AI Program Manager

About the Role The AI Program Manager leads critical technology initiatives, coordinating across engineering, data, security, and architecture teams with decision-making autonomy. This role translates business goals into actionable program plans, manages vendors, and ensures responsible AI governance at every milestone. What You'll Do

• Lead end-to-end planning and execution of complex technical programs spanning multiple engineering, data, security, and architecture teams.
• Translate business objectives into actionable technical plans; lead requirement sessions, document needs, and coordinate timelines, dependencies, and deliverables.
• Own backlog governance and user story standards within Azure DevOps; ensure Epics, Features, and Stories have consistent structure and traceability.
• Manage vendor relationships and third-party delivery accountability; track SOW milestones, address escalations, and oversee contract performance.
• Facilitate decision-making among stakeholders to address obstacles and trade-offs; ensure accountability for meeting delivery commitments, timelines, and outcomes.
• Manage program visibility and tracking in Azure DevOps, including work item organization, Delivery Plans, sprint velocity reports, and executive dashboard setup.
• Promote enterprise processes, security, standards, and knowledge-first support principles within the Enterprise Applications team.
• Define and oversee testing strategies at the program level, including quality standards, user acceptance frameworks, and end-user validation processes.
• Establish and maintain program governance, reporting, and communication standards, including AI-specific checkpoints, while ensuring alignment with security, compliance, and enterprise technology standards.
• Identify, track, and mitigate program risks, issues, and dependencies while enabling stakeholder decisions to address blockers and ensure delivery outcomes.
• Leverage AI tools and contribute to AI-powered solutions, adhering to governance standards such as data classification and model deployment review. What We're Looking For
• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Project Management, Communications, Computer Science, Engineering, or related fields, or equivalent professional experience.
• Understanding of software development lifecycles and technical architectures; ability to evaluate technical risks and convey impacts to senior stakeholders.
• Certifications: PMP, PMI-ACP, SAFe; optional AZ-900, PL-900, or AI-900.
• Familiarity with Microsoft AI Foundry, Microsoft Fabric, or similar enterprise AI and data platforms in regulated industries.
• Ability to support release windows and production support events.
• Experience managing cross-functional dependencies and stakeholder alignment across operations, engineering, data, security, and vendor teams.
• Strong communication: translating business needs into program plans, visually presenting technical concepts, and collaborating across offices and time zones.
• Experience delivering programs in professional services, legal, or other sectors with strict confidentiality, governance, and compliance requirements.
• 5+ years overseeing complex enterprise technical programs, including 2+ years focused on AI, data platforms, or enterprise applications.
• Experience managing vendors, contractors, and third-party deliveries; SOW oversight, escalations, and contract performance accountability.
• Experience applying AI-assisted tools in a professional engineering or enterprise technology environment.
• Experience establishing backlog structure, user story guidelines, and acceptance criteria within Azure DevOps or similar platforms; applying Agile, hybrid, or scaled delivery. Compensation & Benefits
• Salary: $128,000 - $249,000 per year.
• The compensation salary for this position will be determined during the interview process and will vary based on multiple factors, including but not limited to prior experience and market factors.