Senior Program Manager

Cox Enterprises, Inc.; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 89,000 - 134,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible vacation policy

Paid holidays

Wellness program

Job summary

Cox Automotive in Austin, TX seeks a Senior Program Manager to oversee complex Enterprise Technology programs, coordinating cross-functional teams and multiple delivery systems in an Agile, matrixed environment.

You will manage budgeting, risks, dependencies, and vendor relationships, guiding projects from initiation through closure to achieve strategic outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical, business, or management discipline and 4 years' experience in active Program/Project management.
• PMP certification required or actively in progress.
• 3+ years' experience managing Technology/Security/Operations projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage complex enterprise programs involving cross-functional teams and delivery systems in an Agile and matrixed environment.
• Facilitate collaboration, mobilization, and coordination across Enterprise Technology and between Product, Business, and other functions to ensure alignment on scope, timeline, risks, issues, and dependencies.
• Drive AI adoption leveraging clear messaging, benefiting the teams and connecting human / AI value.
• Support all phases of the program lifecycle, including initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure.
• Develop and deliver program management deliverables within compliance with approved methodology requirements.
• Communicate program objectives clearly and motivate the project team and delivery systems to achieve them.
• Organize work into manageable work packages or phases and determine an effective approach to completing the work.
• Manage the financial aspects of programs: budgeting, estimate-to-actual variance, and funding channel tracking.
• Analyze risks, establish contingency plans, and identify trigger events and responsibilities for initiating mitigating actions.
• Provide tracking and reporting on progress to plan, cost, and schedule, including change control.
• Manage relationships with program stakeholders, both within IT and with external business stakeholders.
• Proactively manage change to baselined scope, schedule, and cost, communicating impacts and facilitating decisions.
• Identify and elevate bottlenecks, risks, issues, and dependencies to ensure program success and realization of business outcomes.
• Manage vendor relations and procurement activities related to program requirements.
• Drive effective communication, collaboration, and commitment across teams with competing priorities.
• Provide input to refine established PM methodology and alignment with delivery systems.
• Provide performance input to team members' functional managers.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Budgeting

Prioritization

Collaboration

Communication

Execution focus

Adaptability

Facilitation

Education

Bachelor's degree in technical, business, or management

PMP certification

Tools

Smartsheet

Job description

The Senior Program Manager role manages complex, high-risk technical IT and Operations programs or projects of strategic importance to the organization. This role oversees project initiatives involving cross-functional teams and multiple delivery systems, ensuring that sequencing and dependencies are monitored and managed with timely escalation of deviations from plans and commitments. The Senior Program Manager will plan, organize, monitor, and oversee multiple Enterprise Technology programs to meet defined business specifications, working closely with the Enterprise Technology Delivery organization as well as Service Area Leaders and IT Owners to guide efforts toward achieving intended business results.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and manage complex enterprise programs involving cross-functional teams and delivery systems in an Agile and matrixed environment.
• Facilitate collaboration, mobilization, and coordination across Enterprise Technology and between Product, Business, and other functions to ensure alignment on scope, timeline, risks, issues, and dependencies.
• Drive AI adoption leveraging clear messaging, benefiting the teams and connecting human / AI value.
• Support all phases of the program lifecycle, including initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure.
• Develop and deliver program management deliverables within compliance with approved methodology requirements.
• Communicate program objectives clearly and motivate the project team and delivery systems to achieve them.
• Organize work into manageable work packages or phases and determine an effective approach to completing the work.
• Manage the financial aspects of programs: budgeting, estimate-to-actual variance, and funding channel tracking.
• Analyze risks, establish contingency plans, and identify trigger events and responsibilities for initiating mitigating actions.
• Provide tracking and reporting on progress to plan, cost, and schedule, including change control.
• Manage relationships with program stakeholders, both within IT and with external business stakeholders.
• Proactively manage change to baselined scope, schedule, and cost, communicating impacts and facilitating decisions.
• Identify and elevate bottlenecks, risks, issues, and dependencies to ensure program success and realization of business outcomes.
• Manage vendor relations and procurement activities related to program requirements.
• Drive effective communication, collaboration, and commitment across teams with competing priorities.
• Provide input to refine established PM methodology and alignment with delivery systems.
• Provide performance input to team members' functional managers.
• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in technical, business, or management discipline and 4 years' experience in active Program/Project management role.
  • The right candidate may also possess a different combination, such as a master's degree and 2 years' experience; a Ph.D. and 1 years' experience; or 12 years' experience in a Program/Project management role with no degree.
• 3+ years' experience managing Technology/Security/Operations projects.
• PMP certification required or actively in progress.
• 2+ years' experience leading or supporting SAFe Agile teams, or equivalent program management experience on Agile projects/programs.
• Experience with Smartsheet preferred.
• Strong facilitation, communication, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated experience managing large-scale, complex technology projects or programs.
• Effective at working in a highly matrixed environment.
• Excellent facilitation and communication skills, both verbal and written.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Analytical Thinking: Applying structured problem-solving and data-informed decision-making to program challenges.
• Budgeting: Tracking and managing program budgets with attention to cost efficiency and variance reporting.
• Managing Multiple Priorities: Balancing concurrent workstreams and adjusting to shifting demands across a program portfolio.
• Program Administration & Management: Using tools and methodologies for planning, tracking, and reporting effectively.
• Collaboration: Building productive working relationships across teams, removing obstacles, and sharing relevant information.
• Communication: Tailoring messages to audiences, encouraging feedback, and presenting clearly at all organizational levels.
• Execution Focus: Following through on commitments, tracking progress against goals, and escalating proactively.
• Adaptability: Navigating ambiguity and changing priorities with a constructive and solution-oriented mindset.

USD 89,400.00 - 134,000.00 per year

Compensation

Compensation includes a base salary in the range of $89,400.00 - $134,000.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.

Benefits

The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company's needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave.

Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship.

EOE, including disability/vets