Program Manager Lead

USAA•San Antonio, TX

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

USAA is seeking a Program Manager Lead to drive complex, enterprise-level technology initiatives with significant business impact. This role operates in a matrix model, partnering across engineering, architecture, product, risk/compliance, and third-party vendors. The ideal candidate is a disciplined execution leader who ensures transparency and demonstrates strong ownership from planning through benefits realization. This role involves leading the management, execution, and delivery of large-scale programs, ensuring alignment with strategic imperatives and monitoring program health to achieve multi-year deadlines, scope, and benefits. The position supports cross-functional teams in developing and executing change plans using USAA's change methodology or industry best practices. The role requires being in the office 4 days per week and can be based in San Antonio, TX, or Plano, TX.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree; OR 4 years of relevant education and/or experience.
8 years of project and / or program management experience, including experience defining a new program and / or managing large-scale projects.
Demonstrated experience using Waterfall or Agile methodologies to execute on program strategies and deliver complex work efforts.
Advanced understanding and demonstrated application of risk management policies and procedures.
Comprehensive knowledge of program management methodology and techniques; program performance evaluation and change management principles / methodologies.
Proficient experience in USAA's change management methodology or similar industry change management methodology.
Extensive experience developing, maintaining, and reporting on large cost work effort(s) / program budgets.
Stakeholder management and influencing skills.
Expert level of experience in Principles of Project, Program or Portfolio Management.
Demonstrated expert experience using knowledge of the business, its products, and processes to assess program risks and rewards across multiple technologies and business goals.

Nice To Haves

Proven success leading enterprise programs with cross-functional scope and executive-level visibility.
Experience delivering infrastructure modernization and technical debt retirement initiatives.
Strong vendor management and contract execution experience in third-party dependent programs.
Demonstrated capability managing complex dependencies, risks, and issue escalation across multiple workstreams.
Strong financial and governance discipline, including budget tracking, milestone control, and decision-ready reporting.
Ability to operate in ambiguity and drive alignment, clarity, and forward decisions.
Experience in regulated environments with SDLC/PMO governance rigor.
Ability to lead change adoption and sustainment across broad stakeholder groups.
Strong KPI orientation, including measurable progress reporting for delivery, quality, and risk.
PMP certification preferred.

Responsibilities

Leads the implementation of strategic tasks that align programs with an organization's business strategy and goals.
Responsible for developing multi-year business plans to deliver business capabilities and define execution approach to achieve business goals while reducing risk and delivering early business value.
Works with program sponsors and cross-functional teams to evaluate, plan and develop scope, milestone road maps, required resources, work plan, budget, anticipated dependencies, and timing for new programs.
Prepares reports that provide stakeholders and management with status updates, including identifying risks or issues.
Ensures all team members understand how to work together, understand interdependencies, and coordinates their efforts to complete program goals.
Assists in the development of performance metrics, dashboards and management tools that clearly articulate the status of key activities, ensuring timely and successful execution.
Directs analyses, root cause identification, and development and recommendation of key work products.
Identifies potential new program opportunities to deliver integrated solutions that meet multiple business partner needs.
Defines and maintains multiple program strategies based on business demand and ROI expectations.
Negotiates agreements, settles disputes equitably, and diffuses high tension situations.
Negotiates program tradeoffs with IT and the business to ensure alignment of demand to capacity.
Mentors Program Managers in identifying benefits and defining alternatives across departmental programs and across USAA programs.
Adheres to EPMO processes, procedures, controls, standards, tools, and templates.
Adheres to governance rigor required for work efforts.
Drives the adoption and sustainment of changes within the organization in compliance with USAA's Change Management methodology.
Ensures risks associated with business activities are effectively identified, measured, monitored, and controlled in accordance with risk and compliance policies and procedures.