Program Manager (Army)

About the role

Appian is seeking an experienced and strategic Program Manager to lead initiatives that significantly enhance the experience of our Public Sector clients, with a particular focus on the US Army. This role involves designing, developing, and executing comprehensive programs that improve onboarding processes, increase product adoption, and maximize value realization for government customers. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring that these programs deliver measurable results, align with organizational goals, and meet the unique needs of federal agencies. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in customer advocacy, program management, and experience working within the B2B SaaS industry, especially in the context of government modernization projects. This position requires a proactive leader capable of managing complex, large-scale projects and fostering strong relationships with key stakeholders across multiple departments and agencies.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Develop, implement, and oversee customer success initiatives tailored specifically for the US Army, focusing on onboarding, product adoption, and renewal processes to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction and retention.
• Lead large-scale, complex programs involving multiple teams and stakeholders, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget, while meeting strategic objectives.
• Create detailed strategic plans for customer success that align with the broader organizational goals and address the specific needs of government clients, particularly within the Army.
• Act as the primary advocate for the customer within the organization, collecting feedback, analyzing data, and translating insights into actionable improvements for products and services.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as customer health scores, renewal rates, and customer satisfaction metrics, providing regular reports to senior leadership.
• Collaborate closely with sales, product development, technical support, and other departments to ensure a and positive customer experience across all touchpoints.
• Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with key stakeholders at the US Army and other government agencies, serving as a trusted advisor and point of contact for strategic initiatives.
• Identify potential risks or issues that could impact customer success and develop proactive mitigation strategies to address them effectively.
• Promote a customer-centric culture throughout the organization by sharing best practices, fostering collaboration, and ensuring that customer needs are prioritized in decision-making processes.
• Lead, mentor, and develop members of the Customer Success team, fostering a high-performance environment and ensuring team members have the skills and resources needed to succeed.
• Coordinate with technical teams to ensure that customer requirements are incorporated into product development cycles, especially in the context of modernization efforts involving AI and other advanced technologies.
• Support the onboarding of new government clients, ensuring smooth transitions and setting the stage for long-term success.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives by analyzing program performance data and implementing process enhancements.
• Maintain awareness of federal regulations, compliance standards, and security requirements relevant to government projects, ensuring all programs adhere to necessary standards.
• Prepare and deliver presentations and reports to executive leadership, providing insights into program status, risks, and opportunities for growth.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline such as Business Administration, Engineering, or related fields.
• Minimum of 10 years of program management experience, with a focus on delivering complex technology modernization projects for the Army or other federal agencies.
• Proven ability to manage large programs involving more than 50 resources and generating over $13 million in annual services revenue.
• Strong experience in customer success management, particularly within government or defense sectors.
• Certifications such as Project Management Professional (PMP) or Program Management Professional (PgMP) are highly preferred.
• Agile certifications such as Certified Scrum Master (CSM) or SAFe Agilist are advantageous.
• Demonstrated success in managing cross-departmental projects, aligning diverse teams, and delivering results in complex environments.
• Excellent analytical skills to interpret data, develop insights, and drive strategic decisions.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with senior government officials and internal stakeholders.
• Experience working with Appian platform and familiarity with related tools such as Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Palantir.
• Background in leading technology modernization efforts, including AI-driven projects, using agile methodologies.
• Must be a US citizen and able to obtain a US government security clearance.
• Willingness to travel to client sites and other locations as required.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

Nice to have

• Experience working with government contracts, compliance standards, and regulations such as FAR or DFARS.
• Knowledge of federal procurement processes and contract management.
• Prior experience in working with defense and military clients on modernization initiatives.

Skills & tools

• Proficiency in project management software such as Microsoft Project or similar tools.
• Experience with customer relationship management (CRM) platforms like Salesforce.
• Familiarity with data analysis and reporting tools to monitor KPIs and program performance.
• Knowledge of AI, machine learning, and other advanced technologies relevant to modernization projects.
• Ability to develop detailed project plans, timelines, and resource allocations.
• Strong presentation skills for communicating complex information to executive audiences.

Practical notes

• This role requires working onsite at the McLean, Virginia office five days a week. Remote work is and is not applicable unless explicitly stated.
• The position involves working with sensitive government data and ITAR-controlled information, requiring strict compliance with security standards.
• The salary range is between $150,000 and $300,000, depending on experience and qualifications. Compensation may include additional benefits such as discretionary bonuses, health insurance, 401(k), and flexible time off.
• The company encourages diversity and inclusion; all qualified candidates will be considered regardless of background or protected characteristics.
• Candidates must be US citizens and capable of obtaining a US government security clearance.
• Travel to client sites and other locations will be necessary, and candidates should be prepared for occasional travel.
• Applicants should be prepared to demonstrate experience managing large government modernization projects, including relevant certifications and past performance.
• For accommodations during the application process, candidates can contact ReasonableAccommodations@appian.com.