Technical Program Management

About ChalkChalk is building the data platform that powers the future of machine learning applications. We tear down complexity, latency, and scale barriers that have traditionally constrained ML capabilities. Our platform combines Rust-speed performance with elegant tools that developers love to use. Leading companies depend on Chalk for everything from stopping fraudulent credit card swipes, verifying identities, and maximizing clean energy capture. We've recently raised a $50 million Series A, led by Felicis. About the roleWe are hiring our first Technical Program Manager to drive execution across Chalk's most important initiatives. Chalk's surface area is growing quickly: the Chalk Context Engine serves features to models and agents in single-digit milliseconds, and Chalk Compute runs models and agents securely inside our customers' own clouds. Every launch spans engineering, product, docs, and go-to-market, and we need someone who keeps all of it moving.You'll work directly with our founders, VP of Product, and engineering leads to build and run our program management systems, processes, and culture. We want to move fast, and any process that slows us down should be there because it leads to better decisions and products.We're in the office 5 days a week. When unavoidable conflicts come up, we're flexible. This is not a hybrid role. What you will doDrive Chalk's largest cross-functional programs end to end, including critical product launches, with complete independenceBuild the program management systems, processes, and culture that change how teams think, decide, collaborate, measure progress, and deliverElevate the execution capability of the engineering teams around youOwn timelines, dependencies, and risks for major platform initiatives — surface tradeoffs early and drive them to decisionsRun launch readiness for new products and capabilities, coordinating engineering delivery with docs, marketing, and customer-facing teamsGive founders and engineering leads clear visibility into program health, blockers, and outcomesInfluence and, where necessary, push back on leads and execs: force sequencing tradeoffs, tell us when we're not ready to ship, and help us focus by saying no to more thingsParticipate actively in product and engineering design, identifying risks and opportunities in technical strategy, architecture, and how we structure the engineering orgUnblock teams: chase down dependencies, resolve conflicts, and keep decisions moving What we're looking for10+ years of experience, including 6+ years of technical program management experienceTrack record of shipping complex, multi-team technical programs from concept to launchStrong technical depth: you can follow architecture discussions, pressure-test engineering plans, and understand how data infrastructure and ML systems fit togetherCrisp written and verbal communication: your program proposals, reviews, and decision/tradeoff docs create clarity and get buy-in from engineers and execs alikeComfortable operating in ambiguity; you build structure where none existsBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent Bonus pointsPrior experience as a software engineer or in another hands-on technical roleExperience launching developer-facing platforms, APIs, or ML/data infrastructureExperience as the first TPM or program hire at a startupFamiliarity with some of the systems we build and run:Data: streaming and batch feature pipelines, data warehousing, analytics, BIServing and infrastructure: single-digit-millisecond online serving, serverless compute, and Kubernetes deployments inside customer VPCs (“Bring Your Own Cloud” deployments)AI: training, fine-tuning, serving, and deploying models, plus agentic applicationsLanguages: Python, SQL, Rust, and Go Benefits⚕️Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance🏦 Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Health Savings Account (HSA)🦮 Expert Healthcare Guidance💵 Retirement savings🎄15 company holidays each year🏖️15 days of personal time off each year🚌 Flex Commuter Benefits🌮 Daily lunch and dinner on Chalk🥤Office is fully-stocked with drinks and snacks to fuel your work day.🍽️ Staying late? Dinner is on us🚖 Staying even later? Grab an Uber / Lyft home on Chalk CompensationChalk offers early team members a generous salary + equity package based on experience and competitive benefits.Actual compensation awarded to successful candidates will be based on several factors, including but not limited to: market, location, scope of the position and individual qualifications objectively assessed during the interview process.Our comprehensive total package plays a major role in how we recognize individuals for the impact they will have on Chalk’s growth and us achieving our goals. InclusivityChalk is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and inclusion and provide reasonable accommodations to anyone in need of individualized support.