Principal Technical Program Manager, Developer Productivity

About the role

Reddit is on the lookout for a Principal Technical Program Manager who will lead transformative initiatives aimed at improving engineering workflows through the integration of artificial intelligence. This pivotal role involves collaborating closely with engineering leadership to ensure that AI-driven development processes are secure, scalable, and effective throughout the organization. You will play a critical role in guiding Reddit through a major shift in software development practices, leveraging AI and agentic workflows to enhance productivity.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Lead the creation and implementation of actionable programs focused on AI-assisted development, addressing key areas such as code review processes, agent infrastructure, access to large language models (LLMs), evaluation systems, and developer environments.
• Develop and establish a robust operational framework that promotes AI-native developer productivity, outlining paths for adoption, risk management strategies, and metrics for success.
• Build consensus across various engineering and product teams, effectively influencing stakeholders without direct authority to ensure alignment on AI initiatives.
• Advocate for the necessary social and cultural changes to facilitate successful AI-assisted development, fostering trust and promoting widespread adoption among teams.
• Design and implement communication and enablement strategies, including forums, documentation, and rollout plans, to assist engineers and leadership in navigating workflow transitions.
• Create measurement systems that accurately quantify productivity improvements, linking enhancements in workflows to both business and engineering outcomes.
• Manage AI governance and adoption processes, ensuring a balance between innovation and considerations of security, cost, privacy, and operational safety.
• Utilize technical judgment to identify potential risks, guide decision-making on trade-offs, and ensure cohesive alignment across AI tools, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) systems, and development platforms.

Requirements

• At least 14 years of experience in technical program management, engineering, infrastructure, developer tools, platform engineering, AI tooling, or other relevant technical domains.
• Demonstrated success in leading complex, multi-year technical programs that span multiple organizations and have significant executive visibility, often in ambiguous ownership situations.
• Deep understanding of developer productivity systems, including CI/CD processes, code review mechanisms, testing, deployment strategies, observability practices, developer environments, and AI-assisted development methodologies.
• Familiarity with AI and LLM-enabled software development, encompassing agent workflows, governance, evaluation techniques, telemetry, code quality management, cost control, and operational risk assessment.
• A data-driven mindset with the capability to construct measurement systems that correlate workflow enhancements with measurable outcomes.
• Outstanding cross-functional communication and collaboration abilities, with a talent for building trust and clarity among diverse teams.
• Proven experience in leading significant organizational changes and influencing behavior shifts across teams.
• A results-oriented approach that prioritizes delivering tangible outcomes over mere activity.
• A pragmatic and iterative method for introducing structure and driving adoption of new processes.

Nice to have

• Experience in managing large-scale developer productivity initiatives, platform engineering projects, infrastructure modernization efforts, or AI tooling programs.
• Knowledge of LLM platforms, AI-assisted development tools, agentic workflows, or governance frameworks related to AI in enterprise engineering settings.
• Background in developing strategies for the adoption of internal platforms or developer tools.
• Experience in leading cultural transformation initiatives or change management programs within engineering teams.
• Familiarity with engineering productivity frameworks such as DORA or SPACE.
• Experience working in fast-paced environments where technical strategies and organizational designs are continuously evolving.

Skills & tools

• Technical Program Management
• AI/LLM Development Workflows
• Developer Productivity Tools
• CI/CD
• Code Review Systems
• Platform Engineering
• Infrastructure
• Data Analysis & Measurement Systems
• Cross-functional Communication
• Change Management

Practical notes

• The base salary for this position ranges from $260,800 to $365,100 USD.
• Candidates will be eligible for equity in the form of restricted stock units.
• A comprehensive benefits package is offered, including healthcare, a 401k plan with matching contributions, global benefits, family planning support, gender-affirming care, mental health resources, flexible vacation policies, and generous paid parental leave.
• Interviews may be recorded, transcribed, and summarized using AI, with options available for candidates to opt out.
• Personal information collected during interviews may include identifiers, professional and employment-related details, and sensory information (audio/video).