Program Manager - AI Engineering

Citizens Financial Group•Westwood, MA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

This role serves as a strategic partner to the Head of AI Engineering, acting as an extension of leadership across a rapidly growing portfolio of AI, GenAI, and Agentic AI initiatives. Combining executive-level strategic support with strong program management discipline, this individual will drive key priorities, portfolio execution, governance, and organizational alignment. The ideal candidate has a proven track record of supporting senior technology leaders, influencing across complex organizations, and independently driving high-impact initiatives from strategy through execution.

Requirements

8+ years in program/portfolio management within technology organizations (banking preferred)
Experience managing AI/ML, GenAI portfolios
AI/ML lifecycle (data, training, deployment, monitoring)
GenAI and LLM-based solutions
Agentic frameworks and orchestration patterns
MLOps / AIOps practices
Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)
Data engineering and big data ecosystems
DevOps and CI/CD pipelines
Portfolio budgeting and forecasting
Cost optimization strategies for cloud and AI workloads
Vendor contract and SOW management
Demonstrated ability to lead complex, cross-functional portfolios
Strong executive communication and reporting skills
Proven ability to drive delivery stability and operational excellence at scale
Understanding of model risk management, governance, and compliance within financial services
Supporting senior executives, business leaders, or technology leaders
Representing leadership priorities across large organizations
Influencing without direct authority
Preparing executive-level presentations and communications
Engaging confidently with senior stakeholders

Nice To Haves

Chief of Staff, Business Operations, Strategic Initiatives, Portfolio Operations, or Executive Program Management experience
Experience serving as a strategic advisor or operational extension to senior technology leaders
Experience supporting board, executive committee, or senior leadership reviews

Responsibilities

Serve as a trusted partner and extension of AI Engineering leadership, helping drive strategic priorities across the organization.
Operate with a high degree of autonomy, translating leadership direction into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.
Represent leadership in meetings and stakeholder forums when needed.
Develop executive communications, business reviews, and leadership presentations.
Identify risks, dependencies, and opportunities, and proactively drive resolution.
Lead a portfolio of AI, GenAI, and Agentic AI initiatives from ideation through production and optimization.
Provide executive-level reporting on delivery status, risks, dependencies, and business outcomes.
Establish and maintain governance practices supporting AI lifecycle management, risk controls, and regulatory requirements.
Ensure programs align with enterprise standards and achieve target adoption, performance, and stability outcomes.
Manage portfolio budgets, forecasts, funding allocations, and financial reporting.
Oversee vendor relationships, including SOWs, contract governance, invoicing, and performance management.
Develop workforce strategies including capacity planning, staffing optimization, resiliency, and critical skill development.
Partner with leadership to build scalable operating models that support growing AI Engineering demand.
Provide oversight of strategic initiatives, ensuring alignment between business objectives, engineering delivery, and investment priorities.
Apply Agile and modern software delivery practices to improve execution and time-to-market.
Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders across AI Engineering, Finance, Risk, Compliance, Sourcing, and business teams.
Drive alignment, decision-making, and accountability across complex cross-functional initiatives.