Principal Program Manager, Talent Management

NetApp; Morrisville (NC); Hybrid; USD 148,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

NetApp seeks a Principal Talent Management Program Manager to lead enterprise-wide talent initiatives, shaping how talent is assessed, developed, and planned. You will drive governance, insights, and leader enablement with significant autonomy across HR teams globally.

The role demands strategic thinking, executive presence, and a track record of delivering durable talent solutions across geographies. Hybrid work with offices 3x weekly; candidates in RTP, NC or San Jose, CA preferred.

Qualifications

• Lead highly complex, cross-functional talent programs with enterprise impact.
• Translate strategy into scalable talent processes and governance.
• Partner with senior HR leaders and cross-functional teams to drive solutions.
• Develop executive-ready materials and enablement resources.
• Leverage data to drive risks, decisions, and program improvements.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy, design, and execution of cross-functional talent programs.
• Own end-to-end governance for high-visibility talent processes.
• Translate strategy into scalable processes and operating rhythms.
• Partner with senior HR, Analytics, Communications teams for integrated solutions.
• Define metrics and reporting requirements; synthesize insights.
• Lead change management and adoption for new talent processes.
• Identify gaps and drive solutions to improve efficiency and user experience.
• Influence priorities across stakeholders without direct authority.
• Create and maintain clear process documentation and resources.

Skills

Talent management

Program leadership

Stakeholder management

Change management

Data-driven decision making

Executive communications

AI and automation tooling

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

10+ years in HR/Talent Management/Program Management

Experience leading enterprise programs

Senior stakeholder engagement with executives

Experience with HR tech, analytics, reporting

Executive communications and change plans

Tools

HR Technology platforms

Analytics & reporting tools

Job description

Job Summary

As a Principal Talent Management Program Manager, you will lead the strategy, design, and execution of complex, enterprise-wide talent management initiatives that shape how NetApp assesses, develops, and plans talent. This role will drive critical programs across the talent management portfolio translating business priorities into scalable processes, governance, insights, and leader enablement. You will operate as a senior individual contributor with significant autonomy, influencing across HR teams to deliver high-impact, high-visibility programs.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in talent management and program leadership, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, anticipate downstream impacts, and connect strategy to operational execution. This role requires strong judgment, executive presence, and a continuous improvement mindset to evolve talent processes, systems, communications, and reporting in support of a high-achievement culture. Success in this role will come from building trusted partnerships, driving alignment across stakeholders, and delivering durable solutions that improve the experience and effectiveness of leaders, employees, and HR partners globally.

This is a hybrid role going into the office 3x a week. Candidates must reside in San Jose, CA or Research Triangle Park, NC

Essential Functions

• Lead the strategy, design, and execution of complex, cross-functional talent management programs across performance management, talent reviews, and succession planning, ensuring alignment to business priorities and enterprise talent objectives.
• Own end-to-end program governance for high-visibility talent processes, including process design, milestones, risk management, stakeholder alignment, decision support, and global implementation planning.
• Translate evolving talent strategy into scalable processes, operating rhythms, leader guidance, and implementation plans that enable consistent execution across functions, geographies, and levels of the organization.
• Partner with senior HR leaders, HR Business Partners, HR Operations, Compensation, Technology, Analytics, and Communications teams to drive integrated solutions across systems, reporting, policies, training, and communications.
• Define measurement strategies, success metrics, and reporting requirements for talent programs; synthesize data and insights to identify risks, inform decisions, and recommend improvements.
• Lead change management and adoption efforts for new or evolving talent processes by developing clear stakeholder engagement strategies, enablement resources, and communication plans.
• Identify process gaps, policy implications, operational dependencies, and proactively drive solutions that improve efficiency, consistency, and user experience.
• Influence priorities and decisions across a broad stakeholder network without direct authority, building alignment through expertise, judgment, and strong program leadership.
• Create and maintain clear process documentation, decision frameworks, and implementation resources that support sustainable execution and continuous improvement.

Job Requirements

• Demonstrated ability to lead highly complex, cross-functional programs with significant ambiguity, multiple dependencies, and enterprise-wide impact.
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to connect long-term talent goals to practical execution plans and operational detail.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influence skills, including the ability to build credibility and alignment with senior leaders and cross-functional partners.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to create executive-ready materials, facilitate alignment, and translate complex concepts into clear guidance.
• Strong analytical capability and comfort using data to define measures of success, generate insights, and guide decision-making.
• Experience driving change management, process improvement, and adoption efforts across diverse stakeholder groups, including the ability to apply instructional design principles to create and facilitate effective leader and employee enablement, training materials, and learning resources for complex talent processes.
• Demonstrated ability to leverage AI and automation tools to streamline workflows, improve scalability, and accelerate time to execution across talent management programs, enablement, communications, and operational processes.
• Strong judgment and discretion, including the ability to navigate sensitive talent matters with professionalism and care.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize effectively, and deliver high-quality outcomes in a fast-paced, evolving environment, while also being a strong team player who collaborates effectively across individuals and groups and contributes to shared team success.

Education

• Typically requires 10+ years of experience in Human Resources, Talent Management, Program Management, or a related field.
• Significant experience leading end-to-end enterprise programs or processes, preferably in talent management, performance management, succession planning, leadership development, or related HR domains.
• Experience partnering with senior HR leaders and cross-functional stakeholders to design and implement scalable talent solutions.
• Experience working across HR technology, reporting, analytics, and process documentation to operationalize talent programs effectively.
• Experience building executive communications, leader enablement materials, and change plans for complex organizational initiatives.

Compensation

The target salary range for this position is 147,900 - 220,000 USD. The salary offered will be determined by the candidate's location, qualifications, experience, and education and may be outside of this range. Final compensation packages are competitive and in line with industry standards, reflecting a variety of factors, and include a comprehensive benefits package. This may cover Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Retirement or Pension Plans, Paid Time Off, various Leave options, Performance-Based Incentives, employee stock purchase plan, and/or restricted stocks (RSU’s), with all offerings subject to regional variations and governed by local laws, regulations, and company policies. Benefits may vary by country and region, and further details will be provided as part of the recruitment process.

At NetApp, we embrace a hybrid working environment designed to strengthen connection, collaboration, and culture for all employees. This means that most roles will have some level of in-office and/or in-person expectations, which will be shared during the recruitment process.

Equal Opportunity Employer

NetApp is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and to compliance with all federal, state and local laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on age, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability or genetic information, pregnancy, protected veteran status, and any other protected classification.

Why You'll Thrive at NetApp

At NetApp, you won't wait for the perfect moment—you'll make it. The early planning, the extra thought, the bold idea that turns good into great: That's how our people operate and how we continue to push the boundaries of data infrastructure.

NetApp is the trusted partner for organizations transforming data into opportunity. As the only enterprise-grade storage service natively embedded in Google Cloud, AWS, and Microsoft Azure, we empower customers to run everything from traditional workloads to enterprise AI with unmatched performance, resilience, and security.

Our culture

We celebrate mold breakers, bold thinkers, and problem solvers. We reward initiative, impact, and ownership. We provide flexibility so you can balance professional ambition with your personal life. Here, differences are not just welcomed—they drive everything we do.

If you're ready to innovate, rise to the challenge, and own every moment - make your next move your best one.

AI Disclosure

For select roles, some stages of our hiring process may use artificial intelligence tools to help evaluate applications and candidate selection. These tools support—rather than replace—human decision-making.