Program Manager, Analytics Planning & Operations

JD Power; Canada; Remote; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

JD Power’s Analytics team is seeking a seasoned Program Manager to drive cross-functional delivery of data science, AI, and analytics projects in a hybrid SAFe environment. You will partner with the CDAO and Analytics Program Lead to shape what we ship next and to improve KPI-driven performance across teams.

You’ll lead end-to-end program delivery, manage multiple workstreams, and apply Agile, Waterfall, and data-platform approaches to ensure milestones are met with transparency and rigor.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of program or project management experience.
• Strong written and verbal communication; ability to distill complex status for leadership.
• Experience in technology-centric environments bridging business objectives and technical execution.
• Proficiency in Agile and Waterfall methodologies.
• Experience using JIRA, Smartsheet, MS Project, or similar SDLC/PM tools.
• Demonstrated experience applying AI tools to program and project management workflows.
• Strong RAID discipline, schedule management, budget oversight.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate program increment quarterly planning events to align teams on a shared mission, objectives and delivery commitments each quarter.
• Lead inspect & adapt workshops and quantitative and qualitative retrospectives, and execute on improvement ideas.
• Track and report delivery metrics such as completion rates and program predictability; set annual KPI objectives.
• Work with technical teams to uncover root causes and identify risks and countermeasures.
• Lead end-to-end program delivery across teams and functions, applying the methodology needed (Agile, hybrid, data platform-specific).
• Build, maintain, and own the committed quarterly program plans and schedules with transparency and rigor.
• Drive adoption and maturity of product planning practices across the organization.
• Provide technical project management expertise to address engineering and AI challenges with data scientists and leads.

Skills

Program management

Communication

Agile methodologies

Waterfall methodologies

JIRA

Smartsheet

Microsoft Project

AI in PM

Multi-project leadership

Risk management

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

PMP certification

Tools

SAFe knowledge

Job description

Job Description

The Role JD Power’s Analytics team of more than 200 professionals plans and delivers work in quarterly program increments using a customized, hybrid version of SAFe. In this role, you’ll bring that approach to data scientists, AI and ML engineers, data engineers, analysts, and strategists, working alongside product and technology partners to make planning more consistent. The team’s focus is turning our automotive data assets into new AI and ML products, and the delivery work you lead will directly shape what we ship next. Based in the Transformation Office, this role serves as a dedicated partner to our CDAO and Analytics Program Lead. The team also evaluates and reports on Analytics KPIs, including product quality, throughput, and model accuracy, and measures how AI is affecting our development teams. Working with leaders across the group, you’ll identify root causes and help improve performance where it’s lagging.

Impact You Will Have in This Role

Data and analytics are core to what JD Power sells and how we operate. As our data assets and roadmaps grow more complex, teams need clear product purpose and plans they can own. You’ll help provide both, and serve as the voice of the Analytics organization on what we’ve shipped, what’s next, how confident we are in delivering it, and whether quality, throughput, and accuracy are meeting expectations.

What You’ll Be Doing in This Role

• Facilitate program increment quarterly planning events to align teams on a shared mission, objectives and delivery commitments each quarter.
• Lead inspect & adapt workshops and quantitative and qualitative retrospectives, and execute on the improvement ideas that come out of them.
• Track and report delivery metrics such as completion rates and program predictability and partner with Analytics leaders to set annual KPI objectives.
• Work with technical teams to uncover root causes and identify risks and countermeasures.
• Lead end-to-end program delivery across teams and functions, applying the methodology each workstream needs (Agile, hybrid, or data platform-specific) with a toolkit that spans technical project management, agile delivery, and business analysis.
• Build, maintain, and own the committed quarterly program plans and schedules, distinct from the product roadmap, ensuring milestones are met with transparency and rigor.
• Drive adoption and maturity of product planning practices across the organization.
• Bring technical project management expertise to address engineering and AI challenges, working closely with technical leads and data scientists to monitor development progress and ensure alignment between business objectives and technical execution.

What You Bring

• 5+ years of program or project management experience.
• Accountable and self-starting: you own your commitments, follow through without being chased, and move without waiting to be told.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to distill complex program status into clear, concise updates for leadership audiences.
• Experience in technology-centric environments (software development, IT, or data) with a history of bridging business objectives and technical execution.
• Proficiency in Agile and Waterfall methodologies.
• Experience using JIRA, Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, or similar SDLC and PM tools.
• Demonstrated experience applying AI tools to program and project management workflows, and a track record of proactively adopting emerging AI capabilities to improve team productivity and decision-making.
• Strong RAID discipline, schedule management, budget oversight, and attention to detail without losing sight of the bigger picture.
• Comfortable managing multiple workstreams concurrently in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; PMP certification a plus.
• North American based, with availability to work across a distributed global team.

Nice to Have

• Proficiency in SAFe, or a SAFe certification.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, computer science, engineering, or related field.
• PMP certification.

This position has a starting salary range of $90,000 - $120,000 CAD / $80,000 - $100,000 USD per year. This is the range we reasonably and in good faith expect to pay for the role at the time of posting. An employee’s pay within the range is determined by a number of factors, including relevant skills, education, qualifications, experience, performance, business or organizational needs, and geographic location.

Why Join JD Power

JD Power powers auto-related decisions through proprietary data, advanced analytics, deep industry expertise, and workflows that connect insight to action. Operating across North America, Europe, and Australia, we help customers make better decisions and achieve better outcomes. As a virtual-first company, we offer flexible work arrangements, opportunities for learning and development, and a culture centered on the Values that guide how we work every day.

• We power our customers’ success. Everything we do is focused on helping customers make better decisions and achieve better outcomes.
• We are innovative, collaborative, and grounded in data. We combine advanced analytics with human expertise to deliver insight that holds up in the real world.
• We make things easy. We turn complexity into clarity so teams can act faster and with confidence.
• We get it done. We focus on execution, accountability, and results.
• We start with trust and prove it every day. Independence, integrity, and credibility are the foundation of our work.

Equal Opportunity & Accommodations

JD Power is committed to employing a diverse workforce. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or disability. JD Power is committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process for individuals with disabilities or other protected needs under applicable local laws.