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RipplingRippling

Principal Technical Program Manager

Principal TPM driving complex cross-functional product development and geographic expansion at Rippling. Partners with Product/Engineering leadership to own execution plans, mitigate technical risks and dependencies, establish TPM processes, and ensure predictable delivery of engineering initiatives.

About the job

What You'll Do

Technical Strategy & Planning

  • Drive strategic, cross-functional planning and prioritization, partnering with Product and Engineering leadership to develop comprehensive program plans, including roadmap definition, dependency mapping, and resourcing models.
  • Drive the process of translating high-level business and product requirements into actionable, concrete engineering tasks, milestones, and technical specifications.
  • Contribute to the definition and tracking of effective technical metrics, driving improvements that optimize engineering operating performance and system health.

Technical Execution & Delivery

  • Lead and facilitate regular program-level meetings and reviews with Product and Engineering leadership to ensure projects achieve successful outcomes.
  • Proactively monitor program health, tracking status, risks, issues, and complex technical dependencies across engineering teams.
  • Deep dive into technical issues to facilitate resolution, and drive appropriate executive-level escalations and program-level change management processes as-needed.
  • Take personal ownership of engineering roadblocks and technical delays, escalating issues appropriately and driving them to timely closure by working directly with engineering leads.

Process & Communication

  • Manage high-level program communications, ensuring all stakeholders—from delivery teams to executive management—are consistently informed of roadmap changes, release plans, and delivery status, with a clear explanation of technical trade-offs and risks.
  • Establish, document, and champion the adoption of new program frameworks, tools, and best practices across the R&D organization.
  • Act as an agent of change, helping to establish and strengthen the Technical Program Management function across the company.

Qualifications

  • 7+ years of experience as TPM, Engineering Lead, Manager, or equivalent working directly with software engineering teams.
  • Proven track record to communicate technical issues effectively to technical and non-technical partners at different levels of the organization.
  • Proven ability to build and implement detailed plans accounting for ambiguity, dependencies, and technical complexity in a fast-moving environment.
  • Demonstrated excellence in the practice of technical program management, especially in establishing TPM processes from scratch.
  • Highly skilled in pragmatically identifying, tracking and reporting on cross team dependencies and collaboratively addressing them effectively with providing/receiving teams.
  • Demonstrated attention to detail and a hands-on disposition.
  • Excellent problem solving and troubleshooting skills.
  • Proven ability to handle multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
  • Outstanding ability to effectively communicate across all levels of the organization from engineers to executives.
  • Four-year Computer Science, Engineering, Business or related degree, or equivalent work experience.

Additional Information

This role will receive a competitive salary + benefits + equity. The salary for US-based employees will be aligned with one of the ranges below based on location. A variety of factors are considered when determining someone’s compensation–including a candidate’s professional background, experience, and location.

Skills

Technical Program Management, Roadmap Planning, Dependency Management, Risk Mitigation, Cross-Functional Leadership, Metrics Definition, Change Management, Stakeholder Communication

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