Strategic Program Manager, Implementation (MANTL)

Alkami Technology•Bentonville, AR

4d•$120,000 - $150,000•Remote

About The Position

The Strategic Program Manager, Implementation serves as an advanced implementation delivery leader responsible for managing highly complex onboarding programs, driving cross-functional implementation strategy, and improving operational scalability across Alkami Digital Banking client implementations. The role oversees large-scale or strategic implementation portfolios, resolves complex delivery challenges, and influences implementation best practices across the organization. The position partners with Delivery leadership, Technical Services, Product, Customer Success, engineering stakeholders, and executive customer stakeholders to align implementation objectives, mitigate operational risk, and support successful customer onboarding. It operates with significant autonomy, provides guidance on complex implementation initiatives, and contributes to scalable delivery methodologies, operational processes, and customer engagement strategies that improve implementation quality and client experience.

Requirements

6–10 years of experience leading complex implementation programs, enterprise customer onboarding initiatives, project delivery portfolios, or client-facing operational programs within SaaS, fintech, banking technology, or related environments, including strategic customer engagements and cross-functional delivery initiatives.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Project Management, Information Systems, Communications, or related experience.
Advanced expertise managing complex implementation programs and strategic customer onboarding initiatives.
Ability to analyze and resolve operational, delivery, and stakeholder challenges across cross-functional implementation environments.
Experience leading large-scale implementation portfolios involving multiple teams, dependencies, and customer stakeholders.
Strong project governance, scheduling, risk management, and escalation management skills.
Ability to influence operational strategy, implementation methodologies, and delivery best practices.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including experience supporting executive-level customer interactions.
Experience developing scalable implementation processes, reporting frameworks, and operational improvements.
Strong leadership, organizational, analytical, and customer relationship management skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting fintech, SaaS, or digital banking implementation programs at enterprise scale.
Familiarity with Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid delivery methodologies.
Project Management Certification (PMP, PgMP).
Experience contributing to operational transformation, implementation scalability, or automation initiatives.
Knowledge of technical onboarding, integration coordination, or customer readiness operations.
Experience mentoring implementation program managers or project delivery professionals.
Experience supporting executive customer escalations or strategic implementation initiatives.

Responsibilities

Lead highly complex implementation programs and strategic customer onboarding engagements, coordinating cross-functional delivery activities.
Serve as the senior implementation lead for strategic customer relationships, managing expectations, facilitating executive-level communication, and guiding customers through implementation decisions and milestones.
Align project objectives, operational priorities, resource planning, and customer requirements across implementation programs and stakeholder groups.
Coordinate implementation dependencies and mitigate operational risks in partnership with Delivery leadership, Technical Services, Product, Customer Success, and engineering stakeholders.
Evaluate project risks, operational impacts, customer dependencies, and delivery constraints; develop mitigation and resolution strategies.
Develop and refine project management methodologies, communication practices, reporting frameworks, and delivery processes to improve consistency and scalability.
Coordinate internal teams and external stakeholders on timelines, deliverables, risks, and customer readiness throughout the implementation lifecycle.
Oversee implementation schedules, onboarding milestones, and project portfolios; monitor delivery health, identify escalation risks, and recommend corrective actions.
Facilitate executive-level project discussions and communicate progress, operational risks, and strategic recommendations to customer leadership and internal stakeholders.
Advocate for customer needs, address concerns, and align implementation execution with customer business objectives and operational readiness expectations.
Coordinate issue escalation and resolution, stakeholder communication, and timely resolution of critical implementation challenges.
Lead operational improvement initiatives by analyzing recurring challenges and recommending workflow enhancements, automation, or process optimization.
Mentor and support implementation program managers by sharing best practices and providing guidance on complex engagements and escalations.
Collaborate with leadership on implementation capacity planning, portfolio management, and delivery forecasting.
Influence implementation strategy, operational priorities, customer onboarding approaches, and delivery methodologies to improve effectiveness and customer satisfaction.