Himani Manwar

• Defined and documented project scope, objectives, deliverables, risks, and issues in alignment with WaTech’s strategic goals and PMO standards.
• Independently managed a small-to-medium-sized IT program from initiation through closing, ensuring successful delivery within scope, schedule, and budget.
• Developed and maintained a fully resourced project schedule using Microsoft Project and Project Online, managing dependencies and aligning team availability.
• Proactively communicated project status, risks, issues, and financial forecasts to executive sponsors, cross-agency stakeholders, and the EPMO.
• Collaborated with cross-functional technical teams, agency leads, vendors, and compliance units to manage constraints and ensure alignment.
• Implemented change management processes, documenting impacts of change requests and securing approvals through structured workflows.
• Managed scope, timeline, and budget variances by implementing mitigation and corrective action plans.
• Tracked milestones, sprint deliverables, and project health metrics using RAID logs and Agile dashboards.
• Facilitated conflict resolution, escalation, and stakeholder engagement to remove blockers and maintain delivery momentum.
• Coached team members and partners on WaTech’s project management tools, templates, and standards.
• Contributed to portfolio-level planning and reporting to ensure strategic alignment and consistent delivery practices.
• Led post-implementation reviews, identifying lessons learned and recommending process improvements for future initiatives.
• Tools & Tech: Azure DevOps, Databricks, ServiceNow, Power BI, SharePoint, MS Project, Project Online, JIRA, Confluence, Visio, Excel (advanced formulas, pivot tables, burndown charts).

• Aetna Pharmacy Discount Program Enhancement project was to optimize the prescription discount system. Focused on integrating advanced technology to automate discount applications and improve system efficiency.
• Specialty Refill Program Enhancement project was to improve Aetna's management of specialty medication refills. Directed the implementation of technology upgrades to streamline refill processes, including automated workflows and integration with existing pharmacy systems.
• Novologix Oncology Prior Authorization (PA) Optimization project was to enhance Aetna's oncology treatment process. Managed the integration of Novologix with existing systems to streamline the submission and review of oncology PA requests.
• Independently managed multiple concurrent medium-scale IT projects within pharmacy benefit systems, delivering enhancements in discount automation, specialty refill workflows, and oncology PA processing.
• Defined and documented detailed project scope, schedule, milestones, risk mitigation plans, and success criteria aligned with enterprise and stakeholder objectives.
• Led project planning efforts, developed business cases, and built project schedules from the ground up using MS Project and Project Online.
• Tracked project performance across milestones, sprint metrics, and risk registers; reported status and KPIs via dashboards and weekly updates to executive sponsors and PMO.
• Applied SAFe and Agile methodologies to coordinate across multiple teams during PI planning and sprint execution, ensuring cross-functional collaboration and timely delivery.
• Conducted financial oversight by managing forecasts, tracking budget variances, and aligning with actuals; coordinated with Finance to manage cost escalations.
• Directed complex vendor integrations and led vendor performance reviews to ensure SLA adherence and on-time deliverables.
• Served as change control gatekeeper, reviewing, estimating, and validating change requests in partnership with business and IT leads.
• Facilitated issue and risk management across business and technical teams, escalating unresolved dependencies and leading root cause analyses for blocked items.
• Supported user acceptance testing (UAT) and go-live readiness including release planning, end-user training, and post-implementation reviews.
• Tools and Tech: Jira, Confluence, Microsoft Project, SharePoint, MS Excel (advanced), Tableau, ServiceNow, Rally.

• Delivered major upgrades to Medicaid eligibility and assistance portals, coordinating across state departments, third-party vendors, and technical teams.
• Created and managed integrated project plans, RAID logs, budget forecasts, and performance metrics in compliance with PMBOK and SDLC frameworks.
• Led all aspects of scope, timeline, budget, communication, and stakeholder engagement; ensured alignment with program vision and compliance needs.
• Developed stakeholder engagement strategies, provided clear communication updates, and secured buy-in through collaborative planning and presentation of value outcomes.
• Tracked financials and coordinated budgetary forecasting; matched estimated forecasts with actuals to maintain variance control.
• Guided Agile ceremonies including sprint planning, stand-ups, retrospectives, and team velocity reviews.
• Conducted impact analysis and mitigation planning for evolving requirements, government mandates, and vendor delivery changes.
• Supported PMO best practice dissemination through project documentation templates, mentoring peers, and aligning with PMO governance.

The project was to build and offer a new Medicare Advantage plan as a joint venture with a partner organization to increase membership, coverage area, and to receive new plan credits from CMS.

• Managed enterprise-scale Medicare Advantage Joint Venture projects, delivering compliant solutions in collaboration with clinical, business, and IT stakeholders.
• Directed cross-functional teams and third-party vendors through full project lifecycles, from planning to deployment and ROI analysis.
• Oversaw budget planning and reporting, scope control, quality assurance, risk mitigation, and project communication.
• Facilitated conflict resolution, vendor oversight, and team collaboration across departments to ensure alignment and delivery against milestones.
• Produced executive-level dashboards, financial summaries, and change/risk logs; conducted regular status updates and post-project reviews.