Strategic Data & AI Programs Lead

K&L Gates; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 112,000 - 209,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Prescription Drug Coverage

401(k) Retirement Plan and Profit Shar

Paid Time Off

Flexible Spending Accounts

Job summary

K&L Gates in Chicago is seeking a Data Program Manager to oversee enterprise data initiatives, coordinating with engineering, analytics, and business teams to ensure timely, within-scope delivery. The role focuses on roadmap ownership, budgeting, and governance across greenfield data and AI efforts.

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Data Engineering, the ideal candidate will be a self-starter with excellent communication, capable of independent work and effective team collaboration in a hybrid

Qualifications

• PMP certification required; PMI-ACP and AZ-900 recommended.
• 4+ years managing complex cross-functional programs.
• Ability to translate business needs into program requirements and executive updates.
• Experience with Agile, hybrid, or waterfall methodologies and Azure DevOps.

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

Independent work

Team collaboration

Education

Business Administration

Project Management

Communications

Computer Science

Information Systems

Tools

Azure DevOps

Job description

K&L Gates in Chicago is seeking a Data Program Manager to oversee enterprise data initiatives, coordinating with engineering, analytics, and business teams to ensure timely, within-scope delivery. The role focuses on roadmap ownership, budgeting, and governance across greenfield data and AI efforts.

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Data Engineering, the ideal candidate will be a self-starter with excellent communication, capable of independent work and effective team collaboration in a hybrid