatory compliance across all phases of the contract.
Technical Leadership & Architecture
• Serve as the technical authority for all Appian development activities
• Lead design decisions for:
o Appian process models, records, interfaces, expression rules, integrations, and reports
o Performance sensitive workflows and complex financial calculations
• Review and approve technical designs and implementations produced by senior and mid level developers
• Ensure consistent use of Appian best practices, reuse strategies, and system design standards
• Guide Appian version upgrades and architecture evolution in coordination with Appian Cloud support
Agile Delivery & Project Management
• Own day to day execution of Agile software delivery
• Partner with the Government Product Owner to:
o Refine, prioritize, and balance the product backlog
o Align development priorities with program deadlines and operational needs
• Lead sprint planning, backlog grooming, sprint reviews, and retrospectives
• Develop and maintain sprint schedules, release plans, and delivery forecasts
• Track progress against scope, schedule, and quality objectives and proactively manage risks
• Ensure development capacity is appropriately balanced between enhancements and help desk support
Team Leadership & Coordination
• Lead and mentor Appian developers across experience levels
• Coordinate closely with:
o Help Desk staff to triage, prioritize, and resolve system issues
o QA resources to ensure adequate testing coverage before releases
• Facilitate daily coordination between development and operations support functions
• Support onboarding, knowledge transfer, and continuity planning to mitigate staff turnover risk
Operations, Maintenance & Production Support
• Provide oversight for application operations and maintenance activities
• Lead response to high priority production incidents and bugs, particularly during peak grant application periods
• Ensure timely delivery of hot fixes, patches, and emergency releases when regulatory or program deadlines are at risk
• Oversee root cause analysis and implementation of long-term corrective actions
• Ensure compliance with uptime, performance, and availability requirements
Compliance, Security & Quality Assurance
• Ensure all development adheres to:
o Section 508 accessibility requirements
o Federal security and privacy standards (FISMA, NIST, ED policies)
• Support ATO and ongoing security assessment activities in coordination with security staff
• Oversee configuration management, change control, and release documentation
• Ensure technical documentation, diagrams, and release notes are accurate and current
• Participate in Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) activities and support deliverable inspections
Stakeholder Communication & Reporting
• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for the Government on development and delivery matters
• Provide clear, concise updates during:
o Monthly Status Meetings
o Sprint reviews and demonstrations
• Contribute to monthly progress reporting with accurate status, risks, and mitigation strategies
• Translate technical issues and solutions for non-technical stakeholders as needed
Required Qualifications:
• 7+ years of Appian development experience, including leadership of complex Appian applications
• 3+ years in technical leadership or delivery lead role (Lead Developer, Tech Lead, or similar)
• Demonstrated experience managing Agile development for large, mature Appian systems
• Deep expertise with:
o Appian process models and records
o SAIL interface design
o Expression rules and integration patterns
o Role based security and performance optimization
• Strong understanding of Agile/Scrum practices and backlog management
• Deep understanding of SQL database language and MySQL database management system
• Proven ability to balance hands on technical work with delivery and team leadership
• Excellent communication, documentation, and stakeholder management skills
Preferred Experience:
• Experience leading Appian development for federal or public sector systems
• Familiarity with:
o Appian Government Cloud
o CI/CD pipelines and automated testing for Appian
o Financial or grant management systems
• Experience supporting applications subject to:
o Section 508
o FISMA / NIST Moderate controls
• Appian Senior Developer or Lead Developer Certification
Clearance & Work Environment
• Ability to obtain and maintain Department of Education credentials (PIV)
• 100% remote position supporting Eastern Time business hours
Manhattan Strategy Group (MSG) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Our hiring decisions are based solely on merit and qualifications, ensuring a fair and competitive selection process.
