Lead Technical Program Manager

DigitalOcean•Seattle, WA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

DigitalOcean is seeking a Lead Technical Program Manager to lead data center build-outs for high-density GPUs. This role involves being a key liaison between hardware vendors, Data Center Architects, and overseeing GPU deployments. The successful candidate will join a fast-paced team focused on scaling the Agentic AI Cloud by ensuring physical hardware is deployed quickly and correctly to meet customer demands.

Requirements

10+ years of experience as a Technical Program Manager, successfully coordinating hardware, facilities, or data center infrastructure projects.
Strong understanding of hardware deployment workflows, ideally from experience at a cloud provider, colocation facility, or specialized AI company.
Familiarity with basic data center concepts, including rack space, power limits, and cooling requirements for dense AI hardware.
Solid grasp of the procurement lifecycle, including order tracking, demand forecasting, and managing long lead times.
Basic familiarity with the AI/ML hardware space, understanding GPU usage and physical differences for training vs. inference workloads.
Experience with external vendor coordination.
Strong risk management skills.
Cross-functional teamwork capabilities.
Proficiency in project management tooling.
Excellent communication and organization skills.

Responsibilities

Support hardware deployment projects for high-density GPU clusters, coordinating steps from early site planning through final rack-and-stack.
Manage hardware delivery schedules, tracking vendor lead times and collaborating with the supply chain team to ensure timely arrival of servers and equipment.
Coordinate physical installations by partnering with colocation providers, remote hands, and internal networking teams to ensure space, power, and cables are prepared before hardware arrives.
Act as the central communication hub, aligning supply chain, facilities, hardware engineers, and external vendors to maintain deployment schedules.
Translate customer AI needs (e.g., training vs. inference) into clear deployment plans for hardware and facility teams.
Build repeatable deployment processes by identifying and resolving logistical roadblocks to expedite GPU deployment.
Manage external vendor coordination, effectively working with colocation facility managers or remote hands to guide off-site physical work.
Utilize strong risk management skills to identify deployment risks early and develop mitigation plans.
Foster cross-functional teamwork, acting as a bridge between technical and operational teams.
Proficiency in project management tooling for tracking deployment steps, inventory, and progress reporting.