Job Title: Accessibility Program Manager
Location: Raleigh, NC 27607
Employment Type: Full-Time
Minimum Education: Bachelor s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field
Experience Required: 8+ years in Digital Accessibility, with 4+ years leading enterprise accessibility programs and automation initiatives
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced Accessibility Program Manager to lead enterprise-scale digital accessibility initiatives across multiple applications, platforms, and business units. This role combines technical accessibility expertise, program governance, AI-enabled automation strategy, and cross-functional leadership to ensure consistent compliance with WCAG 2.1/2.2, Section 508, and ADA.
The candidate will manage large accessibility portfolios, drive AI-assisted testing adoption, establish governance frameworks, oversee remediation execution, and partner with engineering and executive stakeholders to embed accessibility into the SDLC.
This position requires advanced technical knowledge, program leadership, and a Computer Science/IT/Engineering degree, making it a clearly defined specialty occupation.
Key Responsibilities
- Accessibility Program Strategy & Governance
- Define and lead enterprise accessibility strategy, roadmap, and execution plans
Establish governance models, standards, and accessibility policies
Prioritize applications using risk-based and impact-based frameworks
Track compliance maturity across portfolios and agencies/business units
Drive alignment with WCAG 2.1/2.2, Section 508, ADA, and DOJ requirements
- AI-Driven Accessibility Platform & Automation Leadership
- Lead adoption and scaling of AI-powered accessibility testing platforms
Partner with engineering teams to integrate axe-core, AI classifiers, and automated remediation tools
Define automation coverage targets and success metrics
Oversee large-scale crawling, scanning, and monitoring of thousands/millions of URLs
Guide implementation of ML-driven defect clustering and pattern-based fixes
Validate AI findings with SMEs to improve detection accuracy
- Portfolio & Delivery Management
- Manage accessibility testing and remediation across multiple applications and releases
Create backlog strategies, sprint plans, and phased remediation roadmaps
Coordinate pods/teams (testers, developers, SMEs, vendors)
Track KPIs such as defect density, remediation velocity, and compliance scores
Report program health to leadership and stakeholders
- Accessibility Testing & Remediation Oversight
- Oversee manual, automated, and assistive technology testing processes
Ensure coverage using tools such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, axe-core, BrowserStack, Evinced, Accessibility Insights
Validate critical/priority issues and guide remediation approaches
Review frontend architectures and design systems for accessibility readiness
Ensure accessibility is embedded in DevOps and CI/CD
- VPAT / ACR & Compliance Management
- Oversee development and quality of VPATs and Accessibility Conformance Reports
Provide compliance documentation for RFPs, audits, and legal reviews
Support procurement and risk assessments related to accessibility
Act as SME during audits and regulatory reviews
- Cross-Functional Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement
- Collaborate with Product, Engineering, UX, Legal, Compliance, and Procurement teams
Lead accessibility governance councils and working groups
Influence executive stakeholders on accessibility investments and priorities
Serve as primary point of contact for enterprise accessibility initiatives
- Training, Enablement & Thought Leadership
- Build accessibility playbooks, standards, and best practices
Conduct workshops and enablement sessions for engineering and QA teams
Establish reusable design patterns and accessible components
Promote accessibility-first culture across the organization
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor s degree in Computer Science, IT, Engineering, or related technical field
8+ years of experience in digital accessibility
4+ years leading accessibility programs or enterprise initiatives
Deep expertise in WCAG 2.1/2.2, Section 508, ADA
Experience managing large-scale accessibility testing and remediation programs
Strong knowledge of automation tools (axe-core, Playwright, Selenium, CI/CD integration)
Experience with AI/ML-assisted accessibility solutions
Experience preparing/reviewing VPATs and compliance documentation
Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
Proven Agile/Scrum delivery experience
Preferred Qualifications
- IAAP CPWA (CPACC + WAS)
DHS Trusted Tester Certification
PMP, SAFe, or Agile certifications
Experience with government/public-sector accessibility programs
Experience leading enterprise design system accessibility
Experience scaling accessibility across 20+ applications or large digital ecosystems
Never miss an opportunity! Create an alert based on the job you applied for.
