Technical Program Manager
StartX Med · Santa Clara, CA · 6 days ago
Project Management$190k–$220k/yrFull-time
Santa Clara, CA Forward was founded in 2013 by four Stanford Ph.D.s, building the industry's first network digital twin: a mathematically accurate model of the production network. It's the foundation for autonomous networking, giving engineers and AI agents the ability to know the impact of every change before it touches production. That founding instinct still defines how we work. We're accurate and evidence-driven, relentless about clarity, and we'd rather be certain than comfortable, building a groundbreaking platform that transforms how teams run and secure networks across every major cloud and vendor environment. Global leaders like Goldman Sachs, PayPal, S&P Global, IBM, and Dell trust Forward, alongside fast-growing enterprises and government agencies, realizing an average of $14.2 million in annual benefits, according to IDC. Backed by top-tier investors, including A. Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Goldman Sachs, MSD Partners, Omega Venture Partners, Section 32, and Threshold Ventures, and headquartered in Santa Clara, we're most proud of our team: curious people who'd rather build what doesn't exist than accept how things have always been done. 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. What You'll Own: Release management end-to-end: SDLC coordination from product definition through production deployment, dependency mapping, release cadence, risk identification, and escalation before deadlines slipCross-functional programs that span engineering, product, and the technical field: scoping, sequencing, and driving them to outcomesInternal engineering communications: status reporting, exec updates, and the cadence of how engineering keeps the rest of the org informedProcess design that gets teams aligned without adding bureaucracy. Lightweight, followed, and retired when no longer usefulAutomation and AI leverage: identify what should be automated, partner with engineers to implement, and use AI for status tracking, documentation, and dependency analysis What Matters: Track record running multi-team SaaS releases and broader engineering programs with complex dependenciesTechnical depth to distinguish realistic from fantasy (networking or infrastructure background a plus)Translates fluently between technical teams and business stakeholdersBuilds lightweight processes that actually get followedKnows when to push back on scope or timeline vs. when to escalateComfortable 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 What This Isn't: Pure project management. You need technical credibilityPure engineering. You're not writing runbooks or going on-callOrder-taker. You'll challenge unrealistic commitments and unclear program goalsCustomer-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. Create a Job Alert Interested in building your career at Forward ? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email. Create alert Apply for this job indicates a required field First Name* Last Name* Email* Phone Country* Phone* 244 results found No results found Afghanistan+93Åland Islands+358Albania+355Algeria+213American Samoa+1Andorra+376Angola+244Anguilla+1Antigua & Barbuda+1Argentina+54Armenia+374Aruba+297Ascension Island+247Australia+61Austria+43Azerbaijan+994Bahamas+1Bahrain+973Bangladesh+880Barbados+1Belarus+375Belgium+32Belize+501Benin+229Bermuda+1Bhutan+975Bolivia+591Bosnia & Herzegovina+387Botswana+267Brazil+55British Indian Ocean Territory+246British Virgin Islands+1Brunei+673Bulgaria+359Burkina Faso+226Burundi+257Cambodia+855Cameroon+237Canada+1Cape Verde+238Caribbean Netherlands+599Cayman Islands+1Central African Republic+236Chad+235Chile+56China+86Christmas Island+61Cocos (Keeling) Islands+61Colombia+57Comoros+269Congo - Brazzaville+242Congo - Kinshasa+243Cook Islands+682Costa Rica+506Côte d’Ivoire+225Croatia+385Cuba+53Curaçao+599Cyprus+357Czechia+420Denmark+45Djibouti+253Dominica+1Dominican Republic+1Ecuador+593Egypt+20El Salvador+503Equatorial Guinea+240Eritrea+291Estonia+372Eswatini+268Ethiopia+251Falkland Islands+500Faroe Islands+298Fiji+679Finland+358France+33French Guiana+594French Polynesia+689Gabon+241Gambia+220Georgia+995Germany+49Ghana+233Gibraltar+350Greece+30Greenland+299Grenada+1Guadeloupe+590Guam+1Guatemala+502Guernsey+44Guinea+224Guinea-Bissau+245Guyana+592Haiti+509Honduras+504Hong Kong SAR China+852Hungary+36Iceland+354India+91Indonesia+62Iran+98Iraq+964Ireland+353Isle of Man+44Israel+972Italy+39Jamaica+1Japan+81Jersey+44Jordan+962Kazakhstan+7Kenya+254Kiribati+686Kosovo+383Kuwait+965Kyrgyzstan+996Laos+856Latvia+371Lebanon+961Lesotho+266Liberia+231Libya+218Liechtenstein+423Lithuania+370Luxembourg+352Macao SAR China+853Madagascar+261Malawi+265Malaysia+60Maldives+960Mali+223Malta+356Marshall Islands+692Martinique+596Mauritania+222Mauritius+230Mayotte+262Mexico+52Micronesia+691Moldova+373Monaco+377Mongolia+976Montenegro+382Montserrat+1Morocco+212Mozambique+258Myanmar (Burma)+95Namibia+264Nauru+674Nepal+977Netherlands+31New Caledonia+687New Zealand+64Nicaragua+505Niger+227Nigeria+234Niue+683Norfolk Island+672North Korea+850North Macedonia+389Northern Mariana Islands+1Norway+47Oman+968Pakistan+92Palau+680Palestinian Territories+970Panama+507Papua New Guinea+675Paraguay+595Peru+51Philippines+63Poland+48Portugal+351Puerto Rico+1Qatar+974Réunion+262Romania+40Russia+7Rwanda+250Samoa+685San Marino+378São Tomé & Príncipe+239Saudi Arabia+966Senegal+221Serbia+381Seychelles+248Sierra Leone+232Singapore+65Sint Maarten+1Slovakia+421Slovenia+386Solomon Islands+677Somalia+252South Africa+27South Korea+82South Sudan+211Spain+34Sri Lanka+94St. Barthélemy+590St. Helena+290St. Kitts & Nevis+1St. Lucia+1St. Martin+590St. Pierre & Miquelon+508St. Vincent & Grenadines+1Sudan+249Suriname+597Svalbard & Jan Mayen+47Sweden+46Switzerland+41Syria+963Taiwan+886Tajikistan+992Tanzania+255Thailand+66Timor-Leste+670Togo+228Tokelau+690Tonga+676Trinidad & Tobago+1Tunisia+216Turkey+90Turkmenistan+993Turks & Caicos Islands+1Tuvalu+688U.S. Virgin Islands+1Uganda+256Ukraine+380United Arab Emirates+971United Kingdom+44United States+1Uruguay+598Uzbekistan+998Vanuatu+678Vatican City+39Venezuela+58Vietnam+84Wallis & Futuna+681Western Sahara+212Yemen+967Zambia+260Zimbabwe+263 Location (City)* Resume/CV Attach Enter manually Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf Cover Letter Attach Enter manually Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf LinkedIn Profile* Website Are you legally eligible to work in the U.S.?* Select... 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PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete. Forward was founded in 2013 by four Stanford Ph.D.s, building the industry's first network digital twin: a mathematically accurate model of the production network. It's the foundation for autonomous networking, giving engineers and AI agents the ability to know the impact of every change before it touches production. That founding instinct still defines how we work. We're accurate and evidence-driven, relentless about clarity, and we'd rather be certain than comfortable, building a groundbreaking platform that transforms how teams run and secure networks across every major cloud and vendor environment. Global leaders like Goldman Sachs, PayPal, S&P Global, IBM, and Dell trust Forward, alongside fast-growing enterprises and government agencies, realizing an average of $14.2 million in annual benefits, according to IDC. Backed by top-tier investors, including A. Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Goldman Sachs, MSD Partners, Omega Venture Partners, Section 32, and Threshold Ventures, and headquartered in Santa Clara, we're most proud of our team: curious people who'd rather build what doesn't exist than accept how things have always been done. 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. What You'll Own: Release management end-to-end: SDLC coordination from product definition through production deployment, dependency mapping, release cadence, risk identification, and escalation before deadlines slipCross-functional programs that span engineering, product, and the technical field: scoping, sequencing, and driving them to outcomesInternal engineering communications: status reporting, exec updates, and the cadence of how engineering keeps the rest of the org informedProcess design that gets teams aligned without adding bureaucracy. Lightweight, followed, and retired when no longer usefulAutomation and AI leverage: identify what should be automated, partner with engineers to implement, and use AI for status tracking, documentation, and dependency analysis What Matters: Track record running multi-team SaaS releases and broader engineering programs with complex dependenciesTechnical depth to distinguish realistic from fantasy (networking or infrastructure background a plus)Translates fluently between technical teams and business stakeholdersBuilds lightweight processes that actually get followedKnows when to push back on scope or timeline vs. when to escalateComfortable 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 What This Isn't: Pure project management. You need technical credibilityPure engineering. You're not writing runbooks or going on-callOrder-taker. You'll challenge unrealistic commitments and unclear program goalsCustomer-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. 244 results found No results found Afghanistan+93Åland Islands+358Albania+355Algeria+213American Samoa+1Andorra+376Angola+244Anguilla+1Antigua & Barbuda+1Argentina+54Armenia+374Aruba+297Ascension Island+247Australia+61Austria+43Azerbaijan+994Bahamas+1Bahrain+973Bangladesh+880Barbados+1Belarus+375Belgium+32Belize+501Benin+229Bermuda+1Bhutan+975Bolivia+591Bosnia & Herzegovina+387Botswana+267Brazil+55British Indian Ocean Territory+246British Virgin Islands+1Brunei+673Bulgaria+359Burkina Faso+226Burundi+257Cambodia+855Cameroon+237Canada+1Cape Verde+238Caribbean Netherlands+599Cayman Islands+1Central African Republic+236Chad+235Chile+56China+86Christmas Island+61Cocos (Keeling) Islands+61Colombia+57Comoros+269Congo - Brazzaville+242Congo - Kinshasa+243Cook Islands+682Costa Rica+506Côte d’Ivoire+225Croatia+385Cuba+53Curaçao+599Cyprus+357Czechia+420Denmark+45Djibouti+253Dominica+1Dominican Republic+1Ecuador+593Egypt+20El Salvador+503Equatorial Guinea+240Eritrea+291Estonia+372Eswatini+268Ethiopia+251Falkland Islands+500Faroe Islands+298Fiji+679Finland+358France+33French Guiana+594French Polynesia+689Gabon+241Gambia+220Georgia+995Germany+49Ghana+233Gibraltar+350Greece+30Greenland+299Grenada+1Guadeloupe+590Guam+1Guatemala+502Guernsey+44Guinea+224Guinea-Bissau+245Guyana+592Haiti+509Honduras+504Hong Kong SAR China+852Hungary+36Iceland+354India+91Indonesia+62Iran+98Iraq+964Ireland+353Isle of Man+44Israel+972Italy+39Jamaica+1Japan+81Jersey+44Jordan+962Kazakhstan+7Kenya+254Kiribati+686Kosovo+383Kuwait+965Kyrgyzstan+996Laos+856Latvia+371Lebanon+961Lesotho+266Liberia+231Libya+218Liechtenstein+423Lithuania+370Luxembourg+352Macao SAR China+853Madagascar+261Malawi+265Malaysia+60Maldives+960Mali+223Malta+356Marshall Islands+692Martinique+596Mauritania+222Mauritius+230Mayotte+262Mexico+52Micronesia+691Moldova+373Monaco+377Mongolia+976Montenegro+382Montserrat+1Morocco+212Mozambique+258Myanmar (Burma)+95Namibia+264Nauru+674Nepal+977Netherlands+31New Caledonia+687New Zealand+64Nicaragua+505Niger+227Nigeria+234Niue+683Norfolk Island+672North Korea+850North Macedonia+389Northern Mariana Islands+1Norway+47Oman+968Pakistan+92Palau+680Palestinian Territories+970Panama+507Papua New Guinea+675Paraguay+595Peru+51Philippines+63Poland+48Portugal+351Puerto Rico+1Qatar+974Réunion+262Romania+40Russia+7Rwanda+250Samoa+685San Marino+378São Tomé & Príncipe+239Saudi Arabia+966Senegal+221Serbia+381Seychelles+248Sierra Leone+232Singapore+65Sint Maarten+1Slovakia+421Slovenia+386Solomon Islands+677Somalia+252South Africa+27South Korea+82South Sudan+211Spain+34Sri Lanka+94St. Barthélemy+590St. Helena+290St. Kitts & Nevis+1St. Lucia+1St. Martin+590St. Pierre & Miquelon+508St. Vincent & Grenadines+1Sudan+249Suriname+597Svalbard & Jan Mayen+47Sweden+46Switzerland+41Syria+963Taiwan+886Tajikistan+992Tanzania+255Thailand+66Timor-Leste+670Togo+228Tokelau+690Tonga+676Trinidad & Tobago+1Tunisia+216Turkey+90Turkmenistan+993Turks & Caicos Islands+1Tuvalu+688U.S. Virgin Islands+1Uganda+256Ukraine+380United Arab Emirates+971United Kingdom+44United States+1Uruguay+598Uzbekistan+998Vanuatu+678Vatican City+39Venezuela+58Vietnam+84Wallis & Futuna+681Western Sahara+212Yemen+967Zambia+260Zimbabwe+263