AI Program Manager

About Us :

R Systems is a global digital product engineering and technology services company with over 30 years of experience, focusing on AI, analytics, cloud-native apps, and automation. Founded in 1993, they serve industries like telecom, banking, and manufacturing with 5,300+ professionals across 22+ development centers worldwide.

Job Summary:

Role Summary

We are seeking an experienced AI Program Manager to lead large-scale AI/ML, Data Science, and Analytics initiatives from inception through production deployment at enterprise (Fortune 100) scale. The ideal candidate combines deep program and project management expertise in Agile environments with strong business acumen, excellent communication skills, and a meticulous, results-oriented mindset.

In this role, you will be accountable for end-to-end delivery of complex AI/ML programs—owning timelines, budgets, risks, and outcomes. You will partner closely with technical leaders, executives, and cross-functional stakeholders to define strategy, prioritize roadmaps, and ensure that AI investments deliver measurable business value.

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Key Responsibilities

1. End-to-end program ownership

1. Lead complex AI/ML, Data Science, and Analytics programs from ideation, scoping, and planning through execution, launch, and post-launch optimization.

2. Own program and project outcomes end-to-end, being accountable for on-time, on-budget delivery that meets or exceeds stakeholder expectations.

3. Develop and manage integrated roadmaps, plans, milestones, and dependencies across multiple teams and workstreams.

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3. Delivery and execution

1. Drive disciplined execution across multiple Agile teams, ensuring clarity of scope, priorities, and success metrics.

2. Proactively identify and manage risks, issues, and interdependencies; remove obstacles to keep teams moving.

3. Implement and maintain robust tracking of schedules, budgets, resources, and KPIs, providing clear visibility to stakeholders.

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5. AI/ML and analytics program leadership

1. Manage large-scale AI/ML and analytics initiatives at Fortune 100 scale, coordinating with data scientists, ML engineers, data engineers, software engineers, and product teams.

2. Ensure that technical efforts align with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and technology strategy.

3. Help teams translate ambiguous business problems into structured AI/ML projects with clear deliverables and outcomes.

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7. Cross-functional and executive collaboration

1. Partner with business leaders, product, technology, operations, and risk/compliance to align on priorities and success criteria.

2. Prepare and deliver concise, executive-ready updates, dashboards, and communications on program status, risks, and value.

3. Secure executive buy-in for new initiatives by clearly articulating business cases, tradeoffs, and impact.

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9. Agile leadership and ways of working

1. Champion Agile methodologies across multiple teams, ensuring alignment on ceremonies, artifacts, and best practices.

2. Foster a culture of continuous improvement, experimentation, and learning while maintaining strong delivery discipline.

3. Help shape and refine processes, governance, and tooling to support efficient, scalable AI/ML delivery.

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Required Qualifications

1. Education & credentials

1. Bachelor’s degree in Project Management, Program Management, or Computer Science (strongly preferred).

2. Bachelor’s degree in a related field (e.g., Business, Engineering, Information Systems) may be considered with equivalent experience.

3. Relevant project/program management certifications (e.g., PMP, PgMP, PMI-ACP, SAFe, ScrumMaster, PRINCE2, or equivalent).

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3. Experience

1. 8+ years of program and project management experience in Agile environments, owning and being accountable for delivery on time and within budget.

2. 8+ years of experience managing large-scale AI/ML, Data Science, and Analytics programs and projects from inception to delivery at Fortune 100 or similarly large enterprise scale.

3. Proven track record of leading complex, cross-functional technology programs with multiple stakeholders and dependencies.

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5. Skills & competencies

1. Meticulous, “maniacal” eye for detail with a strong, results-oriented mindset.

2. Demonstrated ability to own programs end-to-end, being accountable for the success or failure of products and features.

3. Strong leadership skills with experience partnering with technical leaders to drive vision and execution.

4. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate highly technical AI/ML details into clear, executive-ready summaries.

5. Proven ability to work cross-functionally and comfortably engage with senior executives to gain buy-in for future efforts.

6. Deep understanding of Agile methodologies and how to scale Agile across multiple teams (culture, methodology, and process).

7. Strong grounding in project and program management practices, including planning, budgeting, risk management, and stakeholder management.

8. Highly strategic and business-focused, able to connect AI/ML initiatives to business outcomes, ROI, and operational impact.

9. Demonstrated creativity and adaptability, comfortable operating in fast-changing, ambiguous environments while maintaining execution focus.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Experience managing AI/ML and analytics initiatives in a Fortune 100 or similarly large, complex, or regulated organization.

2. Background working closely with AI/ML, Data Science, and engineering teams; familiarity with the lifecycle of AI/ML products and platforms.

3. Experience establishing or refining governance, metrics, and operating models for enterprise AI/ML programs.