Technical Program Manager

Forwardnetworks · Santa Clara, CA · Product

Posted 2026-07-27

Apply for this role →

Forward is looking for a Technical Program Manager

Core accountability: Drive execution across engineering programs, including releases, cross-functional initiatives, and the communications and coordination infrastructure that keeps a scaling org aligned.

What you'll own:

Release management end-to-end: SDLC coordination from product definition through production deployment, dependency mapping, release cadence, risk identification, and escalation before deadlines slip

Cross-functional programs that span engineering, product, and the technical field: scoping, sequencing, and driving them to outcomes

Internal engineering communications: status reporting, exec updates, and the cadence of how engineering keeps the rest of the org informed

Process design that gets teams aligned without adding bureaucracy. Lightweight, followed, and retired when no longer useful

Automation and AI leverage: identify what should be automated, partner with engineers to implement, and use AI for status tracking, documentation, and dependency analysis

What matters:

Track record running multi-team SaaS releases and broader engineering programs with complex dependencies

Technical depth to distinguish realistic from fantasy (networking or infrastructure background a plus)

Translates fluently between technical teams and business stakeholders

Builds lightweight processes that actually get followed

Knows when to push back on scope or timeline vs. when to escalate

Comfortable being the person who asks "are we still on track?" repeatedly, and the one who reframes the question when the answer keeps being "yes" but the evidence says otherwise

What this isn't:

Pure project management. You need technical credibility

Pure engineering. You're not writing runbooks or going on-call

Order-taker. You'll challenge unrealistic commitments and unclear program goals

Customer-facing. This role is internal

The base pay range for this role is between $190,000 and $220,000. Base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location

Apply for this role →

← Back to all jobs