Summary

We are seeking a Director-level Technical Program Manager (TPM) to drive scalable, high-impact programs across Product and Engineering Operations at Appen. Based in Hyderabad, this individual will coordinate delivery across globally distributed teams, streamline tooling and practices, and mature operational capabilities across the engineering lifecycle.

The ideal candidate has deep experience in technical delivery operations, understands the dynamics between product, engineering, and IT, and can drive clarity, structure, and accountability in complex program environments. They will play a central role in building connective tissue between stakeholders, aligning cross-functional teams, and shaping operational standards that scale.

Key Responsibilities

1. Program Leadership & Operational Strategy:
2. Lead cross-functional initiatives spanning product development workflows, engineering operations, and internal tooling.
3. Collaborate with product and engineering leaders to define shared success metrics, roadmap visibility, and delivery accountability.
4. Own program structures that translate vision into execution while balancing flexibility with repeatability.
5. Cross-Functional Execution:
6. Coordinate initiatives involving engineering, IT, product management, and business teams to improve delivery cadence and process clarity.
7. Manage program timelines, milestones, risks, and communications to ensure transparency and alignment.
8. Champion the use of modern collaboration platforms such as Jira, Confluence, Loom, and JSM to drive shared understanding and engagement.
9. Process & Tooling Maturity:
10. Develop and optimize operating cadences like planning rituals, release readiness, and stakeholder reviews that promote consistency and quality.
11. Guide teams in using Atlassian tools for backlog hygiene, incident communication, service management, and documentation.
12. Promote lightweight governance and data-informed reporting practices that support continuous improvement.
13. Technical Fluency & Enablement:
14. Act as a strategic partner to Engineering and IT stakeholders by bringing structure to high-complexity, cross-domain challenges.
15. Ensure teams have the workflows, metrics, and tools they need to execute effectively at scale.
16. Contribute to internal enablement around delivery practices, including documentation hygiene, async collaboration, and technical onboarding.
17. Support for Security & Compliance Initiatives:
18. Partner with Security, IT, and Legal to coordinate delivery of compliance-related programs and controls.
19. Track execution of access controls, MFA adoption, audit readiness, and related deliverables.
20. Facilitate operational alignment with frameworks such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, and GDPR.
21. Tooling & Vendor Evaluation:
22. Contribute to evaluation of tools and platforms that improve developer and operational efficiency.
23. Support collaboration with Procurement and IT to align vendor decisions with product and engineering needs.
24. Track renewals and vendor metrics that impact operational effectiveness.

Qualifications

1. 12+ years of experience in technical program management or engineering delivery roles, preferably in SaaS or internal tooling environments.
2. Proven ability to lead programs across Product, Engineering, and IT with sensitivity to organizational nuance and cultural dynamics.
3. Strong understanding of modern product development workflows, agile delivery, and cross-functional alignment practices.
4. Hands-on experience using collaboration and delivery tools like Jira, Confluence, JSM, and Loom to promote transparency and efficiency.
5. Skilled in facilitation, program design, stakeholder alignment, and navigating ambiguity.
6. Comfortable operating in fast-paced, distributed environments with global team structures.

Nice to Have

1. Experience supporting developer productivity, platform engineering, or operational tooling programs.
2. Familiarity with AI development workflows, MLOps, or data governance frameworks.
3. Certifications such as PMP, ITIL, or CISSP are a plus.

Skills

• Communications Skills
• Leadership
• Strategic Thinking
• Team Collaboration