Director, Program Management

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in New York.

📋 Description

• Set strategic direction, priorities, governance, and success metrics for a complex enterprise program.

• Act as a senior partner to both external and internal leadership teams.

• Represent the enterprise in engagements with external stakeholders.

• Anticipate and tackle emerging challenges related to programs, stakeholders, and business operations.

• Provide executive leadership with evaluations, recommendations, and options regarding critical decisions, risks, and opportunities.

• Oversee a portfolio of interconnected workstreams across various business and functional organizations.

• Develop operating models, ownership structures, decision rights, escalation paths, dependencies, and accountability frameworks.

• Foster alignment among senior functional leaders and resolve conflicts at the enterprise level.

• Establish and uphold program governance, executive steering committees, review processes, decision forums, and escalation mechanisms.

• Manage program scope, schedules, budgets, quality, resources, risks, dependencies, and contractual obligations.

• Hold workstream leaders accountable for their deliverables, milestones, financial targets, and commitments.

• Own the management of program-level risks and issues, including recovery strategies and corrective actions.

• Supervise budgets, forecasts, expenditures, resource demands, and financial exposure in collaboration with Finance and functional leaders.

• Evaluate and convey the enterprise impacts of changes in scope, schedule, resources, and external commitments.

• Assess program health, challenge assumptions, and intervene directly when necessary.

• Ensure compliance with government contracts, statements of work, service levels, policies, regulations, and stakeholder obligations.

• Collaborate with Legal, Commercial, Finance, Security, and Compliance teams to mitigate risks related to contracts, regulations, finances, and reputational factors.

• Maintain controls, documentation, approvals, and evidence necessary for compliance and audit readiness.

• Lead contract modifications, escalations, remediation efforts, audits, and corrective action plans.

• Conduct executive program reviews, steering committees, escalations, and strategic planning discussions.

• Communicate complex and sensitive issues with clarity, precision, discretion, and sound judgment.

• Condense program information into concise communications for executives.

• Navigate sensitive contractual, organizational, operational, and stakeholder issues confidentially.

• Influence senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders without direct authority.

• Maintain credibility and composure during high-pressure program situations.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, program management, public administration, technology, engineering, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.

• A minimum of 12 years of progressive experience in program, project, or business leadership, including oversight of large-scale, highly complex, cross-functional programs.

• Proven experience leading strategic, high-visibility programs with substantial enterprise, financial, operational, contractual, and reputational significance.

• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively with senior executives and act as a trusted advisor to both internal and external leaders.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information and customize messaging for executive, external stakeholder, technical, and operational audiences.

• Outstanding judgment and discretion in managing confidential, politically sensitive, contractual, or high-risk matters.

• Strong executive presence and the capability to convey difficult messages, influence decisions, resolve conflicts, and foster alignment.

• Significant experience managing programs governed by government contracts, public-sector requirements, or highly regulated contractual environments.

• Advanced expertise in scope, schedule, budget, financial management, resource planning, risk, dependency, governance, and change control.

• In-depth understanding of contractual requirements, statements of work, service-level commitments, acceptance criteria, compliance obligations, and audit requirements.

• Ability to lead within a highly matrixed organization and promote accountability without direct reporting authority.

• Strong business acumen with the capability to assess decisions from operational, contractual, financial, stakeholder, and enterprise perspectives.

• Exceptional organizational discipline, attention to detail, judgment, and follow-through.

• Capability to transition between strategic leadership and detailed execution.

• PMP, PgMP, or a comparable program management certification is preferred.

• Experience with state, local, municipal, transportation, public safety, tolling, mobility, or other government entities is preferred.

• Background in leading technology-enabled programs involving software, infrastructure, operational services, integrations, data, or regulatory compliance is preferred.

• Experience in leading escalations, service recovery, contract changes, remediation, or transformation initiatives is preferred.

• Familiarity with PMO, enterprise transformation, or portfolio management environments is preferred.

🏝️ Benefits

• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits package.

• Competitive salary and performance-based incentives.

• Opportunities for professional development and career advancement.

• Flexible work arrangements and work-life balance support.

• Engaging company culture with team-building activities.