Technical Program Manager

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

The Technical Program Manager (TPM) / Deployment Project Manager leads end-to-end deployment programs for data center and edge hardware installations. This role owns the project plan, coordinates cross-functional stakeholders, directs onsite technician execution, manages customer requirements, communicates status and risks to both customers and internal teams, and ensures accurate documentation and project closeout.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Program & Project Leadership:

  • Own deployment projects from kickoff through closeout, ensuring scope, schedule, quality, and readiness criteria are met.
  • Build and maintain project plans, milestones, RAID logs (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies), and change control processes.
  • Drive weekly/daily execution rhythms (standups, war rooms, stakeholder syncs) to keep deployments on track.
  • Identify and remove blockers, escalate effectively, and manage tradeoffs across cost, time, and quality.

• Onsite Deployment Execution:

  • Lead and coordinate onsite deployment activities, directing technicians and ensuring adherence to procedures, safety requirements, and site rules.
  • Validate prerequisite readiness (space/power/cooling/network, access permissions, rack elevations, receiving/staging, tool availability).
  • Oversee hardware installation workflows such as rack-and-stack, cabling, labeling, power-on checks, and basic validation steps.
  • Ensure correct handling of assets (chain of custody, inventory accuracy, serial tracking, receiving discrepancies).

• Customer Requirements & Stakeholder Management:

  • Gather, document, and manage customer requirements, ensuring alignment on deliverables, acceptance criteria, and site constraints.
  • Serve as the primary customer-facing lead for project communication, expectations, and coordination.
  • Translate customer needs into actionable tasks for internal teams (engineering, logistics, operations, vendor/field services).
  • Proactively manage scope changes and communicate impacts clearly.

• Communication & Reporting:

  • Provide clear, timely status updates to customers and internal stakeholders, including progress, risks, issues, and next steps.
  • Produce regular reporting artifacts (executive summaries, milestone trackers, deployment readiness checklists).
  • Maintain strong written documentation for technical and non-technical audiences.

• Documentation & Project Closeout:

  • Ensure accurate project documentation throughout execution (plans, MOPs/SOPs, change logs, validation results).
  • Lead closeout: acceptance sign-off, lessons learned, final reporting, and handoff to operations/support.
  • Confirm all deliverables are complete (as-built documentation, inventory reconciliation, final timelines, and customer confirmation).

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• 3+ years of technical project/program management experience, ideally in data center deployments, infrastructure, or field operations.
• Proven experience managing onsite execution teams (technicians, vendors, field services) and coordinating cross-functional workstreams.
• Strong customer-facing communication skills with experience managing requirements, expectations, and escalations.
• Working knowledge of data center hardware deployment concepts (racking, cabling, power, basic network concepts, asset tracking).
• Strong documentation skills and comfort with structured delivery (RAID logs, schedules, meeting notes, MOPs/checklists).

PREFERRED CRITERIA:

• Experience with large-scale rollouts, multi-site deployments, or hyperscale/colocation environments.
• Familiarity with ITIL/operational handoffs, acceptance testing, and change management practices.
• PMP, PgMP, or Agile/Scrum certification (or equivalent experience).
• Experience managing logistics timelines (shipping/receiving, staging, RMA, vendor coordination).