Manager, Technical Program Management

Role Description

Calix is seeking a highly experienced Manager to lead the Product Organization’s TPM Team, overseeing Technical Program Managers (TPMs), BI Engineers, and Release Managers. This leader will drive the successful execution of critical, cross-functional programs and ensure the seamless delivery of products and services for broad technology markets including Cloud services, network routers, home gateways, and fiber-based optical equipment. The Manager will be responsible for establishing robust processes, driving program execution, and aligning business and technical teams to deliver against the company’s strategic goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership & Team Development:
  • Lead and inspire a team of Technical Program Managers, BI Engineers, and Release Managers, to foster a culture of collaboration, technical excellence, and accountability.
  • Implement best practices for cross-functional team management, stakeholder engagement, and agile methodologies.
  • Coach and develop team members through regular feedback, career development planning, and performance management.
• Program & Portfolio Management:
  • Oversee large-scale, highly complex technical programs spanning cloud software, networking hardware, and embedded systems.
  • Establish PMO governance frameworks, ensuring consistency in program execution, risk management, and resource planning.
  • Drive cross-functional program delivery, integrating software development, hardware engineering, cloud operations, and QA/testing teams.
  • Run programs as value streams requiring cross-team collaboration, delivering quantifiable value at a defined cadence using a Scaled Agile (SAFe) framework.
  • Manage all sprint-related activities including backlog grooming, sizing, and retrospectives.
• Release Management:
  • Lead end-to-end release management, ensuring the efficient rollout of cloud-based software, firmware, and network hardware.
  • Collaborate with Engineering, DevOps, Product Management, and QA to establish CI/CD pipelines, release gates, and rollback mechanisms.
  • Define automated testing strategies, branching strategies, and versioning methodologies for seamless software and hardware updates.
  • Drive teams to adhere to commit criteria, bug backlog metrics, release schedules, and milestones.
  • Contribute to continuous process improvements that enhance the efficiency of release tooling and delivery pipelines.
• Risk & Issue Management:
  • Manage, approve, and maintain Change Management and Risk Management plans.
  • Establish automated monitoring and incident management processes for tracking risks across programs and releases.
  • Facilitate technical post-mortems with diligent documentation, follow-up, and continuous improvement actions to enhance program reliability.
• Alignment & Execution:
  • Manage the overall development lifecycle of solutions end-to-end, owning complex programs with significant bottom-line impact.
  • Understand and drive adherence to overall branch strategy, development, integration, and release processes.
  • Conduct regular program reviews ensuring cross-functional alignment on priorities, dependencies, and delivery commitments.
• Budget & Resource Management:
  • Manage a multimillion-dollar portfolio across programs, ensuring optimal resource allocation and cost efficiency.
  • Develop data-driven forecasting models for program staffing, hardware procurement, and cloud infrastructure scaling.
• Metrics & Reporting:
  • Establish a data-driven approach to track program milestones, dependencies, and KPIs.
  • Develop analytical and real-time dashboards that highlight trends, risks, issues, and planned-versus-actual performance metrics.
  • Leverage AI-driven analytics to track release schedules, software quality, and operational performance.
  • Provide executive-level reporting on program progress, risk factors, and business impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in engineering, Computer Science, Business, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in technical program management.
• At least 5+ years in a people leadership role with experience conducting regular 1:1s, delivering performance feedback, coaching conversations, and managing employee performance.
• Deep experience in high-tech networking, cloud infrastructure, or related industries; strong knowledge of cloud platforms (GCP, AWS, or Azure) and large-scale software releases.
• Strong background in Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe) and software development lifecycle management.
• Proven track record of leading release management functions in a fast-paced, technology-driven environment with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills with demonstrated ability to manage relationships across executives, engineers, and cross-functional teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to resolve complex challenges and make strategic decisions quickly.

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or Master's degree strongly preferred.
• Experience building executive analytics dashboards.
• Familiarity with broadband/telecom industry dynamics and CSP business models.
• PMP, PgMP, SAFe certification, or equivalent program management credential.

Location

This is a remote-based position located in the United States or Canada, ideally targeting candidates in Mountain or Pacific Time Zones.

Compensation

The base pay range for this position varies based on the geographic location. More information about the pay range specific to candidate location and other factors will be shared during the recruitment process. Individual pay is determined based on location of residence and multiple factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

• San Francisco Bay Area: 158,700 - 270,300 USD Annual
• All Other US Locations: 138,000 - 235,000 USD Annual

As a part of the total compensation package, this role may be eligible for a bonus. For information on our benefits click here.