R&D Program Manager

As an R&D Program Manager at Boulevard, your primary responsibilities include leading the full lifecycle of large programs from ideation to post-launch, ensuring effective collaboration among remote teams, and facilitating communication with stakeholders at all levels. You'll also need to assess and mitigate risks, manage program-related issues, and enhance operational efficiency through technological tools.

To qualify for the R&D Program Manager position at Boulevard, candidates should have a minimum of 3 years of software program or project management experience. A strong understanding of the product development lifecycle is essential, along with creativity, proactivity, and a commitment to quality craftsmanship.

Boulevard is committed to the professional growth of R&D Program Managers through initiatives like the Boulevard Bucks Learning and Development program. This encourages employees to explore various businesses in our industry, along with opportunities for advancement in their careers.

As an R&D Program Manager at Boulevard, you'll utilize tools like Jira and Confluence to streamline workflows and enhance team efficiency, ensuring that all program-related tasks are tracked and communicated effectively across different teams.

Boulevard boasts a diverse and inclusive company culture that values every individual's unique background. As an R&D Program Manager, you can expect a supportive environment where open communication and teamwork are encouraged to help you do the best work of your life.

When answering this question, highlight your ability to bring diverse teams together. Provide an example of how you've successfully led a project involving different departments, detailing the strategies you used to facilitate communication and collaboration.

In your response, showcase your methodology for identifying and assessing potential risks early in the project lifecycle. Describe the tools and techniques you employ to monitor and mitigate risks proactively, ensuring project objectives are met.

Discuss your proficiency with project management tools like Jira and Confluence. Explain how you’ve utilized these tools in past projects to enhance efficiency, streamline communication, and track progress.

Share your prioritization framework, perhaps touching on factors like business impact and urgency. Offer an example of a challenging situation where you had to make tough decisions regarding project priorities and how you navigated those.

Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to describe a relevant challenge. Detail the situation, your responsibilities, the actions you took to address the issue, and the positive outcome that followed.

Discuss your approach to fostering transparency and open dialogue. You might mention regular check-ins, utilizing video conferencing tools, and creating a culture of feedback to keep remote teams aligned and engaged.

Emphasize the importance of communication plans. Explain how you establish regular updates, utilize dashboards for tracking progress, and involve stakeholders at critical points in the project to ensure they stay informed and engaged.

Reflect on the fulfillment that comes from successfully launching a project that meets strategic objectives. Discuss how contributing to innovative solutions and fostering collaboration excites you in this role.

Demonstrate your conflict resolution skills by explaining your approach to addressing disagreements openly and fairly. Provide an example of a past conflict and how mediation led to a positive outcome.

Describe your vision of a successful program launch, which includes aligning with business objectives, meeting timelines, and delivering results that add value to the organization. Highlight your steps to monitor post-launch performance and gather feedback for continual improvement.