Manager, Technical Program Mgmt

Ford Motor • Dearborn, MI

1d • Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a strategic and results-oriented Technical Program Manager (TPM) to lead the TPM function for the Enterprise Data Platform for Analytics and AI, and drive the end-to-end development and implementation of high-impact technical projects and services. In this role, you will serve as a critical bridge between engineering teams and business stakeholders, ensuring that technical solutions are perfectly aligned with our organizational objectives. You will be responsible for managing a team of TPMs and leading them to manage the full project lifecycle for multiple EDP Projects—from ideation through deployment—while proactively mitigating risks, removing technical barriers, and managing complex dependencies across both internal to your department engineering teams and external teams. By leveraging your background in software engineering and your expertise in process optimization, you will implement standardized frameworks and data-driven strategies that foster a culture of continuous improvement. If you are a technical leader who thrives on turning complex visions into repeatable, successful deliveries, we want to hear from you.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Systems Engineering, Data Science, Information Technology (IT) or Management Information Systems (MIS), or a equivalent work experience ; an advanced degree is a plus.
• 6+ years of experience in Program management, preferably within data platforms, cloud services, or enterprise software.
• 1+ years of experience as a people leader, mentoring TPMs.
• Strong understanding of data architectures, big data technologies, and cloud platforms (GCP, AWS, or Azure).
• Experience with data governance, data security, and compliance in an enterprise environment.
• Proven track record of successfully managing complex, cross-functional projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to articulate technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a data-driven approach to decision-making.

Nice To Haves

• PMP (Project Management Professional): The industry standard for project/program management is a plus
• CSM (Certified Scrum Master) or SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework): Working in Agile software development environments, is a plus
• GCP Cloud Certifications are a plus

Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & People Management: Lead, mentor, and develop a team of six (6) Technical Program Managers, fostering a culture of high performance, continuous learning, and accountability. Oversee the allocation of TPM resources across various workstreams within the Enterprise Data Platform to ensure balanced workloads and optimal delivery. Establish team-wide standards for program management excellence, ensuring consistent application of best practices across your direct reports’ initiatives.
• Program Strategy & Execution Alignment: Translate the Enterprise Data Platform vision and roadmap into actionable technical execution plans, partnering with Engineering, aligning with Ford’s broader data and digital transformation goals. Oversee the entire project life cycle—from ideation to deployment—ensuring that complex platform features (e.g., data ingestion, governance, AI/ML integration) are delivered on time and within budget. Participate in strategic planning with Product Managers to develop roadmaps that reflect evolving business needs, technological advancements, and market trends.
• Cross-Functional Leadership & Stakeholder Management: Act as the primary bridge between engineering teams, GDIA internal teams, and external business stakeholders to ensure technical solutions meet desired business outcomes. Manage relationships with senior leadership, providing transparent updates on program health, milestones, challenges, and opportunities for the platform. Coordinate dependencies and activities between cross-functional teams (Engineering, Data Science, IT, Security, and Compliance) to ensure seamless integration and delivery.
• Issues, Risk & Technical Governance: Proactively identify, track, and mitigate technical and operational risks that could impact platform stability or project timelines. Leverage deep technical understanding of the platform to help teams resolve complex blockers and ensure the feasibility of proposed solutions. Ensure the platform remains scalable, secure, and compliant with all regulatory requirements, including data privacy, encryption, and access controls.
• Operational Excellence & Process Improvement: Design, implement, and execute repeatable processes for initiating, tracking, governing, and reviewing programs. Implement standardized frameworks and tools to improve the efficiency of the delivery pipeline and ensure high-quality software engineering practices. Identify and drive cost-optimization strategies, focusing on infrastructure utilization, resource management, and efficient data storage solutions.
• User Adoption & Continuous Innovation: Drive the implementation of user onboarding, documentation, and training programs to increase platform adoption across the organization. Establish a data-driven culture by using feedback and performance metrics to continuously improve the platform’s usability and feature set. Stay at the forefront of industry trends in cloud computing and big data to encourage experimentation and keep the Enterprise Data Platform at the cutting edge of innovation.
• Stakeholder Management: Collaborate with key stakeholders across various business units (e.g., Engineering, Analytics, IT, Security, Compliance) to understand their data needs and ensure that program efforts are meeting expectations Manage relationships with senior leadership, providing regular updates on platform progress, challenges, and opportunities. Act as a liaison between technical teams and business units, ensuring clear communication and alignment of goals.
• Cost Optimization & Efficiency: Identify and implement cost optimization strategies for program budgets, including resource management, infrastructure utilization, and licensing and vendor cost considerations. Collaborate with finance and procurement teams to manage the platform budget, ensuring cost efficiency while delivering high-value features.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
• Tuition assistance
• Established and active employee resource groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees