Manager, Project/Program Management (Individual Contributor) – CAI Inventory Solutions PMO

Company

Cox Automotive - USA

Business Operations

Lead Project / Program Manager

Manager - Non People LeaderHybrid - Ability to work remotely part of the week

Yes, 25% of the time

Day

Compensation

Compensation includes a base salary in the range of $101,500.00 - $169,100.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.

**Location Note:** Strong preference for candidates in the Atlanta, GA area.

Role Overview

The Strategic Program Manager is a skilled delivery practitioner who independently executes complex, cross-functional strategic programs with a high degree of autonomy and ownership. This role is the backbone of the PMO's day-to-day execution capability — managing programs from initiation through close with discipline, rigor, and strategic awareness.

As an individual contributor, the Strategic PM brings deep program management craft, sound judgment, and strong stakeholder communication to every program they own. They proactively identify risks, navigate organizational complexity, and translate program status into clear narratives that enable faster decisions. They are expected to apply AI-powered practices to their work, contribute to the evolution of PMO standards, and model the delivery behaviors the team aspires to.

This role operates across a matrixed environment in close partnership with product, engineering, and business stakeholders — and is expected to influence without authority at the Director and VP level.

Responsibilities

Prepare, Manage & Execute Programs

• Independently manages complex, cross-functional projects and spanning multiple business or technical domains, owning the full lifecycle from initiation through delivery and close.

• Works on projects / programs that have strategic importance to the business, ensuring alignment to Manheim’s overall strategy.

• Translates ambiguous strategies into actionable project plans.

• Translates program objectives into integrated plans, schedules, and delivery milestones; identifies dependencies, critical path, and resource needs.

• Produces and maintains high-quality program artifacts including charters, risk and issue logs, communication plans, dependency maps, and status reports calibrated to stakeholder audience.

• Manages scope, change control, and budget tracking; escalates proactively when constraints threaten delivery outcomes.

• Plays a consultative role with business partners and stakeholders to define the right approach, process, and tools for program success.

• Coordinates and leverages shared resources across concurrent workstreams or programs within their portfolio.

• Defines and implements PM standards and processes for the programs they manage; contributes to broader PMO playbooks, templates, and delivery frameworks.

• Leads structured retrospectives on programs they manage; surfaces learnings that inform continuous improvement and PMO capability-building.

• Manages third-party vendor engagements related to program delivery when applicable.

 

Communicate & Engage Stakeholders

• Communicates program status, risks, issues, and decisions clearly and proactively to all stakeholders; calibrates message and medium to the audience.

• Produces high-quality program narratives for program sponsors and cross-functional leaders — translating execution detail into business-r