Senior Technical Program Manager – AI Automation & Change Management

Western Digital•Irvine, CA

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced Senior Technical Program Manager (Senior TPM) to lead high-impact, cross-functional programs across our web platforms, e‑commerce ecosystem, and AI automation initiatives, while driving organizational alignment through strong change management and continuous improvement practices. This senior role requires deep technical expertise, excellence in Lean and Agile delivery, and the ability to orchestrate complex initiatives across engineering, product, and business teams. You will own strategic program portfolios, influence technology direction, standardize delivery processes, and champion operational efficiency across the organization.

Requirements

7–10+ years of Technical Program Management or equivalent experience leading enterprise-scale initiatives.
Deep experience with Lean and Agile methodologies and proven ability to apply them at scale.
Strong understanding of web technologies, modern CMS platforms, e‑commerce systems, APIs, and cloud architectures.
Experience leading AI/automation programs or working with ML, automation engineering, or workflow orchestration tools.
Expertise in organizational change management frameworks (Prosci, ADKAR, ITIL, or similar).
Exceptional communication, stakeholder engagement, executive reporting, and facilitation skills.
Proven success driving complex, cross-team programs from strategy through execution.

Nice To Haves

Experience with enterprise e‑commerce platforms (Adobe Commerce, Shopify Plus, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, BigCommerce).
Industry certifications: SAFe, CSM, PMI-ACP, Lean Practitioner/Lean Six Sigma.
Technical degree or relevant engineering background.
Experience building program management frameworks, Lean operating models, or PMO practices.
Systems thinker with strong strategic orientation.
Executive presence with the ability to influence leaders at all levels.
Expert at bringing clarity to ambiguity and structuring complex problems.
Advocates for continuous improvement, operational excellence, and data-driven decision-making.

Responsibilities

Strategic Program & Portfolio Leadership
Own multi-quarter roadmaps for digital, web, and automation platforms, aligning strategy with business goals.
Establish portfolio-level governance, operating mechanisms, and program measurement frameworks.
Drive complex, cross-functional initiatives involving platform modernization, automation adoption, and experience optimization.
Provide executive-level insights, risk assessments, and data-driven recommendations.
Lean & Agile Delivery Leadership
Champion Lean principles to streamline workflows, eliminate waste, improve cycle times, and enhance delivery predictability.
Lead Agile ceremonies, facilitate cross-team alignment, and coach teams on Agile best practices.
Implement scaled Agile frameworks (SAFe, Scrum of Scrums, Kanban, etc.) to ensure consistent program-level execution.
Measure and improve flow efficiency, throughput, and team performance using Lean metrics.
Technical Depth & Platform Expertise
Partner with engineering leaders to define architecture, API integrations, system dependencies, and modernization strategies.
Lead efforts around platform upgrades, migrations, optimization, security enhancements, and resiliency.
Identify and remove technical blockers, anticipate risks, and support engineering excellence across teams.
AI Automation & Digital Transformation
Drive strategy and implementation for AI-based tools, intelligent workflows, bots, and automation capabilities.
Align cross-functional teams around data requirements, ML model deployment, governance, and ethical considerations.
Lead adoption and rollout programs for new AI-driven capabilities across business units.
Change Management Leadership
Build and execute change management strategies for large-scale technology rollouts and process transformations.
Develop stakeholder communication plans, readiness assessments, and training enablement strategies.
Ensure adoption success through monitoring KPIs, feedback loops, and continuous engagement.
Cross-Functional Influence & Executive Alignment
Serve as the senior connector across engineering, product, operations, marketing, and executive leadership.
Drive decision-making through structured communication, clear data, and consistent alignment mechanisms.
Navigate ambiguity with clarity, diplomacy, and strong leadership presence.

Benefits

paid vacation time
paid sick leave
medical/dental/vision insurance
life, accident and disability insurance
tax-advantaged flexible spending and health savings accounts
employee assistance program
other voluntary benefit programs such as supplemental life and AD&D, legal plan, pet insurance, critical illness, accident and hospital indemnity
tuition reimbursement
transit
the Applause Program
employee stock purchase plan
the WD Savings 401(k) Plan