Technical Program Manager
Databricks is hiring a Technical Program Manager in Auckland, New Zealand. Level rates it ; you can apply on Databricks.
Level's read on this job
- Level rates this role Works on AI ●●●○: the daily work is on AI products, without building the model.
- Tools and skills the posting cites include AWS, Azure and Google Cloud.
- Level classifies it as a senior role.
- Level lists 922 other open roles at Databricks.
AI in this role
Technical Program Manager to lead enterprise-scale data and AI/ML customer engagements and ensure project success.
CSQ327R248
Location: New Zealand
As a Technical Program Manager, you are instrumental in advancing our Forward Deployed Engineering team's mission, which is dedicated to accelerating and de-risking our customers' outcomes by ensuring the success of every project we undertake. Your role is pivotal in not only achieving project goals but also in maintaining an exceptional level of customer satisfaction throughout the process. You will expertly navigate the balance between delivering outstanding results and aligning with the commercial objectives of the Forward Deployed Engineering organization. Your leadership and strategic insight will contribute directly to our clients' success and the growth of our business.
The impact you will have:
- You will take ownership of all commercial delivery of services from a project administration and director perspective across numerous projects, ranging from a single individual for 2-3 weeks to 6-month engagements of multi-person teams
- Serve as a trusted advisor to senior customer stakeholders, driving clarity, alignment, and confidence through all stages of delivery
- Shape the success of engagements by proactively managing risks, aligning cross-functional teams, and ensuring customer outcomes are met or exceeded
- Ensure accurate reporting on projects and keep all relevant parties up-to-date with project activity and success
- Drive growth in key accounts by identifying expansion opportunities, influencing future roadmaps, and enabling continued adoption of the Databricks platform
- Contribute to the evolution of delivery best practices within the Professional Services team and mentor junior team members to build future leaders
What we look for:
- Proven experience leading complex, enterprise-scale data or AI/ML projects in a fast-paced customer-facing environment
- Extensive experience successfully managing and overseeing projects with teams of up to 5 people, with contract values in excess of $0.5 million
- Ability to engage, influence, and build trust with senior executive stakeholders on the customer side, including CxOs
- Strong understanding of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and familiarity with data lakehouse architecture or modern data platforms
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple workstreams across technical and business stakeholders, balancing scope, time, and risk
- Experience working with cross-functional teams, including engineering, solution architects, sales, and partners
- Skilled in driving structured governance, managing stakeholder expectations, and facilitating executive-level communication
- Experience in setting up and managing project delivery frameworks, including Agile, Scrum, or hybrid methodologies, ideally with PMI/PRINCE/AGILE certification
- Comfort with ambiguity and ability to bring clarity and structure to unstructured or evolving customer engagement
- Ability to identify delivery risks early and implement mitigation plans to ensure customer outcomes and satisfaction
- Experience with commercial aspects of delivery, including change control, SoW management, and margin protection
- High ownership mindset with a bias for action, accountability, and customer success
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.
- Experience identifying opportunities to expand or upsell services in the context of ongoing delivery engagements
- A product-oriented mindset or experience working closely with product teams is a plus
About Databricks
Databricks is the Data and AI company. More than 20,000 organizations worldwide — including adidas, AT&T, Bayer, Block, Mastercard, Rivian, Unilever, and 70% of the Fortune 500 — rely on the Databricks Data + AI Platform to build and scale data and AI apps, analytics and agents. Headquartered in San Francisco with 30+ offices around the globe, Databricks offers a unified platform that includes Genie, Lakebase, Agent Bricks, Lakeflow, Lakehouse, and Unity Catalog. To learn more, follow Databricks on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, and Instagram.
Benefits
At Databricks, we strive to provide comprehensive benefits and perks that meet the needs of all of our employees. For specific details on the benefits offered in your region click here.
Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
At Databricks, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone can excel. We take great care to ensure that our hiring practices are inclusive and meet equal employment opportunity standards. Individuals looking for employment at Databricks are considered without regard to age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other protected characteristics.
Compliance
If access to export-controlled technology or source code is required for performance of job duties, it is within Employer's discretion whether to apply for a U.S. government license for such positions, and Employer may decline to proceed with an applicant on this basis alone.
How we rate this
Technical Program Manager at Databricks rates 60 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Works on AI (AI Level 3 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.
Works on AI. The daily work is on AI products, without building the model.
- ●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
- ●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
- ●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
- ●○○○ Little AI0 to 39
Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.
Prepare for this job
Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.
Skills and AI tools this role asks for
Questions you could be asked
- Tell me about a project where program management was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where stakeholder management was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where cloud platforms was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where data lakehouse was part of your work. What did you do?
- Walk me through how you've used AWS in your day-to-day work.
Adapt your resume
- List these exact terms on your resume: Program Management, Stakeholder Management, Cloud Platforms, Data Lakehouse, and AWS. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
- Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
- Show where AI is part of your daily process, not a one-off project. This role expects it to be a running habit.
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