Founding Technical Program Manager

Valence has built the only AI native coaching platform for enterprise, offering personalized, expert, and human-like guidance and support to any leader or employee. We’re not just talking about the future of work — we’re building it now, with the most innovative Fortune 500 companies across healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, and technology.
Learn more about our work with Microsoft: Valence Brings AI Coaching More Deeply Into the Flow of Work with Microsoft 365

Our focus is on the problems that actually decide whether AI changes how organizations operate — the ones with no playbook, no obvious answers, and no guarantee of success. If you want to be part of the small group that defines how AI transforms the future at a global scale, this is your chance.

And this isn’t for everyone. We’re not looking for people who want predictability or incremental progress. We only want those who are restless at the edge of what’s possible, who get bored when things feel “done,” and who are driven to redefine what AI can mean for leaders, companies, and the world. Because at Valence, the work worth doing is the kind that redefines work itself.

About the Role

Valence is hiring a Technical Program Manager to sit at the intersection of our engineering org, enterprise customers, and commercial teams. This is a builder role — there is no playbook to inherit, only one to create.

We're open to two orientations for this hire. One track focuses on the commercial boundary: owning enterprise deployments from deal scoping through go-live, partnering with Sales and CS to pressure-test commitments before contracts are signed, and building the playbooks that make implementation repeatable at scale. The other focuses on internal engineering execution: owning the operating rhythm of the eng org, making delivery predictable, and giving leadership clear visibility into what's in flight across teams. If you're a strong fit for either, we want to hear from you.

What You'll Do

• Own complex, cross-functional programs end-to-end — whether that's an enterprise deployment or an engineering delivery work stream — coordinating across Engineering, CS, Sales, and leadership

• Identify structural problems at team or organizational boundaries and fix them systemically, not one-off

• Build lightweight processes and playbooks where none exist; make repeatable what can be repeated

• Translate ambiguous requirements — from customers or from product — into clear, sequenced engineering work with tradeoffs surfaced early

• Run executive-facing reviews and status communications that decision-makers can actually act on

• Own visibility infrastructure (roadmaps, dashboards, dependency tracking) so nothing critical falls through the cracks

What You Bring

• 5–8+ years of TPM, technical implementation, or engineering program management in enterprise B2B SaaS or AI

• Proven ability to manage at the boundary between commercial and engineering teams — you understand both worlds and can translate between them

• Strong written communication — crisp program docs, status updates, and executive summaries

• Comfort holding engineering teams accountable on scope and timeline without being an IC yourself

• Influence without authority is your primary tool — everything moves through trust and clarity, not title

• AI/ML fluency: comfortable in conversations about LLM pipelines, model deployment, and data infrastructure — you don't build it, but you can track it

Nice to have:

• Background in HR tech, learning & development, or AI/coaching platforms

• Prior software engineering experience

• Experience navigating enterprise security and compliance requirements (SSO, SOC 2, GDPR)

• SQL or Python proficiency for pulling your own data when dashboards don't answer the question

What Success Looks Like in 90 Days

• Programs are tracked and visible — no surprises for customers or internal teams

• Engineering has clear, scoped intake and leadership has weekly line-of-sight into what's on track vs. at risk

• First playbook drafted for your primary workstream

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary including base + bonuses

• Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, vision) from day one

• Meaningful equity in a venture-backed company at a growth inflection point

• Generous PTO, company-wide R&R shutdowns, and paid parental leave

• Retirement plan support

Location

Hybrid. NYC-based candidates will be in office 3 days per week in Union Square. Remote candidates considered.

Diversity & Inclusion

We are dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and supported. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and offer accommodations upon request. Questions? Reach out to our Head of People at [email protected].
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