Senior Program Manager, AI Engineering and Transformation | IFS Copperleaf at IFS — NeverHard

Job Description The Opportunity We are looking for a Senior Program Manager to lead the delivery of complex, high-impact programs across IFS Copperleaf’s portfolio. Program Management is a function within Engineering and R&D. This role will be assigned to priority initiatives based on business needs, and its scope may evolve as the portfolio and organization grow. Program Managers are the connective tissue between engineering execution and the rest of the organization. They operate within a three-tier model where Product Managers define epics (the strategic ‘what’ and ‘why’), Program Managers refine these into features and coordinate delivery across operating cells, and Champions (Technical Leads) own user stories and day-to-day execution within their cells. As a senior member of the function, this role also helps improve how that model operates across complex programs and team boundaries. Reporting to the Senior Director, AI Engineering & Transformation, the Senior Program Manager plays a central role in delivering strategic AI and software initiatives and driving adoption of the Agentic Operating Model (an AI-agentic model that accelerates analysis and delivery). The role adapts delivery practices as the model matures and ensures we continue to deliver predictably to customers while the way we build software fundamentally changes. The Senior Program Manager also partners with the Release Manager on cross-pillar release orchestration and with peer Program Managers when work spans program or pillar boundaries. What makes this role distinctive is its breadth and impact. The Senior Program Manager will lead some of the organization’s most complex and strategically important programs, bringing clarity to ambiguity, aligning technical and business stakeholders, and turning ambitious product goals into predictable, high-quality releases. The role is not tied to a single product or domain and may move across initiatives as organizational priorities evolve. Key Responsibilities Release Delivery & Coordination Translate product strategy and epics into executable features with clear outcomes and acceptance criteria; guide Champions on user story creation and share ownership of the most technically complex or cross-cutting stories. Lead delivery of the most complex program and release scope, managing risks, dependencies, timelines, and scope alignment across multiple operating cells and functions. Follow the agreed escalation ladder: cell-internal velocity issues sit with the Champion; cross-cell or release-commitment risks are owned by the Program Manager; cross-pillar or strategic risks escalate to the Senior Director. Lead program inputs to release-level gate reviews, including capacity, scope commitments, risks, dependencies, and readiness. Partner with the Release Manager on release-level coordination by contributing program status, risks, and dependencies; coordinate with peer Program Managers across pillars when work spans organizational boundaries. Manage communication to stakeholders and ensure clear, consistent status reporting throughout the release cycle. Drive and resolve scope trade-offs with Product and engineering leadership when risks or constraints emerge, informed by Champions’ assessment of cell capacity and technical complexity. Partner with technical champions, architects, designers, developers, and operations to ensure delivery excellence and support to their functions. Coordinate delivery cadence across assigned programs and operating cells, ensuring predictable, high-quality, and on-time outcomes. Cross-Functional Alignment Ensure alignment across Engineering, Product, Support, and Operations for assigned programs and their contribution to each release, in coordination with the Release Manager. Drive release readiness: confirm that documentation, known limitations, migration paths, and enablement materials are complete before General Availability (GA). Customer Engagement (Within the Release Cycle) Engage directly with customers to validate that engineering’s solution design works in real-world scenarios before release. Shape and coordinate early access programs for complex releases, including participant strategy, logistics, timelines, and structured feedback collection. Triage customer-reported issues (tickets, defects) with Support teams that affect product usage and adoption, providing context for engineering prioritization. Synthesize pre-release customer feedback operationally: friction points, defect patterns, reproduction steps, so engineering can act on it. Ensure release readiness from the customer’s perspective: documentation, known limitations, and migration paths are clear before the release ships. Agentic Operating Model (AOM) Operate within AOM practices as they become available, adopting AOM internal products as part of the delivery workflow. Collaborate with Champions and engineering leadership on AOM adoption within assigned operating cells; identify breakdowns, propose improvements, and help new AOM practices integrate effectively. Use AI tools to streamline workflows, improve communication, and support efficient, predictable delivery. Evolve agile practices within AOM, improving rituals and cadences as program needs change. Governance & Process Uphold established delivery governance while identifying where it is breaking down and leading practical improvements within and across operating cells. Act as a point of contact for triage of bugs, backports, and cross-cell issues that affect release scope; partner with Champions to ensure effective prioritization and resolution within their cells. Building Knowledge Develop deep expertise in assigned product and customer domains, the IFS Copperleaf suite, and the technical components relevant to assigned programs and operating cells. Stay fluent in AOM practices, AI tools, and emerging capabilities, applying them to improve program outcomes and delivery practices. Actively engage with stakeholders across Product, Engineering, and Business to gather input and maintain awareness of priorities and constraints. Actively engage with customers to validate solution design, understand issues, and coordinate early access within release cycles. Lead with a customer-first mindset, ensuring client feedback informs the solution adoption process. Applying Skills Demonstrate strong business and technical acumen, aligning cross-functional teams around shared outcomes for complex, high-impact programs. Communicate release status, risks, and trade-offs clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences. Use AI-powered tools to improve visibility, support decision-making, and accelerate delivery workflows. Operate independently and decisively in fast-moving, highly ambiguous environments, resolving cross-functional issues with minimal escalation. Foster trust, collaboration, and clarity across distributed teams. Influencing Behavior Use familiarity with the IFS Copperleaf Suite and our customers’ operating environments to connect program delivery to measurable, real-world customer value. Lead continuous improvement and reinforce a shared vision for the engineering function through thoughtful stakeholder engagement, influence, and communication. Promote program management best practices through documentation, knowledge-sharing, mentoring, and cross-pillar collaboration.