Technical Program Manager

Technical Program ManagerACE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, founded in 2000 in Denver, Colorado, to provide low-income children with equal access to quality K-12 private schools through partial scholarship support. Over the past 25+ years, ACE has delivered more than 140,000 scholarships worth over $390 million. This school year, ACE is serving approximately 16,000+ children in Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming, and is actively pursuing other expansion opportunities with the support of national funding partners. ACE is actively preparing for the Federal School Choice Tax Credit Program which comes into effect January 2027.Our mission is to advance K-12 educational freedom, with a focus on securing financial support for families so they may access the quality education of their choice.Our founding principles are the foundation of ACE and our North Star. We honor ACE's founders by remaining committed to these principles, and we passionately advocate for the Mission and Vision these principles support.Accountability: We embrace personal responsibility by taking ownership of our work and focusing on results. We expect both to give and to receive honest feedback.Innovation: We know ideas matter. We prefer the risks and rewards that come with creativity to the certainty that attends stagnation.Adaptability: We position ourselves to take advantage of opportunities, embracing strategic and operational change when it makes our work more impactful.Optimism: We believe our best days are ahead, and we embrace a forward-thinking mindset. We will make mistakes, but we will remain cheerful in the face of adversity and give people the benefit of the doubt.Kindness: We value everyone on our team, respect differences, and trust one another. This requires courage and strength, as it involves celebrating and giving our undivided attention to others.Our Founding Principles:Free enterprise and democracy workParents know the best education environment for their kidsPrivate schools offer great value and have open seatsAll people are created equal and deserve an equal chance to pursue the American DreamPosition OverviewThe Technical Program Manager is responsible for leading business system initiatives and operational technology projects from concept through implementation. This role serves as the bridge between business stakeholders and technical teams, translating business needs into functional solutions while driving execution, adoption, and measurable business outcomes.The Technical Program Manager partners across Operations, Customer Service, Development, Programs, Compliance, and Business Technology teams to identify process improvement opportunities, implement scalable business solutions, optimize workflows, and improve operational efficiency. This role owns assigned programs end-to-end, including requirements, functional design, implementation planning, testing, change management, adoption, and performance measurement.This position requires a strong blend of project leadership, operational expertise, systems thinking, and technical fluency. The ideal candidate is an operations-focused program manager who can manage complex delivery while understanding how business users, customer-facing systems, workflows, integrations, and reporting environments work together.Primary Job ResponsibilitiesBusiness Systems SolutionsIdentify, evaluate, and implement technology-enabled solutions that improve operational efficiency, customer experience, and business performance.Partner with stakeholders to understand business challenges and translate them into scalable system solutions.Develop business cases and recommendations supporting operational and technology investments.Functional Specifications & Solution DesignGather and document business requirements, business rules, workflows, and functional specifications.Develop user stories, process maps, solution designs, acceptance criteria, and implementation documentation.Collaborate with technical teams to ensure solutions align with business objectives, operational needs, and customer experience goals.Technical Program ManagementOwn assigned programs and projects end-to-end from intake through implementation, adoption, and performance measurement.Manage scope, project plans, timelines, dependencies, risks, stakeholder communications, decisions, and deliverables.Evaluate competing requests and recommend project prioritization and sequencing to the Chief Program Officer, while final portfolio decisions remain with executive leadership.Solution Implementation & Change ManagementCoordinate implementation of new systems, enhancements, integrations, and operational improvements.Develop rollout plans, readiness activities, stakeholder communications, and implementation strategies.Drive business adoption and confirm successful transition to new processes and technologies.Business Process AutomationIdentify opportunities to automate manual processes and improve operational efficiency, quality, and scalability.Partner with Business Technology and system owners to define and implement workflow automation and system enhancements.Measure automation outcomes and recommend continuous improvements.Workflow Management & Operational DesignDesign and optimize workflows supporting customer service, scholarship administration, donor operations, compliance, and internal business functions.Ensure process designs are scalable, measurable, efficient, and aligned with organizational goals.Maintain documentation of business processes, workflows, requirements, and design decisions.Testing, Validation & Quality AssuranceLead user acceptance testing, business validation, defect triage, and deployment readiness activities.Ensure implemented solutions meet documented requirements, acceptance criteria, and business expectations.Coordinate issue resolution, post-launch validation, and enhancement recommendations.Analytics & Continuous ImprovementAnalyze operational performance, system effectiveness, adoption, and program outcomes.Support KPI development, dashboard reporting, and data-informed decision-making.Recommend process and system improvements based on business needs, stakeholder feedback, and performance trends.Vendor, Platform & Integration CoordinationCoordinate with software vendors, implementation partners, and third-party service providers to support successful solution delivery.Support integration efforts across ServiceNow, Empower-Ed, AWS, CRM platforms, reporting environments, APIs, workflow tools, and other business applications.Assist with issue resolution, enhancement requests, platform optimization, and evaluation of emerging solutions.Knowledge, Skills and AbilitiesStrong program and project management skills with demonstrated ownership of complex initiatives from concept through adoption.Ability to translate business challenges into functional system solutions and clear technical requirements.Strong understanding of operational workflows, process improvement, change management, and implementation practices.Technical fluency across customer-facing systems, cloud and SaaS platforms, integrations, APIs, workflow automation, CRM platforms, and data/reporting environments.Ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders and influence without direct authority.Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, facilitation, and decision-support skills.Comfort working through ambiguity while maintaining accountability for outcomes, timelines, risks, and stakeholder alignment.Strong alignment with ACE's mission, values, and founding principles.RequirementsBachelor's degree in Business Administration, Information Systems, Operations, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.Four to seven years of experience in program management, technical project management, systems implementation, operations, business process improvement, or related disciplines.Demonstrated experience managing cross-functional projects through requirements, solution design, implementation, testing, change management, and adoption.Experience gathering business requirements and developing functional specifications, user stories, process maps, and acceptance criteria.Experience with project planning, risk management, stakeholder communication, and prioritization recommendations.Familiarity with ServiceNow, Empower-Ed, AWS, Microsoft Power Platform, CRM systems, data/reporting platforms, workflow automation, APIs, and integrations.Experience supporting Agile, software development lifecycle, change management, or process improvement initiatives preferred.Experience in a nonprofit, education, customer service, or regulated operational environment preferred.Location, Travel, and ReportingFull-time, in-office role based in the Denver Tech Center office, with remote work during travel periods and as approved by manager.Reports to the Chief Program Officer.No direct reports initially.Limited travel may be required throughout the year.FLSA Status