Technical Program Manager (Project Lead)

Job Summary

The Technical Program Manager (Project Lead) plays a pivotal role in ensuring the seamless delivery of large-scale, high-impact data and AI service projects. This role bridges strategy and execution, driving delivery excellence, operational scalability, quality assurance, and client satisfaction. The ideal candidate is a structured thinker and data-driven leader who thrives in fast-paced environments, manages ambiguity effectively, and demonstrates exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and crisis-resolution capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary client interface, ensuring transparent, timely, and professional communication.
• Translate complex client objectives into clear, actionable internal goals.
• Identify, communicate, and proactively mitigate operational risks (e.g., platform issues, quality dips, or delays).
• Design and implement ramp-up/ramp-down strategies, aligning delivery throughout with client pipelines and evolving priorities.
• Lead crisis management and real-time operational decision-making during high-pressure scenarios.
• Plan, allocate, and manage technical resources based on skill alignment and project requirements (e.g., Python, C++, Java).
• Maintain accurate project-wise allocation logs to ensure balanced workloads and prevent resource conflicts.
• Conduct regular performance reviews for Quality Leads (QLs) and Taskers, ensuring accountability and continuous improvement.
• Optimize team utilization — ensuring no member is underloaded or overburdened.
• Own the end-to-end quality feedback loop: Client → Project Lead → QL → Tasker → Revision/Improvement.
• Oversee Quality Leads’ evaluations to ensure timely reviews, actionable feedback, and fairness in scoring.
• Approve or overturn QL decisions when required, maintaining final accountability for quality outcomes.
• Develop and continuously refine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure consistent execution and scalability.
• Establish and enforce cheating detection and prevention protocols, including LLM misuse and unethical code practices.
• Uphold the highest standards of AI ethics, compliance, and data integrity across all projects.
• Monitor and analyze key performance indicators such as Average Quality Metrics (QM), submission rate vs. target throughout, and dispute and feedback trends.
• Leverage data insights to make strategic operational decisions — from adjusting team composition to improving review efficiency.
• Detect and address anomalies such as cheating, dual logins, or VPN misuse promptly and fairly.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives across delivery, tooling, and workflow efficiency.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in technical program or project management, operations leadership, or delivery management within AI, data services, or technology-driven environments.
• Skilled in data-driven decision-making, balancing metrics with practical judgment.
• Ability to inspire trust, build accountable teams, and foster a culture of transparency and ownership.
• Maintains composure under pressure and ensures calm, rational problem-solving during delivery challenges.
• Enforces standards and accountability while leading with empathy and respect for individual growth.
• Strong understanding of technical workflows, code evaluation processes, and resource-to-skill mapping.

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with LLM-assisted workflows, data annotation systems, or AI model evaluation projects.
• Experience with Agile or Lean delivery frameworks.
• Proficiency with project management and analytics tools (e.g., Jira, Asana, Power BI, Google Sheets scripting).
• Prior experience managing distributed or remote-first technical teams.