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Sr Technical Program Manager (SME)

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Technical Program Manager to lead and evolve our Subject Matter Expert (SME) programs within the Technical Solutions (TS) organization. Datadog’s TS org is composed of 1000+ customer-facing technical experts around the world from Sales Engineers, Technical Account Managers, Support Engineers, and Solution Architects who work with prospects and customers across their journey with Datadog to deliver outstanding customer experiences and drive growth through rapid product adoption.

As a TPM on our Technical Solutions Operations (TS Ops) team, you will serve as a multiplier for the TS Org by strengthening technical specialization to drive meaningful business impact. You will play a pivotal role in ensuring SMEs are effectively leveraged to enhance customer engagement, provide actionable product feedback, and align technical expertise with Datadog’s solutions. By partnering closely with cross-functional teams—Engineering, Product Managers, TS, and Enablement teams, across Datadog’s growing product suite—you will implement structured processes, incentives, and tooling, improve knowledge-sharing, and track impact through data-driven insights. Additionally, you will stay attuned to business priorities, product investments, and emerging needs, ensuring SME efforts evolve in lockstep with Datadog’s growth.

At Datadog, we place value in our office culture - the relationships that it builds, the creativity it brings to the table, and the collaboration of being together. We operate as a hybrid workplace to ensure our employees can create a work-life harmony that best fits them.

What You’ll Do:

  • Program Ownership: Define and execute a roadmap for our TS SME programs, aligning with overarching business priorities to ensure SMEs drive measurable impact in customer success, business outcomes, product feedback, and enablement.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Product, Engineering, and Technical Solutions leadership to embed SME processes in existing workflows and coordinate resources for effective program delivery.
  • Performance & KPIs: Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) that quantify the effectiveness of SME efforts, leveraging data analytics to continuously refine priorities and demonstrate ROI.
  • Operational Excellence: Oversee the end-to-end program lifecycle—including requirement gathering, change management, training, and adoption—to deliver on scope, schedule, and budget.
  • Stakeholder Communication: Provide regular updates on progress, risks, and results to senior leaders; proactively identify and remove blockers to maintain momentum.
  • Enablement & Best Practices: Develop processes, incentives, and tooling that make SME participation easy and rewarding—creating repeatable, scalable frameworks for shared expertise across the organization.
  • Thought Leadership: Contribute to and help scale our established PMO—introducing best practices, methodologies, and frameworks that elevate the program management function company-wide.

Who You Are:

  • Customer & Business Mindset: You continually focus on how SMEs can accelerate customer outcomes and drive business impact.
  • Data-Driven: You excel at turning insights into action, using quantitative and qualitative data to guide decisions, measure effectiveness, and iterate.
  • Clear Communicator: You convey complex ideas in a concise way, adapting your message for diverse audiences—technical specialists, product leads, senior executives, and beyond.
  • Collaborative & Influential: You build strong partnerships across organizational lines and are skilled at influencing without direct authority to align teams on shared goals.
  • Growth-Oriented: You thrive in a dynamic environment, continuously seeking ways to improve processes and learn new technologies.
  • Proven Technical Program Management Experience: You have 5+ years of relevant experience leading complex cross-functional programs in a SaaS or similarly technical space, particularly with exposure to SME or specialized enablement programs.

Your Qualifications:

  • Technical Background: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field—or commensurate industry experience.
  • Complex Program Delivery: Demonstrated success in managing multiple high-impact initiatives involving diverse technical stakeholders and deliverables.
  • Metrics & Analytics: Strong capability in defining metrics, analyzing data, and delivering insights that drive both tactical and strategic decision-making.
  • Excellent Execution Skills: Skilled in project scoping, risk management, timeline creation, and resource allocation across multiple efforts simultaneously.
  • SME Program Expertise: Direct experience standing up or expanding SME programs (or equivalent specialized enablement programs) in a customer-facing technical organization.
  • Influence at Scale: Track record of collaborating with senior-level stakeholders to unify teams and drive positive results in a high-growth global environment.

Benefits and Growth: 

  • Generous and competitive global and US benfits
  • New hire stock equity (RSUs) and employee stock purchase plan
  • Continuous career development and pathing opportunities
  • Product training to develop an in-depth understanding of our product and space
  • Best in breed onboarding
  • Internal mentor and buddy program cross-departmentally
  • Friendly and inclusive workplace culture

Datadog offers a competitive salary and equity package, and may include variable compensation. Actual compensation is based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience. In addition, Datadog offers a wide range of best in class, comprehensive and inclusive employee benefits for this role including healthcare, dental, parental planning, and mental health benefits, a 401(k) plan and match, paid time off, fitness reimbursements, and a discounted employee stock purchase plan.

Datadog offers a competitive salary and equity package, and may include variable compensation. Actual compensation is based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience. In addition, Datadog offers a wide range of best in class, comprehensive and inclusive employee benefits for this role including healthcare, dental, parental planning, and mental health benefits, a 401(k) plan and match, paid time off, fitness reimbursements, and a discounted employee stock purchase plan.

The reasonably estimated yearly salary for this role at Datadog is:
$134,500$179,000 USD

About Datadog: 

Datadog (NASDAQ: DDOG) is a global SaaS business, delivering a rare combination of growth and profitability. We are on a mission to break down silos and solve complexity in the cloud age by enabling digital transformation, cloud migration, and infrastructure monitoring of our customers’ entire technology stacks. Built by engineers, for engineers, Datadog is used by organizations of all sizes across a wide range of industries. Together, we champion professional development, diversity of thought, innovation, and work excellence to empower continuous growth. Join the pack and become part of a collaborative, pragmatic, and thoughtful people-first community where we solve tough problems, take smart risks, and celebrate one another. Learn more about #DatadogLife on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Datadog Learning Center.


Equal Opportunity at Datadog:

Datadog is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and is proud to offer equal employment opportunity to everyone regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, veteran status, and more. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. Here are our Candidate Legal Notices for your reference.

Your Privacy:

Any information you submit to Datadog as part of your application will be processed in accordance with Datadog’s Applicant and Candidate Privacy Notice.

Average salary estimate

$156750 / YEARLY (est.)
min
max
$134500K
$179000K

If an employer mentions a salary or salary range on their job, we display it as an "Employer Estimate". If a job has no salary data, Rise displays an estimate if available.

What You Should Know About Sr Technical Program Manager (SME), Datadog

Join Datadog as a Senior Technical Program Manager (SME) in New York, New York, where you'll lead and innovate our Subject Matter Expert programs within the Technical Solutions organization. In this role, you'll collaborate with a global team of over 1,000 customer-facing technical experts—including Sales Engineers, Technical Account Managers, Support Engineers, and Solution Architects—to enhance customer experiences and drive rapid product adoption. By acting as a multiplier for the Technical Solutions team, your efforts will ensure that SMEs are effectively utilized to elevate customer engagement, provide actionable product insights, and align technical expertise with Datadog’s suite of solutions. You'll also be the backbone of cross-functional partnerships, working closely with Engineering, Product Managers, and Enablement teams to optimize processes, measure impact, and enhance knowledge-sharing across the company. Your expertise will help define a structured roadmap, track performance metrics, and contribute to the company's growth strategy, all while fostering a collaborative and inclusive workplace culture. If you are data-driven, possess a customer-focused mindset, and have a history of successfully managing cross-functional technical programs, we want to hear from you! At Datadog, we value personal growth and teamwork, offering a hybrid work environment that promotes work-life balance and continuous development opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Sr Technical Program Manager (SME) Role at Datadog
What are the key responsibilities of the Senior Technical Program Manager (SME) at Datadog?

As a Senior Technical Program Manager (SME) at Datadog, your primary responsibilities include defining and executing the roadmap for SME programs, collaborating with cross-functional teams to embed SME processes in existing workflows, and establishing performance KPIs. You'll oversee the entire program lifecycle while providing updates to senior leadership about progress and risks, thereby ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with business goals.

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What qualifications do I need to become a Senior Technical Program Manager (SME) at Datadog?

To be considered for the Senior Technical Program Manager (SME) role at Datadog, you'll need a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field, along with at least 5 years of experience in technical program management. Additionally, a strong understanding of metrics and analytics is crucial to drive insights and continuous evolution of SME initiatives.

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How does the Senior Technical Program Manager (SME) role contribute to customer success at Datadog?

The Senior Technical Program Manager (SME) plays a vital role in enhancing customer success at Datadog by ensuring that SMEs are effectively leveraged to improve customer engagement and provide meaningful product feedback. By focusing on metrics that quantify impact, you will help align technical insight with business strategy, ultimately leading to faster and more effective product adoption by customers.

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What kind of experience is ideal for a Senior Technical Program Manager (SME) at Datadog?

Ideal candidates for the Senior Technical Program Manager (SME) position at Datadog will have experience managing complex technical programs in a SaaS environment. This includes hands-on experience with SME or specialized enablement programs, and a track record of successful collaboration with diverse technical stakeholders to deliver impactful results.

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What is the workplace culture like at Datadog for the Senior Technical Program Manager (SME) role?

Datadog fosters a friendly and inclusive workplace culture that values creativity, collaboration, and personal growth. As a Senior Technical Program Manager (SME), you will work in a hybrid environment designed to support work-life balance while being part of a pragmatic and thoughtful community dedicated to solving complex problems together.

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Common Interview Questions for Sr Technical Program Manager (SME)
Can you describe your experience managing complex technical programs?

When answering this question, focus on specific examples of programs you have managed, emphasizing how you balanced timelines, resources, and stakeholder expectations. Highlight metrics that demonstrate the success of these initiatives and reflect on the challenges you overcame.

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How do you ensure effective cross-functional collaboration?

Discuss your strategies for fostering communication among teams, such as regular check-ins, collaborative tools, and shared goals. Provide examples of past collaborations with product and engineering teams and how those led to successful outcomes.

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What metrics do you consider to evaluate program success?

Outline specific performance indicators you have used in past roles, explaining how they align with business goals. You can mention customer satisfaction scores, engagement levels, or ROI based on product adoption rates.

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Tell me about a time you had to influence stakeholders without direct authority.

Reflect on a situation where you had to rally support from peers or senior leaders. Discuss the techniques you used—such as building relationships, facilitating discussions, or presenting data— and the positive outcome that resulted from your efforts.

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How do you approach program roadmapping?

Share your methodology for developing a roadmap, including stakeholder inputs, alignment with business objectives, and adjusting based on feedback or changing priorities. Explain how you keep the roadmap visible and updated for all relevant parties.

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What challenges have you faced in previous program management roles?

Discuss specific challenges such as resource constraints, evolving technology, or stakeholder misalignment. Convey how you addressed these challenges and what lessons you learned that would be applicable to the Senior Technical Program Manager (SME) role at Datadog.

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How do you handle data analysis for your programs?

Describe your approach to data analysis, including the tools you use, how you gather data, and what decisions you’ve made based on your findings. Highlight examples of how data-driven decisions improved your programs' outcomes.

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What do you believe is the role of an SME within technical solutions?

Articulate your understanding of an SME’s function, focusing on how they bridge the gap between technical knowledge and practical application. Discuss the importance of capturing their insights to drive product development and enhance customer relations.

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Can you give an example of a successful training program you’ve implemented?

Share a detailed account of a training program you developed or enhanced—explain the objectives, the process you followed, and how you measured its success. Emphasize the positive impact on team performance or customer outcomes.

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How do you stay current with industry trends and integrate them into your work?

Discuss your strategies for keeping up with industry advancements, such as reading relevant publications, attending conferences, or participating in webinars. Relate those trends to how you've previously adapted program strategies to incorporate new best practices.

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Badge Diversity ChampionBadge Future MakerBadge Office VibesBadge Future UnicornBadge Rapid Growth
CULTURE VALUES
Customer-Centric
Rapid Growth
Diversity of Opinions
Reward & Recognition
Friends Outside of Work
Inclusive & Diverse
Empathetic
Feedback Forward
Work/Life Harmony
Casual Dress Code
Startup Mindset
Collaboration over Competition
Fast-Paced
Growth & Learning
Open Door Policy
Rise from Within
BENEFITS & PERKS
Maternity Leave
Paternity Leave
Flex-Friendly
Family Coverage (Insurance)
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Mental Health Resources
Life insurance
Disability Insurance
Health Savings Account (HSA)
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
401K Matching
Paid Holidays
Paid Sick Days
Paid Time-Off
FUNDING
SENIORITY LEVEL REQUIREMENT
TEAM SIZE
EMPLOYMENT TYPE
Full-time, hybrid
DATE POSTED
April 14, 2025

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