Staff Technical Program Manager (ML Platform)

• At Snap, the Technical Program Manager (TPM) is not a traditional project coordinator—this is a strategic, high-leverage leadership role designed for deep technical operators who thrive at the intersection of software engineering, machine learning, data analytics, and program execution. TPMs at Snap are single-threaded owners of large-scale, high-stakes, and often ambiguous programs
• They combine engineering depth with execution precision, earning visibility and trust across the company by driving outcomes that power the core of our products and infrastructure. Unlike industry-standard TPM roles, Snap TPMs are hands-on contributors who write Python notebooks, build dashboards and automation tools, and partner closely with engineering leaders to shape technical roadmaps, make architectural trade-offs, and drive the operating rhythm of the business
• The most successful TPMs possess the ability to grasp new concepts quickly, navigate technical complexity, and adapt in fast-moving environments. This role is ideal for former engineers or data scientists who have evolved into program leaders without leaving their technical roots behind
• Lead complex, cross-functional programs that span multiple engineering organizations and require deep technical understanding, rigorous execution, and strategic influence
• Operate as a single-threaded owner (STO) for the most critical programs, managing ambiguity, dependencies, and alignment across diverse technical teams
• Own the full lifecycle of programs—from ideation to execution to operational excellence—delivering outcomes that support Snap’s product, infrastructure, and platform goals
• Partner directly with engineering and product leadership to shape roadmaps, influence technical decisions, and drive accountability
• Use hands-on data analytics (Python, SQL, dashboards, notebooks) to guide programs with data, uncover insights, and communicate clearly with senior stakeholders
• Contribute to Snap’s technical ecosystem by building automation tools, improving internal systems, and identifying opportunities for platform-wide transformation
• Work across both development programs (spanning multiple orgs with complex interdependencies) and platform excellence programs (focused on reliability, efficiency, and performance)
• Drive the operating rhythm of the business, ensuring engineering systems scale effectively while remaining cost-conscious and performant
• Mentor and grow other junior TPMs and Engineers to scale the performance of the org

Benefits

• Up to 28 weeks of parental leave and return-to-work program
• Adoption, surrogacy, infertility, and fertility preservation benefits
• Backup child care coverage, center-based care support, & caregiver assistance
• Dependent Daycare Flexible Spending Account
• Services to support your path to parenthood & beyond - fertility support & family planning via Carrot, SNOO, Hinge Health
• Short-term disability, long-term disability, basic life insurance, and AD&D insurance
• Lactation rooms (based on office location) and breastmilk shipping coverage
• For Snap, employees taking care of loved ones with complex, chronic, or ongoing care needs (i.e. parent with Dementia, spouse with Cancer, child with Autism), your family can save time, money, & stress with Wellthy
• Comprehensive medical coverage, including PPO, HDHP with HSA, and HMO options
• Dental coverage, including orthodontia benefits
• Vision coverage, including frame and contact allowance and LASIK benefits
• Free membership to One Medical for primary and urgent healthcare services
• Business Travel Insurance
• Gym perks and discounts
• Team fitness classes and races
• Sports leagues
• Cooking and nutritional workshops
• Well-being reimbursement
• Unlimited access to virtual physical therapy with Anthem
• 15 sessions per year of mental health for you + dependents through Lyra
• Generous time off and leave programs. In the US, this includes the following:
• Up to 3 weeks (120 hours) of vacation time and 1 floating holiday for non-exempt team members
• 15 sick and safe days per year
• 12 paid holidays per year
• Meditation and yoga classes
• Speaker series, classes, and subscriptions to educational programs
• Social gatherings, team outings, and volunteering programs
• Snap Inc. provides a 401(k) plan that allows you to save on a pre-tax, Roth, and after-tax basis for your retirement (yes, we even have the Mega backdoor option!) Snap will also match 100% up to 3% of your contribution and then 50% on your 4th and 5th%
• Flexible Spending Accounts for healthcare, daycare and commuter
• Health Savings Account with employer contributions
• Rocket Lawyer memberships
• Financial education programs
• Snap exclusive discounts and perks
• Compensation packages that let you share in Snap’s long-term success!

Preferred experience

• Comfort operating with high visibility and accountability; you thrive on ownership and impact
• Strong proficiency with Python and SQL, and experience using data to analyze systems, build tools, or inform decisions
• Demonstrated ability to quickly learn new domains, systems, and technologies
• A proven track record of leading large-scale, ambiguous programs across distributed teams in fast-paced, cross-functional environments, especially in the areas of improving platform reliability, operational stability and performance of production systems
• Experience with data visualization tools (e.g. Grafana, Looker, Tableau) building dashboards, source control (e.g. GitHub), ticket management (e.g. JIRA)
• 5+ years of experience in Technical Program Management
• 11+ years of experience spanning Engineering / Data Science / Technical Program Management leading cross-functional efforts in the software or tech industry in a data-driven environment
• Excellent communication, organizational, and leadership skills
• Bachelor’s in a technical field such as computer science, mathematics, statistics or equivalent years of experience
• Experience working directly with engineers and contributing to technical design, architectural trade-offs, and roadmap planning
• A background in software engineering, machine learning, or infrastructure systems
• Familiarity with cloud-native infrastructure (e.g., AWS, GCP) and containerization tools like Kubernetes or Docker
• Prior hands-on experience with big data technologies such as Spark, Airflow, Hive, Kafka, or Flink
• Background in building internal tools or developer platforms to improve engineering velocity and system reliability
• Deep understanding of ML development workflows, model lifecycle management, or experimentation frameworks
• Experience managing production systems, reliability initiatives, or cost optimization programs
• Exposure to high-scale consumer technology or social platforms with strong privacy, performance, or safety requirements
• Strong storytelling and presentation skills—especially with senior engineering or executive audiences
• Masters or PhD in a highly analytical field

Recruitment process

• Our interview process reflects the technical rigor and strategic impact expected of TPMs at Snap. Unlike typical program management interviews, our process is designed to evaluate candidates’ ability to think like engineers and act like owners
• Candidates begin with an introductory conversation with the hiring manager, followed by a technical screen that dives into core program execution and engineering fundamentals. From there, candidates complete a hands-on data analytics assessment via HackerRank, where they write executable Python and SQL code to analyze real-world data problems
• The final stage is a virtual onsite, which includes a program leadership presentation and three 1:1 interviews with senior leaders across Snap. Throughout, we assess not only communication and collaboration skills but also technical fluency, first-principles thinking, and the ability to drive strategic outcomes in complex, ambiguous environments