Principal Technical Program Manager

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WP Engine empowers companies and agencies of all sizes to build, power, manage, and optimize their WordPress websites and applications with confidence. Serving 1.5 million customers across 150+ countries, the global technology company provides premium, enterprise-grade solutions, tools, and services, including specialized platforms for WordPress, industry-tailored eCommerce and agency solution suites, and developer-centric tools like Local, Advanced Custom Fields, and more. WP Engine’s innovative technology and industry-leading expertise are why 8% of the web visits a WP Engine-powered site daily. Learn more at wpengine.com.

What's cool about this job:
 

The Enterprise Transformation Program Manager is  responsible for overseeing and delivering large-scale transformation projects and programs within the organization. The role requires a strategic thinker with strong leadership skills, a deep understanding of business processes, and a proven track record of managing highly complex programs with intricate interdependencies that drive organizational change to achieve adoption. The successful candidate will work closely with executive (CxO) and other senior leadership, cross-functional teams, external vendors, and external stakeholders to ensure successful implementation and ultimately adoption of transformation initiatives.  Enabling change and driving adoption is the ultimate success criteria for this role.

As a key member of WP Engine’s leadership team this person will play a critical leadership role in transforming WPE’s core business processes.  This role will report to the Director of Program Management for Product and Engineering and work closely with the Director and VP of the Business Transformation organization. This role is both highly strategic and hands-on, and would be a great fit for someone who is ambitious, structured, data-driven, performance oriented, with a passion for large scale program management.

The key objective of the Business Transformation organization is to transform WP Engine’s key business tools and practices that support our lead to cash domains as well as customer service, customer success, and finance while driving the vision, strategy, and roadmap execution critical in the WPE start-up to enterprise journey.
 

Key Responsibilities:
 

Strategic Leadership: 

• Take a leadership role in the development and execution of the enterprise transformation strategy in alignment with organizational goals and objectives and in partnership organizational leaders. Identify opportunities for innovation and improvement. 

• Drive change management excellence in the organization,  be a thought leader in how we  both enable and drive successful adoption of major change across WP Engine.

• Advocate for and represent the business transformation organization at the T1 (CxO/SVP/VP) level, communicate across and align functions and business leaders

• Define transformation roadmaps, breakdown strategies and business objectives into small rapidly deliverable value and/or experiments with clear KPIs 

• Model a growth oriented, disruptive, “blue-sky” mindset where established organization norms and business practices are challenged, silos broken down, and optimal designs are architected

• Drive special programs such as application rationalization and/or M&A activities as needed
   

Program Leadership:  

• Lead the planning, execution, and delivery of enterprise-wide transformation programs, ensuring alignment with the organization’s strategic objectives.

• Develop and manage comprehensive program plans, including scope, timeline, budget, capacity management/resource allocation, risk/issue management, and success criteria, status reporting while regularly updating stakeholders on the status including progress, potential delays, and mitigation strategies.

• Establish and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including executives, department heads, and external partners.

• Manage external vendors for software-related engagements as necessary

• Keep abreast with Agile methodologies and program management best practices and new trends
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Critical Path Management

• Identifying, document and comprehensively map dependencies across programs, workstreams, projects and business as usual changes and leverage a network diagram or similar project management tool to visua