Principal Technical Program Manager

About Lumen

Lumen connects the world. We are igniting business growth by connecting people, data and applications – quickly, securely, and effortlessly. Together, we are building a culture and company from the people up – committed to teamwork, trust and transparency. People power progress.

We’re looking for top-tier talent and offer the flexibility you need to thrive and deliver lasting impact. Join us as we digitally connect the world and shape the future.

The Role

We are seeking a Lead Technical Program Manager (TPM) to lead the execution of complex, high-impact programs while driving strategic alignment, operational efficiency, and organizational transparency. This role requires a hands-on leader who can set up an end-to-end measurement, KPI, and communication framework for program managers across the organization, ensuring consistent tracking, reporting, and delivery excellence.

The ideal candidate is a fast-moving, detail-oriented executor with the ability to manage complex projects, oversee other program managers, and engage with stakeholders at all levels. You should excel at bridging technical and business objectives, providing executive insights, and fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

The Main Responsibilities

•    Program Leadership & Delivery:
o    Drive large-scale, technical programs to completion, aligning business, technical, and operational goals across teams.
o    Oversee a portfolio of initiatives, ensuring all timelines, dependencies, and deliverables are synchronized.
o    Manage and mentor project/program managers, ensuring consistency and excellence across the organization.
•    Measurement, KPI, and Communication Frameworks:
o    Establish a unified framework for tracking and measuring success across all programs, focusing on velocity, quality, cost efficiency, and impact.
o    Define KPIs and metrics for teams, ensuring clear alignment with organizational objectives.
o    Set up automated dashboards and tools to provide real-time visibility into project status, risks, and outcomes.
o    Ensure standardized reporting mechanisms are in place, enabling consistent communication across the organization.
•    Cross-Functional Collaboration & Communication:
o    Act as the central communication hub between engineering, operations, and executive teams.
o    Tailor communication to the audience, from highly technical updates for engineers to strategic insights for executives.
o    Surface risks early with actionable mitigation plans, fostering trust and transparency with all stakeholders.
•    Execution & Quality Assurance:
o    Ensure thoughtful business and functional requirements are gathered, documented, and translated into actionable technical specifications.
o    Coordinate with QA teams to ensure rigorous testing and validation, achieving high-quality outcomes.
o    Track and analyze metrics such as code quality, bug rates, fallout, and delivery predictability to continuously improve team performance.
•    Cost & Resource Management:
o    Manage budgets across complex projects, tracking costs, ROI, and resource allocation.
o    Optimize processes to reduce waste and drive cost savings without compromising timelines or quality.
•    Modern Tooling & Automation:
o    Implement collaboration and reporting tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Smartsheet, Notion) to streamline workflows and ensure real-time updates.
o    Eliminate outdated practices like PowerPoint in favor of automated, data-driven reporting.

What We Look For in a Candidate

• Program Leadership:
  • Proven ability to lead complex technical programs with multiple stakeholders and cross-functional dependencies.
  • Experience managing and mentoring program/project managers to deliver consistent, high-quality results.
• Framework Development:
  • Expertise in designing and implementing measurement systems, KPI frameworks, and communication strategies for large teams or organizations.
  • Ability to set up real-time dashboards using tools like Tableau, Looker, or similar visualization platforms.
• Technical Fluency:
  • Strong understanding of modern software de