Project Manager (Contract) - Customer Experience & IVA Programs

Role: Project Manager (Contract) Customer Experience & IVA Programs

Location: Rosemead, CA (Hybrid - Tue & Wed onsite)

Duration: 12+ months (High chances of extension)

Contract Type: W2

Description:
Job duties may include ensures the functional readiness of computer software and hardware products before they go live; design, develop and administer a series of tests and evaluations that identify any potential issues with the product before its release.

• Education/Experience: Bachelor s Degree in applicable profession, business, or technical discipline or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience. Possesses ten or more years of project management and/or project support experience.
  This is not a coordination role. This individual is expected to actively drive execution, challenge assumptions, identify risks before others see them, and serve as the operational backbone for a portfolio of strategic customer experience initiatives.
  Role Summary:
  We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Program Manager to lead and coordinate strategic initiatives across our Customer Experience and Intelligent Virtual Assistant (IVA) portfolio.
• This individual will drive complex, cross-functional programs spanning Product, IT, Engineering, Operations, Business, and external vendor teams.
  Beyond owning a set of critical programs, this role will also help bring program management rigor to initiatives across the broader product organization improving visibility, consistency, and delivery discipline across multiple teams and workstreams.
  The ideal candidate is a proactive leader who excels at program execution, risk management, stakeholder communication, and operational rigor.
• They will serve as the connective tissue across teams, ensuring initiatives remain on track, risks are forecasted and mitigated early, decisions are escalated appropriately, and business outcomes are achieved. This role requires exceptional organizational skills, executive presence, and the ability to manage multiple high-visibility programs simultaneously.
  Key Responsibilities Program Leadership
  Lead end-to-end planning and execution of strategic customer experience and IVA initiatives.
  Develop and maintain integrated project plans, milestones, dependencies, deliverables, and success criteria.
  Provide program management support and structure across the broader product team's portfolio of initiatives.
  Drive accountability across multiple teams and workstreams.
  Ensure programs remain aligned to business goals and strategic priorities.
  Risk & Dependency Management
  Forecast, identify, assess, and proactively mitigate risks before they impact delivery.
  Establish formal risk, issue, and dependency management processes.
  Surface emerging concerns early and provide actionable mitigation plans.
  Escalate critical issues appropriately while proposing solutions rather than just problems.
  Cross-Functional Coordination
  Partner closely with Product Management, Engineering, IT, Operations, Customer Experience, and Business stakeholders.
  Facilitate alignment across multiple organizations with competing priorities.
  Drive decisions and remove blockers that may impact timelines or outcomes.
  Coordinate activities between internal teams and external vendors.
  Executive Communication
  Prepare executive-level reporting, status updates, dashboards, and presentations.
  Deliver concise, actionable communications regarding program health, milestones, risks, and decisions.
  Lead recurring governance meetings and program reviews.
  Vendor & Partner Management
  Manage strategic vendor relationships and delivery commitments.
  Monitor vendor performance against agreed-upon outcomes and timelines.
  Hold external partners accountable and ensure they operate with transparency.
  Coordinate contracts, statements of work, and deliverable acceptance in partnership with sourcing and business owners.
  Operational Excellence
  Establish consistent program management standards, reporting, and governance practices.
  Improve visibility into project health, resource constraints, risks, and dependencies.
  Drive disciplined execution across the broader product organization.
  Uplift program and delivery practices, sharing best practices with product managers and delivery teams.
  Required Skills/Attributes
  3-5 years of Project Management experience leading large-scale technology initiatives.
  Demonstrated success managing complex, cross-functional programs across Product, Engineering, IT, and Business teams.
  Strong experience with Agile, hybrid, and enterprise-scale delivery methodologies.
  Exceptional risk forecasting, risk management, and dependency management skills.
  Proven ability to influence without authority and hold teams accountable.
  Experience managing third-party vendors and consulting partners.
  Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  Advanced experience creating executive-level presentations, status reports, and program dashboards.
  Desired Skills/Attributes
  Experience supporting customer experience, contact center, IVR, IVA, conversational AI, or customer service technologies.
  Experience working with Generative AI, AI-powered customer experiences, or automation platforms.
  Background in regulated industries or large enterprise environments.
  Desired Competencies
  Program & Portfolio Management
  Risk Forecasting & Mitigation
  Dependency & Issue Management
  Vendor & Partner Management
  Cross-Functional Leadership
  Executive Communication & Reporting
  Governance & Operational Rigor
  Influence Without Authority
  Strategic Thinking & Prioritization
  Stakeholder Engagement
  Decision Facilitation & Blocker Removal
  Executive Presence