Senior Program Manager

About Esper

Esper is experiencing hyper growth!

We are the industry pioneers in building technology that enables businesses to manage and operate massive fleets of edge devices at scale. Our cloud-native platform allows customers to seamlessly configure, deploy, and manage devices across multiple operating systems with reliability, security, and a high level of automation. Esper powers mission-critical device ecosystems to achieve operational excellence for some of the world's most innovative brands across retail, hospitality, logistics, and healthcare.

Our engineering team is AI-native by design. Agentic and AI-assisted workflows are embedded into how we build every day, enabling engineers to move faster and deliver higher-quality outcomes. We combine this with a strong foundation in engineering fundamentals and the judgment to know when to leverage AI and when human expertise is essential.

What we think makes us special

Esper is a fast-growing, well-funded company where everyone matters and you can see your impact daily. We trust our teammates and offer intense ownership and therefore accountability. We're inventing the future and building something special. The team really enjoys what we do and cares about your input. We don't hire just to fill a spot, we want you to make a difference.

What You'll Be Doing

• Direct cross-functional program delivery across engineering, product, QA, and operations, overseeing multiple large-scale technology initiatives.
• Develop and execute program roadmaps aligned with strategic business goals to ensure on-time delivery of mission-critical projects.
• Manage the end-to-end program lifecycle—from planning and requirements gathering to risk management, execution, and post-launch reviews.
• Collaborate with executives to prioritize initiatives, resolve escalations, and maintain transparency through clear communication and reporting.
• Scale Agile program management frameworks to improve delivery predictability and cross-team collaboration.
• Mentor engineers and product managers, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Define and track OKRs and KPIs to measure success and align with broader business objectives.
• Work with technical leads to evaluate architecture decisions, resolve blockers, and ensure tight alignment between technical and business goals.
• Use AI tools to improve velocity while maintaining quality and security.
  
  

What You'll Own

• End-to-end delivery of concurrent cross-functional programs spanning engineering, product, QA, and operations
• Program roadmaps tied to business outcomes — not just delivery milestones
• Escalation management with executive stakeholders; you surface problems before they become crises
• Agile/SAFe framework implementation across teams — improving sprint predictability and reducing delivery variance
• OKR and KPI definition for programs you own; you're accountable for the numbers, not just reporting them
• Risk identification, mitigation planning, and post-launch retrospectives
  
  

Requirements (non-negotiable)

• 8+ years total experience, with at least 4 years in technical program or project management
• Prior software engineering background — minimum 2 years writing or reviewing code; you need to earn credibility with engineering leads
• Demonstrated experience running programs across geographically distributed teams
• Comfort operating in ambiguity — you create structure, you don't wait for it
• Strong executive stakeholder communication; you've presented to C-suite and held your ground
• AI-Native Operations: Proven experience or strong familiarity using AI-augmented project management platforms and advanced prompt engineering to streamline program documentation, risk registers, and executive reporting.
  
  

Strong Preference

• Experience in a SaaS product company, ideally in device management, IoT, or developer tools
• Familiarity with Android ecosystem — you don't need to be an Android engineer, but you should know enough to ask the right questions
• SAFe, PMP, or equivalent certification
• Experience managing vendor or partner relationships