Program Manager

Job Title: Program Manager
Location: Iselin, NJ (Hybrid)

Position Summary:

Enterprise Technology & Information (ETI) is seeking a Senior Program Manager to lead and own program-level delivery, direct a team of project managers assigned to individual initiatives, and give ETI leadership clear, outcome-focused visibility into progress, risk, and value across the program. This is a contract engagement supporting the ETI PMO.

What You Will Be Responsible For:

• Own end-to-end delivery of the AI Initiatives program, integrating the roadmaps, milestones, and dependencies of multiple concurrent AI projects into a single, coherent program plan
• Direct and mentor a team of project managers, each responsible for an individual initiative within the program, setting delivery standards and reviewing their status, risk, and financial reporting
• Establish and run program governance, including steering committee cadence, stage-gate reviews, and a consistent intake-to-delivery lifecycle across all AI initiatives
• Identify and resolve cross-project dependencies, resource conflicts, and technical risks before they affect the broader program timeline
• Own executive-ready reporting for the program, including weekly updates, executive summaries, and portfolio-level readouts for ETI leadership and the CTO
• Track program budget, resource allocation, and cost and value outcomes across all AI initiatives, escalating variances proactively
• Maintain the program's book of record in Smartsheet or equivalent portfolio management tooling, keeping status, RAID logs, and financials current for each initiative
• Serve as the primary liaison between project teams, business stakeholders, and technical leadership, communicating status, risks, and decisions clearly and proactively
• Champion consistent project management practices, standards, and governance across the program, acting as an advocate for the PMO
• Support workforce and capacity planning for the program, working with ETI leadership to align project manager staffing to initiative priority and scope
• Maintain proactive visibility into program staffing, tracking onboarding status for incoming resources, current work assignments across the team, and progress against open staffing needs, and flagging gaps to ETI leadership before they affect delivery
• Evaluate and help mature program tooling and reporting practices as the portfolio grows, incorporating AI-enabled tools where they improve program delivery
• Hold decision-making authority over program-level scope, sequencing, and resourcing trade-offs, escalating only the exceptions that require executive input

Basic Qualifications:

• Eight or more years of experience in program or project management, including experience overseeing multiple concurrent technology initiatives as a single program
• Experience directing or mentoring other project managers, with accountability for their delivery quality and reporting standards
• Demonstrated experience managing technology programs involving AI, machine learning, or intelligent automation initiatives
• Strong executive communication skills, with a track record of producing clear, outcome-focused status reporting for senior leadership
• Proficiency with portfolio management and reporting tools such as Smartsheet, MS Project, or similar platforms
• Experience managing program budgets, resource allocation, and contract or vendor resources

Preferred / Desired Qualifications:

• PMP, PgMP, or similar program or project management certification
• Familiarity with AI governance frameworks and responsible AI practices
• Experience in professional services or another regulated industry
• Experience with agile and hybrid delivery frameworks alongside traditional stage-gate methodologies
• Working knowledge of AI agent platforms, AI observability tooling, or MLOps practices