Senior Technical Program Manager

Avalara; United States; Remote; USD 136,000 - 273,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

PTO

Parental leave

Medical insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Job summary

Avalara, Inc. is seeking an experienced Senior Technical Program Manager to drive strategic execution across large, cross‑functional R&D initiatives.

You will lead high‑visibility programs, implement governance frameworks, and elevate SDLC maturity across distributed teams, owning three engineering pillars: architecture governance, product quality, and incident prevention. You will build real-time program dashboards, turn complex data into executive narratives, and use AI tools to accelerate

Qualifications

• 8–12+ years of Technical Program Management experience in fast‑paced, product‑based cloud/SaaS environments.
• Track record of managing multi‑team org initiatives across global time zones (strong US/India stakeholder alignment).
• Proven track record leading root cause analysis, customer‑found defect reduction, or site reliability/quality governance programs.
• Deep fluency with Jira & Agile/Flow metrics (expert at designing JQL, roll‑up views, CFD/Kanban workflows, and delivery KPIs).
• Hands‑on prototyping / AI‑assisted rapid development to quickly build dashboards and data scripts (Python, Streamlit, JS, or low‑code frameworks alongside AI assistants).
• Exceptional executive storytelling with proven ability to influence VPs and directors through clear, structured communication.
• Strong technical acumen (BS/MS in Computer Science/Engineering or equivalent hands‑on experience) with the ability to evaluate architectural trade‑offs, APIs, and scaling constraints.

Responsibilities

• End-to-End Program Orchestration across Product, Architecture, Platform Engineering, Security, and Cloud Operations.
• Proactively expose hidden technical assumptions and manage complex inter-service dependencies.
• Federate Jira ecosystems to enforce SDLC hygiene without becoming a pure admin.
• Institutionalize scalable execution mechanisms and KPI governance.
• Prototype dashboards and data scripts to extract and visualize engineering data from Jira, GitLab, and internal APIs.
• Synthesize technical complexity into executive-ready narratives and roadmaps.

Skills

TPM leadership

Jira & Agile

AI-assisted prototyping

Executive storytelling

Cross-functional coordination

Data dashboards

Education

BS/MS in CS/Engineering

Tools

Jira

GitLab

Streamlit

Low-code tools

Job description

What You’ll Do

Avalara is seeking an expert Senior Technical Program Manager (TPM) to drive strategic execution excellence across large, complex, cross-cutting R&D initiatives spanning multiple functions, platforms, and global engineering teams.

In this role, you will lead high-visibility organizational programs, operationalize engineering governance frameworks, and elevate SDLC maturity across distributed organizations. You will own and orchestrate three foundational engineering pillars:

• Architecture & Technical Governance: Establishing architectural review frameworks, technology decision standards, and multi-platform alignment.
• Product Quality & Customer Defect Reduction: Championing customer experience through systematic defect analysis, escape prevention, and release quality gates.
• Incident Prevention & Continuous Improvement: Leading systemic root cause analyses (RCA), corrective/preventive action frameworks, and post-incident learning to build resilient, self-healing engineering ecosystems.

You are not just a coordinator—you are a technical leader, a storyteller, and a modern data-and-AI practitioner who leverages AI tools and rapid automation to build real-time program dashboards, streamline operational insights, and turn complex program data into actionable executive narratives.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

#LI-Remote

What Your Responsibilities Will Be

Large-Scale Cross-Cutting Program Leadership

• End-to-End Program Orchestration: Drive planning, execution, dependency mapping, and delivery of mission-critical, multi-team initiatives spanning Product, Architecture, Platform Engineering, Security, and Cloud Operations.
• Risk & Dependency Mastery: Proactively expose hidden technical assumptions, manage complex inter-service dependencies, evaluate architectural trade-offs, and unblock teams to sustain delivery predictability.

Advanced Jira Fluent Management & Process Hygiene

• Operational & Jira Excellence: Super-fluent in structuring, designing, and optimizing Jira ecosystems (filters, JQL, advanced roadmaps, board configurations, velocity tracking, and cycle time metrics) to enforce rigorous SDLC hygiene without acting as a mere administrator.
• SDLC / PDLC Standardization: Institutionalize scalable execution mechanisms, KPI governance, milestone adherence (>85%), and post-launch stability metrics (uptime, defect escape rates, adoption).

Data Fluency, Vibe Coding & Rapid Prototyping

• AI-assisted rapid development & Custom Dashboards: Rapidly prototype and build custom, interactive dashboards, scripts, and analytical tools (leveraging Python, modern frontend toolkits, Streamlit, Retool, or low-code frameworks alongside AI assistants) to extract, visualize, and analyze engineering data directly from Jira, GitLab, and internal APIs.
• Data-Backed Insights: Turn raw operational telemetry into meaningful metrics that uncover bottlenecks, predict delivery slip risks, and measure team health.

Executive Storytelling & Communication

• Expert Storyteller: Synthesize multi-layered technical complexity into crisp, engaging, executive-ready narratives, QBR updates, and visual presentations for VPs and C-level leadership.
• Bridge Strategy & Execution: Translate high-level business vision and OKRs into clear engineering execution roadmaps and vice versa, aligning cross-functional stakeholders on priorities and trade-offs.

AI Enablement & Productivity Innovation

• AI-First Workflows: Champion and adopt cutting‑edge AI developer tools, intelligent agents, and LLM‑assisted workflows) across the program lifecycle to dramatically increase execution velocity and efficiency.
• Continuous Enablement: Mentor teams and act as a change agent in adopting modern AI‑driven delivery practices, agile coaching, and automated reporting frameworks.

What You’ll Need to be Successful

Required Qualifications

• 8–12+ years of Technical Program Management experience in fast‑paced, product‑based cloud/SaaS environments.
• Track record of managing multi‑team org initiatives across global time zones (strong US/India stakeholder alignment).
• Proven track record leading root cause analysis, customer‑found defect reduction, or site reliability/quality governance programs.
• Deep fluency with Jira & Agile/Flow metrics (expert at designing JQL, roll‑up views, CFD/Kanban workflows, and delivery KPIs).
• Hands‑on prototyping / AI‑assisted rapid development to quickly build dashboards and data scripts (Python, Streamlit, JS, or low‑code frameworks alongside AI assistants).
• Exceptional executive storytelling with proven ability to influence VPs and directors through clear, structured communication.
• Strong technical acumen (BS/MS in Computer Science/Engineering or equivalent hands‑on experience) with the ability to evaluate architectural trade‑offs, APIs, and scaling constraints.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands‑on familiarity with modern AI coding assistants (e.g., Cursor, Claude Code, GitLab Copilot) for personal productivity and automated workflow generation.
• Prior experience leading AI/ML program delivery or developer productivity tooling initiatives.
• Formal Agile / Scaled Agile credentials (e.g., SPC, SAFe Agilist, PMP) with a focus on modern, lightweight flow rather than bureaucratic overhead.
• Experience in fintech, transactional tax compliance, high‑scale transaction processing, or distributed enterprise SaaS systems.

Pay Range Details

The base pay range(s) below are provided in compliance with state specific laws. Pay ranges may different in other locations.

• Colorado $136,400 - $225,000 [annually]
• Washington $136,400 - $248,600 [annually]
• California $136,400 - $272,500 [annually]
• NYC $150,800 - $272,500 [annually]

The pay range above is the general base pay range for a successful candidate in the state listed. The successful candidate’s actual salary/wage may be based on various factors, such as geographic location, candidate experience and qualifications, as well as market and business consideration

This role is eligible for an annual bonus based on individual and company performance, depending on the terms of the applicable plan and the employee’s role.

Avalara is an AI-first Company

• You’ll bring experience using AI and AI‑related technologies, ready to thrive here.
• You’ll apply AI every day to business challenges - improving efficiency, contributing solutions, and driving results for your team, our company, and our customers.
• You’ll grow with AI by staying curious about new trends and best practices, and by sharing what you learn so others can benefit too.

How We’ll Take Care of You

Total Rewards

In addition to a great compensation package, paid time off, and paid parental leave, many Avalara employees are eligible for bonuses.

Health & Wellness

Benefits vary by location but generally include private medical, life, and disability insurance.

Inclusive culture and diversit y

Avalara strongly supports diversity, equity, and inclusion, and is committed to integrating them into our business practices and our organizational culture. We also have a total of 8 employee‑run resource groups, each with senior leadership and exec sponsorship.

What You Need To Know About Avalara

We’re defining the relationship between tax and tech.

We’ve already built an industry‑leading cloud compliance platform, processing over 54 billion customer API calls and over 6.6 million tax returns a year. Our growth is real - we're a billion dollar business - and we’re not slowing down until we’ve achieved our mission - to be part of every transaction in the world.

We’re bright, innovative, and disruptive, like the orange we love to wear. It captures our quirky spirit and optimistic mindset. It shows off the culture we’ve designed, that empowers our people to win. We’ve been different from day one. Join us, and your career will be too.

We’re An Equal Opportunity Employer

Supporting diversity and inclusion is a cornerstone of our company — we don’t want people to fit into our culture, but to enrich it. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, gender, national orientation, disability, sexual orientation, US Veteran status, or any other factor protected by law. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.