Technical Program Manager

About Shift5

Shift5 is the observability platform for onboard operational technology (OT). We’re a rapidly growing scale-up that specializes in cybersecurity, predictive maintenance, and compliance for operational technology (OT) systems across all defense vehicles and commercial aviation. We are a collaborative, passionate, and driven team of dynamic, multidisciplinary experts and we’re focused on helping our customers' fleets run smarter and safer by accessing and democratizing the volumes of onboard OT data generated by commercial and defense fleets. Come join us.

Shift5 is seeking a Technical Program Manager - Engineering Operations to join our team. In this role, you’ll serve as a critical bridge between Program leadership and core Engineering teams, translating high-level program priorities into actionable, well-sequenced engineering plans. You will manage cross-functional execution across hardware, software, firmware, platform, and systems, ensuring complex program commitments and milestones are met. Reporting within Engineering Operations, you will work closely with engineering managers, technical leads, and product teams, operating onsite as needed alongside technical and customer-facing teams to support product deployment, adoption, and fleet health. You'll be a major factor in driving operational excellence that keeps defense and commercial fleets running safely and reliably.

What You'll Do

Cross-Functional Execution & Alignment: Coordinate execution across hardware, software, firmware, platform, and systems teams to translate program priorities, milestones, and requirements into actionable engineering plans.

Program Tracking & Governance: Track milestones, dependencies, risks, and resource constraints using Jira, Confluence, and custom dashboards; proactively identify, manage, and escalate execution risks to protect commitments.

Planning & Facilitation: Facilitate cross-functional planning sessions, status reviews, and alignment meetings with engineering managers, TPMs, and program leadership to align timelines, sequencing, and ownership.

Customer & User Intake: Manage and prioritize incoming requests from customers, internal users, and field teams, balancing user responsiveness with engineering capacity and strategic organizational priorities.

Process & Tooling Improvements: Partner with Engineering and Operations teams to gather requirements, build feedback loops, and continuously improve internal products, tooling, capacity planning, and reporting workflows.

Onsite & Field Support: Work onsite alongside technical and customer-facing teams as needed to support product deployment, implementation, adoption, and ongoing operations.

What Success Looks Like

Predictable Execution: You maintain clear, end-to-end visibility into engineering commitments, dependencies, and program health, ensuring on-time delivery across complex technical initiatives.

Unified Alignment: You successfully align cross-functional engineering, product, and program leadership, driving decisions and execution without direct authority.

Optimized Capacity: You effectively balance competing demands from field teams, customers, and internal stakeholders with engineering capacity and resource constraints.

Operational Excellence: You establish seamless feedback loops and scaled processes that continuously improve internal engineering tooling, reporting, and operational efficiency.

What We’re Looking For

Required:

Experience: 4+ years of experience in technical program coordination, engineering operations, project/program management, or a closely related role within cross-functional technical environments.

Program Management Mastery: Strong track record in milestone tracking, dependency management, risk mitigation, resource/capacity planning, and cross-team facilitation.

Stakeholder & Authority Management: Proven ability to translate customer/program needs into technical plans, communicate engineering constraints clearly, and drive alignment across teams without direct authority.

Tooling Proficiency: Hands-on experience with Jira, Confluence, and other modern program planning, reporting, and collaboration tools.

Adaptability & User Empathy: Highly organized and comfortable navigating ambiguity, with demonstrated empathy for end-users to effectively integrate feedback into engineering decisions.

Preferred:

Complex Engineering Environments: Experience working with integrated hardware and software systems, aerospace, defense, or other highly complex technical environments.

Government Programs: Experience delivering software or hardware in support of U.S. Government-funded programs.

Security & Citizenship: Active Secret clearance or the ability to obtain a U.S. Government security clearance.

Compensation & Benefits

Base Salary: $140,000 - $175,000

Bonus program and equity in a fast-growing startup

Competitive medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their families

Health Savings Account with annual employer contributions

Employer-paid Life and Disability Insurance

Uncapped paid time off policy

Flexible work & remote work policy

Tax-deferred public transit benefits with Metro SmartBenefits (DC/MD/VA)

We are committed to building an inclusive culture of belonging that embraces the diversity of our people and represents the communities in which we work and the customers we serve. We know the happiest and highest performing teams include people with diverse perspectives and ways of solving problems. We strive to attract and retain talent from all backgrounds and create workplaces where everyone feels empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work.

Shift5 is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identify, national origin, disability, age, marital status, ancestry, projected veteran status, or any other protected group or class.

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