Senior Technical Program Manager - job 1 of 2

As a Senior Technical Program Manager at Intercom, you'll have a variety of responsibilities including partnering with engineering and product leaders to define high-impact initiatives, driving execution of company-wide programs, and creating flexible structures aligned with business objectives. Your ability to break down silos and enhance collaboration across teams will be crucial, along with gathering functional specifications and documenting processes that facilitate successful implementations.

Essential skills for the Senior Technical Program Manager role at Intercom include strong technical acumen in system architecture, excellent leadership and communication abilities to influence without authority, and proven experience in leading cross-functional programs. You'll also need to excel in breaking down complex problems into actionable solutions while maintaining alignment with company objectives, in addition to streamlining processes and removing obstacles to enable swift execution.

At Intercom, the work environment for a Senior Technical Program Manager is collaborative and flexible. We follow a hybrid working model that encourages team members to be in the office at least two days a week, promoting connectivity and teamwork. The culture here is radically open and accepting, focusing on achieving incredible work while respecting diverse perspectives. Your contributions will directly impact our commitment to redefining customer service.

Intercom invests in the professional development of its Senior Technical Program Managers through regular compensation reviews, opportunities for mentorship, and an emphasis on continuous learning. We encourage team members to take initiatives that boost personal growth, and you're welcome to bring forward any additional offerings you find valuable to further enhance your career.

The Senior Technical Program Manager plays a pivotal role in enhancing customer service at Intercom by facilitating seamless workflows between technical teams and market strategies, ensuring high-impact initiatives are aligned with our mission to transform customer service. By applying their problem-solving skills and technical knowledge, they foster effective communication, streamline processes, and contribute to innovative solutions that ultimately benefit our customers.

In answering this question, highlight specific technical programs you've managed, detailing the challenges faced, the methodologies used, and the outcomes achieved. Emphasize your ability to adapt to changing requirements and how you facilitated collaboration among different stakeholders.

Share a specific cross-functional project that illustrates your leadership skills. Discuss how you coordinated diverse teams, tackled conflicts, and ensured the project met its objectives while maximizing efficiency across departments.

Discuss your systematic approach to problem-solving, including how you analyze issues, collaborate with teams to identify root causes, and implement effective solutions. It’s important to showcase your first-principles thinking and adaptability to refine processes.

Talk about the communication tools and frameworks you have used to facilitate at-depth conversations, feedback loops, and knowledge-sharing. Explain how transparency and regular updates contribute to team alignment and project success.

Define your success metrics for projects, such as KPIs related to timeline, budget, and stakeholder satisfaction. Discuss how you gather feedback post-project and use those insights for continuous improvement.

Provide a real-world example demonstrating your ability to read the team's needs and adjust your management style accordingly. Discuss the situation, your observations, and the positive outcomes resulting from your flexibility.

Illustrate your conflict resolution strategies, such as open dialogue, mediation, or leveraging team strengths. Highlight how maintaining focus on project goals helps mitigate disagreements and drive results.

List specific project management tools that you are experienced with, such as Jira, Trello, or Asana. Discuss your preferences based on the type of project and team dynamics, emphasizing adaptability in your toolkit.

Explain your prioritization criteria, such as urgency, impact, and resources available. Discuss frameworks you use (like the Eisenhower Matrix) to balance competing demands while keeping the team aligned with broader objectives.

Reflect on qualities such as adaptability, communication, and leadership, emphasizing the importance of being a connector and enabler for teams to thrive. Provide examples of how these traits have been beneficial in your experience.