Data Program Manager: AI-Driven Enterprise Data Initiatives

K&L Gates; Durham (NC); Hybrid; USD 112,000 - 209,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Prescription Drug Coverage

Dental Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

Job summary

K&L Gates seeks a Data Program Manager to lead enterprise data initiatives, overseeing roadmaps, budgets, and timelines while coordinating with engineering, analytics, AI, and business teams to deliver measurable value on time.

The role emphasizes governance, executive reporting, and collaboration across cross-functional partners in a hybrid work environment. Strong communication and stakeholder engagement are essential.

Qualifications

• Obtain or hold relevant professional certifications. Required: PMP (Project Management Professional). Recommended: PMI-ACP (Agile Certified Practitioner); AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals).
• Possess background in Business Administration, Project Management, Communications, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related area of study. Equivalent professional experience and relevant certifications will also be considered.
• Demonstrate proficiency translating business needs into functional program requirements, delivery milestones, and concise status updates tailored for executive audiences.
• Possess ability to evaluate, learn, and adopt new technologies and platforms independently with minimal guidance.
• Maintain a secure, professional workspace for handling confidential information, travel up to 10%, and support scheduled release events with schedule flexibility.
• Demonstrate exceptional stakeholder engagement and communication abilities across technical and non-technical audiences, maintaining professionalism to connect with diverse personalities effectively.
• Demonstrate ability to communicate technical concepts visually through diagramming, whiteboarding, and collaborative design tools within a hybrid work environment.
• 4+ years managing complex, cross-functional programs or initiatives with demonstrated ownership of roadmaps, budgets, and delivery timelines.
• Demonstrate experience collaborating with data, analytics, AI, or enterprise technology teams in a program management role.
• Demonstrate experience identifying risks and actively eliminating delivery obstacles across intricate, multi-team programs.
• Demonstrate experience with Agile, hybrid, or waterfall project delivery methodologies and proficiency using Azure DevOps or similar delivery management platforms.
• Show experience using AI-assisted tools within a professional engineering or enterprise technology setting.

Responsibilities

• Owning and maintaining the roadmap for enterprise data programs, aligning with business priorities, data strategy, and the governed build-buy portfolio model.
• Leading end-to-end delivery of data initiatives including defining scope, managing timelines, mitigating risks, and coordinating dependencies across engineering, analytics, and business partners.
• Planning, managing, and tracking program budgets, forecasts, and expenditures while ensuring financial accountability and providing transparent reporting to leadership.
• Establishing and monitoring key performance indicators to evaluate program success and value, translating outcomes into business impact narratives for executives.
• Owning program visibility and delivery tracking in Azure DevOps, including portfolio dashboards, sprint board oversight, and work item reporting.
• Identifying, escalating, and resolving delivery blockers and risks affecting timelines or outcomes while proactively handling cross-team dependencies.
• Translating business needs into clear program plans and delivery milestones, enabling governance processes and providing executive-level status updates effectively.
• Serving as an example for the Enterprise Applications team philosophy, promoting processes, procedures, security, standards, and a knowledge-centered approach to support.
• Defining and overseeing testing strategies at the program level, including quality standards, user acceptance frameworks, and validation of business functions.
• Leveraging Artificial Intelligence tools—such as Microsoft Copilot, Claude, and AI-assisted development environments—enhancing quality, efficiency, and innovation within daily workflows and assigned tasks.
• Contributing to the design, development, or maintenance of AI-driven solutions on the firm’s Microsoft platform stack within the team's governed portfolio guidelines.
• Adhering to the organization’s AI governance standards ensuring compliance with responsible use policies, data classification rules, and model deployment review procedures.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Self-motivation

Collaboration

Education

PMP certification

PMI-ACP

AZ-900

BA/BS in Business Administration or related field

Tools

Azure DevOps

Power BI

Job description

K&L Gates seeks a Data Program Manager to lead enterprise data initiatives, overseeing roadmaps, budgets, and timelines while coordinating with engineering, analytics, AI, and business teams to deliver measurable value on time.

The role emphasizes governance, executive reporting, and collaboration across cross-functional partners in a hybrid work environment. Strong communication and stakeholder engagement are essential.