Senior Program Manager

Role Summary

The Senior Program Manager (SPM) is responsible for leading complex, cross-functional programs that drive business outcomes. This role owns program strategy, planning, execution, risk management, stakeholder alignment, and delivery across multiple workstreams. The SPM ensures programs are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget, while enabling measurable impact against organizational goals.

Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership & Delivery

• Own end-to-end delivery of large, complex programs spanning multiple teams, functions, or regions.
• Define program vision, goals, success metrics (OKRs/KPIs), scope, and timelines.
• Create and manage program plans, dependencies, milestones, RAID logs (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies).
• Drive execution rhythm: stand-ups, stakeholder reviews, steering committee meetings, retrospectives, and status reporting.
• Ensure delivery quality through governance, standards, documentation, and continuous improvement.

Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Management

• Partner with senior leaders, business owners, and cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Operations, Finance, HR, Legal, Sales, etc.).
• Influence without authority to align priorities, remove blockers, and resolve conflicts.
• Communicate progress clearly and proactively to varied audiences, including executive leadership.
• Manage stakeholder expectations and ensure consistent decision-making and accountability.

Strategic Planning & Business Impact

• Translate business priorities into actionable program roadmaps and execution plans.
• Identify opportunities to optimize processes, reduce cost, improve customer outcomes, or accelerate time-to-value.
• Conduct impact analysis and support business cases, budgeting, resource planning, and ROI tracking.
• Ensure programs support long-term strategy and operational scalability.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Establish governance frameworks including roles, decision rights, escalation paths, and approval mechanisms.
• Identify risks early; lead mitigation plans and contingency actions.
• Ensure compliance with internal controls, security/privacy requirements, and organizational policies as applicable.

Operational Excellence & Process Improvement

• Build repeatable mechanisms and templates that improve delivery consistency and visibility.
• Leverage data to improve forecasting, throughput, and delivery predictability.
• Promote best practices in Agile/Hybrid/Waterfall delivery models depending on program needs.
• Coach/mentor junior program managers and contribute to a strong program management culture.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, or related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• 8+ years of experience in program/project management, operations, product delivery, or business transformation.
• Demonstrated experience managing large-scale, cross-functional programs with multiple dependencies.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, including working with executive leadership.
• Proven ability to define metrics, track outcomes, and drive results using data-driven decision-making.
• Excellent communication, documentation, and presentation skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or Master’s degree (nice to have).
• Experience in one or more of the following: digital transformation, platform programs, process automation, enterprise delivery, or product operations.
• Strong understanding of Agile frameworks (Scrum/Kanban), plus comfort operating in hybrid environments.
• Experience with tools such as Jira, Confluence, MS Project, Azure DevOps, Smartsheet, Power BI, Excel, or similar.
• Certifications (optional but valued): PMP, PgMP, PRINCE2, SAFe, Scrum Master (CSM/PSM).