Technical Program Manager I

Be essential at Cars Commerce

At Cars Commerce, we’re fanatical about simplifying everything about car buying and selling. We do right by our customers and consumers to better connect the industry with simplified and tierless technology to enhance, measure and drive local automotive retail. Whether through our No.1 most recognized marketplace, Cars.com, our industry-leading digital experience, Dealer Inspire, our trade and appraisal technology, AccuTrade, or our new Cars Commerce Media Network, Cars Commerce is essential for success in the automotive industry.  

No one ever travels alone here: at its core, Cars Commerce is collaboration. In fact, it’s built into the very fabric of our shared values. We like to say we Rise Together – putting people at the center of what we do, from consumer to customer to community. Life at Cars Commerce makes it easy when we share the ethos to be Open to All, encouraging open-minded communication because we know diverse thinking yields better outcomes. But critical to our success is Caring to Challenge and Taking Ownership, fueling a competitive spirit in a respectful environment where we think about tomorrow but act today. At our foundation, we have integrity, Doing the Right Thing, even when it’s hard. It’s our shared commitment to these values that makes Cars Commerce a place where growth becomes not only possible, but downright unavoidable.

But don’t take our word for it. As a U.S. News & World Report Best Company to Work For in 2024, we're obsessive about the employee experience. We are among the top 20% being declared “Best” of our industry based on six critical factors that are important to employee wellbeing, like quality of pay, benefits, work life balance and more.

The Technical Program Manager I will work in direct relationships with OEM clients to manage the work request pipeline, facilitate discovery sessions, triage new work, and troubleshoot issues. This role will be the technical point of contact and will collaborate and interact closely with an OEM Program Manager to service the program’s needs. The Technical Program Manager I will also coordinate and build strong relationships with internal technical teams executing the work pipeline, ensuring the successful implementation and high-quality delivery of tasks.

OEM program pipelines include both routine maintenance efforts as well as the introduction of more complex integrations and large-scale projects requiring the Technical Program Manager I, with some assistance and guidance from more senior Technical Program Managers, to 

set expectations, establish priority, understand desired outcomes and manage a project plan and roadmap to ensure smooth execution.

The primary goals of the Technical Program Manager I are to capture and execute OEM program tasks with consideration towards overall program health, service level agreements, and program priorities balanced against internal operating costs, business objectives, and other priorities. The ideal candidate is a self-starter with developing  communication and organizational skills, adept in client management, and can demonstrate the technical skills needed to understand the scope of complex projects.

Essential Job Functions:

• Manage task intake from OEM clients including triaging requests, leading scope gathering exercises, capturing desired outcomes, defining a budget, and setting clear expectations.

• Work with cross-functional teams to further refine scope, assign resources, create project plans, and timeline for larger tasks. Understand the dependencies that exist between teams.

• Has oversight into all routine maintenance and support tasks for assigned programs and monitors process from backlog through delivery, with attention to timeliness and quality of work delivered against established SLAs.

• Works with more senior Technical Program Managers when necessary to determine prioritization and appropriate SDLC process given the timeline, scale, and complexity of a project.

• Responsible for communicating updates and maintaining accurate status assessments on project progress to OEM clients and internal business stakeholders.

• Establish close working relationships with technical counterparts within the OEM program in order to streamline communication, remove obstacles, and keep a short feedback loop.

• Thorough understanding of products provided within the programs with ability to handle basic troubleshooting, ability to execute routine tasks and user activities, as well as knowledge of goals and roadmap of each product.

• Stay informed of product enhancements with attention to how they may be leveraged and brought to market for the advancement of an OEM program.

• Assist more senior Technical Program Managers in the delivery of new program enhancements and integrations, working with cross-functional teams, across all units in a program.

• Escalate prioritization conflicts or capacity issues to leadership providing analysis of risks and key considerations.

• Routinely review stakeholder and team feedback to improve processes.

• Assist more senior Technical Program Managers with tracking and understanding the technical cost to serve the OEM program for oversight of total resource hours spent against contracted allotments within the program.

• Positively impacts OEM program health scores and satisfaction with particular emphasis on communication, execution, and quality.

• Availability during Central or Eastern time zone regular business hours coinciding with the majority of US OEM headquarter locations.

• Occasional travel (likely 2-4 times per year) may be necessary to visit OEMs for business reviews and strategic alignment.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer sciences, software engineering, tech management, business management, project management, or similar fields or practical field experience.

• 1-3 years of experience in program, product, or project management or similar roles.

• Ability to develop an understanding of technical tasks in a variety of software applications, tech stacks, and systems with extensive experience collaborating with software development teams.

• Basic understanding of product lifecycle development, Agile, and other SDLC methodologies.

• Fast learner with a curious attitude and strong problem solving skills.

Our Comprehensive Benefits Package includes:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Healthcare Plans
• New Hire Stipend for Home Office Set-Up
• Generous PTO
• Refuel - a service based recognition program where employees receive additional paid time away to learn grow and reset
• Paid Holidays, Floating Holiday, Volunteer Day, Recharge Day

Learn more about our Benefits, Perks, & Culture on our LinkedIn Life Pages!

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