Technical Program Manager

Other

• Forward is transforming how the world’s most complex networks are managed and secured. Founded in 2013 by four Stanford Ph.D.s, we built the industry’s first network digital twin, a mathematically precise model of the production network that gives IT teams unmatched visibility, verification, and agility across every major cloud and vendor environment.
• Our customers include global leaders such as Goldman Sachs, PayPal, S&P Global, IBM, and Dell, as well as fast-growing enterprises and government agencies. According to IDC, Forward customers realize an average of $14.2 million in annual benefits through improved efficiency and security.
• Backed by world-class investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Goldman Sachs, MSD Partners, and Threshold Ventures, Forward offers a people-centric, innovative culture where brilliant minds are shaping the future of network reliability, security, and AI-ready operations.
• Forward is looking for a  Technical Program Manager
• Core accountability: Drive execution across engineering programs, including releases, cross-functional initiatives, and the communications and coordination infrastructure that keeps a scaling org aligned.
• Release management end-to-end: SDLC coordination from product definition through production deployment, dependency mapping, release cadence, risk identification, and escalation before deadlines slip
• Cross-functional programs that span engineering, product, and the technical field: scoping, sequencing, and driving them to outcomes
• Internal engineering communications: status reporting, exec updates, and the cadence of how engineering keeps the rest of the org informed
• Process design that gets teams aligned without adding bureaucracy. Lightweight, followed, and retired when no longer useful
• Automation and AI leverage: identify what should be automated, partner with engineers to implement, and use AI for status tracking, documentation, and dependency analysis
• Track record running multi-team SaaS releases and broader engineering programs with complex dependencies
• Technical depth to distinguish realistic from fantasy (networking or infrastructure background a plus)
• Translates fluently between technical teams and business stakeholders
• Builds lightweight processes that actually get followed
• Knows when to push back on scope or timeline vs. when to escalate
• Comfortable being the person who asks "are we still on track?" repeatedly, and the one who reframes the question when the answer keeps being "yes" but the evidence says otherwise
• Pure project management. You need technical credibility
• Pure engineering. You're not writing runbooks or going on-call
• Order-taker. You'll challenge unrealistic commitments and unclear program goals
• Customer-facing. This role is internal
• The base pay range for this role is between $190,000 and $220,000. Base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location
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