Program Manager, Finance Transformation - Data Strategy

Apple•Austin, TX

20h

About The Position

Apple is a place where extraordinary people gather to do their best work. Together we create products and experiences people once couldn’t have imagined — and now can’t imagine living without. The Finance Transformation (FT) team is shaping the future of Finance from modernizing our systems, re-engineering our finance workflows, and implementing innovative AI solutions. At the very core, our data platform and encompassing strategy is the foundation to a transformed, and trusted environment. The Finance Transformation PMO is seeking a Data Strategy Program Manager to serve as a critical bridge between Finance stakeholders and Engineering. This role sits at the intersection of data strategy, analytics, and technical/program management — responsible for both shaping how Finance defines and governs its data, and ensuring that the engineering work required to realize that vision is delivered on time and with rigor. This is a high-impact, individual contributor (IC) role for someone who is equally comfortable orchestrating a cross-functional program, whiteboarding data models with business partners and supporting the Engineering team during various scrum ceremonies. The Data Strategy Program Manager will serve as a data stewardship advocate — driving data quality, consistency, and governance best practices across Finance. This role reports directly to the Head of the Finance Transformation PMO.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in technical/program management, data strategy, or analytics — ideally in a Finance or enterprise transformation context
Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Computer Science, Engineering or related field
8+ years of experience in technical/program management, data strategy, or analytics — ideally in a Finance or enterprise transformation context
Strong understanding of data concepts: data modeling, data governance, metrics definitions, BI/reporting pipelines, and analytics platforms
Proven ability to drive alignment across business and technical stakeholders in complex, matrixed organizations.
Proven ability to go from planning to execution and delivering work products.
Experience owning end-to-end program delivery with Engineering teams (Agile/Scrum, or hybrid methodologies)
Exceptional communication skills — able to synthesize ambiguity into clarity for both executive and working-level audiences.
Ability to influence senior leaders above and communicate with peers seamlessly.
High degree of organizational rigor: skilled at tracking multiple workstreams, maintaining documentation, and managing competing priorities.
Report status and health on work products and manage risk on projects.

Nice To Haves

Background in Finance operations, FP&A, or Finance systems (e.g., ERP, financial reporting tools)
Familiarity with data infrastructure concepts: data warehouses, ETL/ELT pipelines, SQL, or cloud data platforms
Hands-on experience with or exposure to tools in the Finance data ecosystem, including Snowflake, SAP, Dataiku or similar enterprise data tools
Experience with AI or eager to learn as many of the data products are foundation to the AI strategy.
Experience with program tracking tools (e.g., Wrike) and/or customer of the shelf or homegrown reporting/BI tools
PMP, PgMP, or equivalent certification a plus

Responsibilities

Partner with Finance business leads to understand data needs, pain points, and strategic priorities — translating them into clear data requirements and use cases
Define and maintain a Finance data source of truth: establishing ownership, definitions, lineage, and standards for key data domains (e.g., actuals, headcount, forecasts, KPIs)
Lead data discovery and intake processes, facilitating working sessions to align stakeholders on what data is needed, how it should be structured, and how it will be consumed
Develop and maintain data dictionaries, data maps, and documentation that codify business logic and support self-service analytics
Identify gaps between current data capabilities and strategic business needs, and build the case for investment to close them
Drive the Finance Data Certification program — working with business stakeholders to assess, classify, and certify datasets across tiers (Raw, Curated, and Controlled) based on criticality, quality, and compliance requirements
Prioritize SOX-relevant datasets and use cases for Gold-tier certification, ensuring Finance data used in SEC filings, key control reports, and tax and audit processes meets the highest standards for security and data controls
Support the formation and ongoing operations of a Finance Data Council — facilitating governance discussions, aligning on certification standards, and driving accountability for data ownership across teams.
Partner with teammates on developing and maintaining a Finance Glossary and Ontology — codifying consistent definitions, business logic, and data relationships to eliminate ambiguity to support process inventory connecting process to data nodes.
Own end-to-end program management for data and analytics engineering initiatives, from scoping and planning through delivery and retrospective
Partner with Engineering lead to define project scope, sequencing, milestones, and success criteria
Build and maintain program plans, roadmaps, and status dashboards that provide clear visibility to stakeholders at all levels
Identify dependencies, surface risks, and proactively drive resolution — keeping engineering teams unblocked and aligned
Facilitate cross-functional ceremonies: kickoffs, weekly syncs, design reviews, and executive readouts
Track and report on delivery health, escalating where needed with clear framing and recommended paths forward
Translate technical constraints and trade-offs into language accessible to Finance partners, and vice versa