Release Train Engineering Senior Advisor

Cigna Group•Jacksonville, FL

About The Position

At Cigna, we turn data into insight—and insight into better health outcomes. Within our Foundational Data Engineering & Services (FDES) organization, the Operations & Planning team plays a critical role in translating bold strategy into steady, reliable execution. As a Program Manager – Data Engineering Operations & Planning , you will bring clarity to complexity. You will help teams align priorities, navigate dependencies, and deliver meaningful progress across large‑scale analytic data initiatives. This is a role for someone who blends structure with empathy, influence with humility, and ambition with care for people and outcomes. Responsibilities In this role, your impact will be measured by how well our programs move forward—clearly, predictably, and with purpose. Drive program‑level planning by facilitating Program Increment (PI) planning, pre-planning, and cross‑team alignment Partner with Product, Engineering, Finance, and Operations leaders to translate strategy into executable plans and sequenced work Create transparency across roadmaps, milestones, risks, and delivery commitments so leaders can make informed decisions Optimize flow by identifying and addressing cross‑team dependencies, risks, and trade-offs early Track and communicate progress toward program goals, Big Rocks, and OKRs, surfacing insights—not just status Enable continuous improvement by supporting Inspect & Adapt events, demos, and retrospectives Provide program‑level coaching on agility, planning discipline, and delivery practices Maintain a holistic view of scope, funding alignment, team capacity, and delivery health Synthesize delivery, financial, and performance insights to support annual planning and leadership reporting Support responsible adoption of AI capabilities to improve planning, reporting, and program workflows Continuously improve program management practices through automation, metrics, and thoughtful experimentation Qualifications Required Qualifications 5+ years of experience in program management, delivery leadership, operations, or planning roles Proven ability to coordinate complex, multi‑team initiatives through influence rather than authority Strong understanding of Agile and Lean principles at a program or portfolio level Hands‑on experience supporting PI Planning, dependency management, and delivery tracking Ability to interpret and communicate budget, forecast, and funding information clearly Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to turn complexity into insight Clear, confident communication skills and comfort operating in evolving environments Preferred Qualifications Experience working in data, analytics, or platform‑based engineering environments Familiarity with SAFe or similar scaled delivery models Experience partnering with finance teams on portfolio or initiative‑level planning Comfort leveraging automation or AI tools to improve planning and reporting workflows Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience If you will be working at home occasionally or permanently, the internet connection must be obtained through a cable broadband or fiber optic internet service provider with speeds of at least 10Mbps download/5Mbps upload. About The Cigna Group Doing something meaningful starts with a simple decision, a commitment to changing lives. At The Cigna Group, we’re dedicated to improving the health and vitality of those we serve. Through our divisions Cigna Healthcare and Evernorth Health Services, we are committed to enhancing the lives of our clients, customers and patients. Join us in driving growth and improving lives. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, age, disability, sex, childbirth (including pregnancy) or related medical conditions including but not limited to lactation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital or familial status, genetic information, status with regard to public assistance, citizenship status or any other characteristic protected by applicable equal employment opportunity laws. If you need a reasonable accommodation to complete the online application process, please email [email protected] for assistance. Please note that this email inbox is dedicated to accommodation requests only and cannot provide application updates or accept resumes. The Cigna Group has a tobacco-free policy and reserves the right not to hire tobacco/nicotine users in states where that is legally permissible. Candidates in such states who use tobacco/nicotine will not be considered for employment unless they enter a qualifying smoking cessation program prior to the start of their employment. These states include: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Washington State. Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with all federal, state and local ordinances.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in program management, delivery leadership, operations, or planning roles
Proven ability to coordinate complex, multi‑team initiatives through influence rather than authority
Strong understanding of Agile and Lean principles at a program or portfolio level
Hands‑on experience supporting PI Planning, dependency management, and delivery tracking
Ability to interpret and communicate budget, forecast, and funding information clearly
Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to turn complexity into insight
Clear, confident communication skills and comfort operating in evolving environments

Nice To Haves

Experience working in data, analytics, or platform‑based engineering environments
Familiarity with SAFe or similar scaled delivery models
Experience partnering with finance teams on portfolio or initiative‑level planning
Comfort leveraging automation or AI tools to improve planning and reporting workflows
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience

Responsibilities

Drive program‑level planning by facilitating Program Increment (PI) planning, pre-planning, and cross‑team alignment
Partner with Product, Engineering, Finance, and Operations leaders to translate strategy into executable plans and sequenced work
Create transparency across roadmaps, milestones, risks, and delivery commitments so leaders can make informed decisions
Optimize flow by identifying and addressing cross‑team dependencies, risks, and trade-offs early
Track and communicate progress toward program goals, Big Rocks, and OKRs, surfacing insights—not just status
Enable continuous improvement by supporting Inspect & Adapt events, demos, and retrospectives
Provide program‑level coaching on agility, planning discipline, and delivery practices
Maintain a holistic view of scope, funding alignment, team capacity, and delivery health
Synthesize delivery, financial, and performance insights to support annual planning and leadership reporting
Support responsible adoption of AI capabilities to improve planning, reporting, and program workflows
Continuously improve program management practices through automation, metrics, and thoughtful experimentation