Technical Program Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Title: Technical Program Manager

Location: Portland, OR / Hybrid

Reports to: Platform Manager or CIO / CTO

Organization: Technology

Role Overview

The Program Manager is responsible for orchestrating complex, cross‑team technology initiatives that span Platform, Development, Operations, and Product at CLI.

This role exists to ensure that multi‑system, multi‑team initiatives move forward predictably, with clear sequencing, managed dependencies, and transparent risk—without burdening engineering teams with coordination overhead.

The Program Manager does not own feature delivery or people management. Instead, the role serves as the execution backbone for platform‑ and system‑level initiatives that no single team owns end‑to‑end.

This role closely partners with Platform leadership and Development teams to support CLI’s DevOps operating model: embedding operational readiness, reliability, and delivery discipline directly into how work is planned and executed.

Core Responsibilities

Program Execution & Coordination

• Drive execution of cross‑functional technology programs spanning multiple teams and systems
• Translate strategic and architectural goals into clear, executable program plans
• Identify, sequence, and manage inter‑team dependencies and critical paths
• Maintain momentum across initiatives that cut across Platform, Development, and Operations
• Ensure delivery is predictable, risks are visible, and tradeoffs are explicit

Dependency, Risk & Readiness Management

• Proactively surface risks, constraints, and delivery blockers early
• Coordinate resolution across teams without direct authority
• Track readiness for major milestones, releases, or system changes
• Ensure operational, security, and reliability considerations are addressed—not deferred
• Drive disciplined go‑/no‑go decision support for leadership

Platform & Development Partnership

• Work closely with Platform Managers, Architects, and Development Leads to understand system impacts
• Support DevOps ways of working by reducing handoffs and ambiguous ownership
• Reinforce shared accountability for production outcomes
• Help teams plan work in a way that balances delivery speed with platform stability

Communication & Stakeholder Alignment

• Provide concise, decision‑ready updates to senior technology and business leaders
• Maintain clear program artifacts (roadmaps, dependency maps, risk dashboards)
• Facilitate planning, review, and alignment forums without creating unnecessary ceremony
• Act as a trusted connector between technical and non‑technical stakeholders

Continuous Improvement

• Improve how programs are planned, tracked, and executed over time
• Establish lightweight, repeatable practices for dependency tracking and delivery hygiene
• Contribute to maturing CLI’s execution discipline as platforms scale
• Help institutionalize learnings from major initiatives

What Success Looks Like

• Cross‑team initiatives ship with fewer surprises
• Dependencies are identified and resolved before they become blockers
• Engineering and Platform leaders spend less time coordinating and escalating
• System reliability and operational readiness improve alongside delivery velocity
• Leadership has confidence in timelines, risks, and tradeoffs

Qualifications

Required

• 5–10+ years of experience in Technical Program Management, Engineering Program Management, or similar roles
• Proven experience coordinating complex, cross‑team technology initiatives
• Technical fluency with modern software systems (cloud, APIs, DevOps lifecycles)
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence rather than authority
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, especially with senior stakeholders

Preferred

• Experience partnering closely with platform, infrastructure, or reliability teams
• Familiarity with DevOps and Agile delivery models
• Background working in SaaS, real‑time platforms, or high‑availability environments
• Comfort translating architectural or technical complexity into execution plans
• Experience with telecom projects (particularly call centers)
• Experience supporting platform migrations, reliability initiatives, or system modernization