Interested in finding out what a technical program manager job description looks like? Well, you’ve come to the right place!
A well-written technical program manager job description allows you to find the right fit according to your project management style.
Since technical program managers are responsible for overseeing several projects within a company, it’s crucial that their project management style and processes match that of the company.
Technical program management is about defining a product’s requirements and evaluating the final product that reaches customers. The technical program manager role also includes working with cross-functional teams.
For the most part, they work with the engineering team to establish product architecture and technology for companies.
The technical program manager job is a mid to senior-level position because they tend to communicate with organizational leadership. Some companies prefer hiring a technical project manager, but that’s if a company works across several industries.
Technical program managers tend to focus on product development within the IT industry. This means that they require a robust understanding of the technical details of IT products and sufficient technical expertise to coordinate product development.
Some companies require their technical program managers to communicate relevant metrics. That means TPMs need to monitor certain software performance metrics.
Based on this, the technical program manager job description varies according to the product and industry. While the focus is on the IT industry, technical program manager jobs exist in manufacturing and several other industries.
In this article, we have a few technical program manager job description examples to help you better understand their role in specific industries and niches.
Technical Program Manager Job Description Example 1 – General
Our company is looking for a well-rounded technical program manager who understands technical program management and project management at its core. You need to have adequate technical expertise to drive the development of cutting-edge technology products.
As the primary technical program manager, you are responsible for all the product development stages. You have to oversee each stage, collaborate with engineering teams, and ensure the product is ready for the next stage.
You also need to act as a bridge between the software development team, technical teams, and product managers. That is why this role requires excellent communication skills, along with a strong technical background for smoother collaboration.
On top of that, this role requires strong leadership skills since you need to oversee and manage different teams.
It’s preferable if you have prior technical program management experience in the same industry but not a requirement. However, you need to showcase robust technical knowledge relating to our company’s products and services.
Last but not least, we require our technical program managers to also have business management experience. You need to have a good idea of business administration, processes, and negotiation skills.
Combining your technical expertise and business knowledge, we expect you to introduce new programs, processes, features, and solutions, fostering product innovation.
The Technical Program Manager Needs to:
- Oversee, plan, and manage the product development stages, approving the product at each stage.
- Create detailed project plans at each product development stage for maximum efficiency.
- Provide a steady stream of ideas and solutions during product development initiatives to introduce innovation and improve operational efficiency.
- Take note of certain relevant metrics and develop reports to communicate the development progress to senior managers, product managers, and cross-functional stakeholders.
- Collaborate with multiple teams, including software architects, software engineers, system engineers, developers, and product teams.
- Identify cross-team dependencies to incorporate them into the program planning process.
- Figure out how to resolve technical issues by diagnosing them and providing potential solutions.
- Ensure that product development and product delivery is possible within the product budget and timeframe.
- Oversee the product deployment process and assist in the integration process, if necessary.
- Make necessary adjustments to product development processes based on performance metrics.
- Keep up with the latest advancements in our product category and industry.
- Ensure complete compliance according to industry standards by documenting all the processes and adjusting them, if necessary.
- Manage project escalations whenever necessary and help assemble project teams when necessary.
- Maintain project plans within the organization and introduce necessary technical programs to assist product management teams.
Technical Program Manager Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree in technology management, business administration, computer science, software engineering, or another relevant field.
- At least 3 years of technical program management experience. We prefer that you have prior relevant experience in a similar or related industry but it’s not a requirement.
- You need to have a deep understanding of the product development process, the product lifecycle, and program management.
- Advanced knowledge of individual product development stages is a must.
- You need to have prior leadership experience in product planning, management, and project management.
- You must have excellent communication skills for a smooth collaboration with engineers and other teams.
- Experience recording and evaluating product performance metrics is crucial, along with the ability to report them to senior management and other stakeholders.
- An ability to manage project timelines, prioritize tasks, and align teams based on those tasks is crucial.
- It’s preferable if you’re proficient with programming languages and some coding. We prefer that you have a working understanding of JavaScript and Python.
- Prior experience in product deployment and integration is a plus.
- It’s crucial to have the ability to solve problems and technical issues as they present themselves.
- Strategic thinking is key in ensuring the efficient management of several complex projects.
- You need to ask for necessary career resources for your career success to ensure two-way growth.
Technical Program Manager Job Description Example 2 – Accessibility
Our team requires an entrepreneurial technical product manager to lead technical projects across our organization. We need you to lead the efforts to make our modern technologies and system accessible to everyone.
You have to identify systemic pain points, and force multipliers, and ensure success in providing inclusive and accessible products. Your job is to ensure maximum customer satisfaction by making sure our products take all audiences into account.
The TPM needs to work with internal product teams to introduce innovations in company processes and redefine program management.
You need to work near the technical team and product management professionals across several business lines. You have to deliver accessible technology solutions, maintain functional accessibility guidelines, and foster continuous improvement through innovation.
Furthermore, the technical program manager needs to ensure all business requirements are in check. We expect the TPM to track business goals, customer satisfaction, and internal efficiency metrics.
Our company has a fast-paced environment, so you need to keep up with multiple teams at all times.
The Technical Program Manager Needs to:
- Work on defining the technical requirements for providing accessibility solutions in populated operational environments.
- Drive the execution of said accessibility solutions with the right technology, product standards, and process interactions.
- Identify the project requirements at each stage and work with project managers to ensure on-time deliveries.
- Ensure that we maintain a global standard practice in technical accessibility consultations and audits of production and operational environments.
- Establish direct authority over relevant technical teams that work on operational technologies.
- Develop collaborative relationships with relevant internal and external teams.
- Develop a system to track jobs across several technical projects in a bid to provide relevant recommendations.
- Work on creating a monitoring program that tracks certain customer metrics, and then report them to relevant parties.
- Maintain a healthy knowledge of current trends in our industry, including emerging technology, compliance standards, and other relevant technology.
- Communicate the technical aspects of the solutions to both internal and external teams, including senior management.
- Identify new program development opportunities and test them towards deployment.
Technical Program Manager Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree in program management, product management, business administration, or another relevant field.
- At least 3-5 years of experience in program management. We prefer that you have experience in a similar industry but it’s not a requirement.
- Prior experience with accessibility solutions and their technical aspects is a plus.
- An ability to identify customer needs and translate them into technical and product requirements is a must.
- You need to have a customer-first mindset to determine what the customer wants, how they want it, and in what capacity.
- Prior experience in planning and conducting usability studies among various groups of customers is a preference. Experience in conducting usability studies based on accessibility solutions is a plus.
- You need a working knowledge of how accessibility solutions work in different cases. For example, you need to understand how to deploy accessibility solutions using mobile and web technologies.
- A good understanding of user interfaces, user experience, and accessible design is a preference.
- Understanding human interaction factors is important, including how they factor in the universal design of products.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are a requirement.
- A good understanding of business administration and management is a requirement.
Technical Program Manager Job Description Example 3 – IT
We are looking for a technical program manager with the ability to manage and oversee several complex IT projects. Your primary responsibility is the efficient workflow of all software development teams to ensure regular software delivery.
Ensuring an efficient workflow includes regular work schedule adjustments, process improvement methods, and Agile project management. That said, you need to be familiar with agile tools, including JIRA.
You also need a working knowledge of agile practices and how they work. The ideal candidate is someone who works well with Scrum Master, various software engineering teams, and relevant product teams.
You need to initiate programs, monitor their progress, and introduce adjustments to improve process efficiency.
Meanwhile, we expect the technical program manager to provide relevant suggestions and solutions to problems within the product development cycle. You’re an ideal candidate if you have a knack for identifying problems and inefficiencies and fixing them.
The Knowledge Manager Needs to:
- Set team work schedules for all teams under your supervision and delegate and prioritize tasks to improve process efficiency.
- Improve product delivery times by introducing relevant business solutions for better implementation and integration.
- Train, mentor, and guide team members and foster teamwork.
- Develop a system for regular performance metrics checks and then report your findings to upper management and other stakeholders.
- Ensure every team is following agile practices.
- Work with software architects, software engineers, technical consultants, and other technical staff to come up with solutions for clients.
- Collaborate with relevant consultants in each project to ensure product development follows organizational requirements and goals.
- Maintain a record of any and all customer escalations regarding technical issues. Communicate these issues to relevant project teams, follow through until there’s a solution, and report the customer resolution.
- Ensure that all projects are following their budgets and delivery times. Make a habit of tracking project milestones and dependencies. Include these things in your regular reports.
- Collaborate with other relevant departments, including the product, sales, and support departments. You have to ensure positive customer engagement across the board.
- Develop a system to plan, track, and document every single program you manage.
- Provide regular feedback to core teams, including the product team, engineering team, and development team.
Technical Program Manager Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field is necessary.
- At least 4-6 years of experience in program management with IT projects is crucial.
- Working knowledge of Agile practices is a requirement.
- A PMP or Scrum Master certification is a plus.
- Excellent project management and communication skills are crucial.
- Practical knowledge of archiving, development, and other relevant processes is a requirement.
- You need excellent leadership skills, along with a knack for problem-solving.