Senior Technical Program Manager (m/w/d)

Job Description

Uplight is creating a new category of energy. We make software that manages energy resources in homes and businesses-including things like smart thermostats, electric vehicles, solar panels, storage batteries, heat pumps, and even people's behavior-to generate, shift, or save energy to balance the grid, making it more efficient and reliable.

This creates clean energy capacity that can be used by the power grid instead of burning more fossil fuels. Our solutions accelerate the transition to clean energy and save money for energy customers.

We are seeking a Senior Technical Program Manager to join our team and help us achieve our ambitious goals for our business and for the planet.

How you will make an impact

We're looking for a Senior Technical Program Manager to lead some of Uplight's most complex cross-functional initiatives. You'll partner with Product and Engineering leaders to drive programs that span multiple teams, technical dependencies, and competing priorities. This is an ownership role for someone who thrives in ambiguity, brings structure to complexity, and keeps critical initiatives moving from concept through delivery.

This role sits within the Technology Strategy & Operations team and reports to the Director of Technology Strategy & Operations, with a dotted line to the product organization.

As the Senior Technical Program Manager, you will own end-to-end delivery of complex, cross-functional programs across product and engineering. You will be the connective tissue between technical teams - managing dependencies, surfacing risks, driving decisions, and ensuring that programs with no single clear owner don't fall through the cracks between teams.

Your initial portfolio will include programs such as OEM device integration coordination, legacy product migration, Device Information Data Model (DIDM) improvements, and internationalization vendor consolidation. All coordination is internal, working across product and engineering teams, with handoffs to account managers and operations TPMs for any client-facing elements. Each program requires the ability to engage substantively with engineers at a technical level while also translating complexity into clear communications for product and engineering leadership.

You will work closely with Product Managers and engineering leads based in North America and India, coordinating across time zones to maintain program alignment and momentum. Success in this role requires effective collaboration with distributed teams, strong organizational instincts, and the judgment to know when to drive forward independently and when to escalate.

What you get to do

• Own delivery of complex cross-functional technical programs from planning through launch.
• Drive alignment across Product, Engineering, and leadership to manage dependencies, resolve blockers, and maintain execution momentum.
• Lead strategic initiatives including platform modernization, OEM integrations, legacy migrations, and internal systems improvements.
• Build program plans, risk registers, dependency maps, executive status reports, and launch readiness criteria.
• Facilitate technical decision-making and cross-functional planning across distributed engineering teams.
• Translate technical complexity into clear risks, trade-offs, and recommendations for leadership.
• Identify execution risks early and proactively drive resolution or escalation.
• Partner closely with engineering leads and product managers to prioritize work and ensure successful delivery.
• Help mature Engineering Strategy & Operations by improving program management standards, tooling, and operating practices.

What you bring to Uplight

• 5-8 years of experience managing technical programs in a software product company, with a track record of driving complex, cross-functional initiatives to completion
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion
• Technical fluency: understanding API and data model concepts, and engaging meaningfully with engineering teams - without being a software engineer
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate across teams without direct authority, using influence, structured communication, and relationships to move work forward
• Strong written and verbal communication skills: clear status updates, crisp decision documents, and the ability to adjust your register for technical and non-technical audiences
• Comfort with ambiguity: many programs arrive without clean definition and require you to impose structure, not wait for it
• Experience working in an agile, pod-based engineering environment with multiple concurrent workstreams
• Willingness and ability to collaborate with distributed teams across time zones, particularly North America and India
• Proficiency with project and work management tools such as Jira, Confluence, or similar platforms

Preferred

• Experience managing platform architecture or systems integration programs
• Familiarity with device integration patterns, telemetry pipelines, IoT systems, or demand response programs
• PMP, PMI-ACP, SAFe, or equivalent program or project management certification
• Prior experience working with engineering teams in India or other international locations
• 5+ years of project management disciplines including scope, schedule, budget, and quality, along with risk and critical path management experience
• Experience defining KPIs and reporting to senior leadership
• Proven track record of delivering results for large, cross-functional initiatives while managing multiple competing priorities
• Experience with data analysis to capture, process, and organize data to uncover actionable insights

Bonus Points

• Passionate about energy and the clean energy transition
• Prior experience in energy tech, utility software, or adjacent domains
• Background managing programs that span both US-based and India-based engineering teams

Why Join Uplight in Leading the Fight Against Climate Change?

At Uplight, we're not just offering a job - we're offering a chance to be part of the solution to one of the world's biggest challenges. As a certified B Corporation, we're deeply committed to both social and environmental responsibility. Here's why you should join our team of passionate Uplighters:

• Make a Meaningful Impact: Your work directly impacts our mission of decarbonization and building a more sustainable future.
• Grow Your Career: We offer ample advancement opportunities, robust learning and development programs, and a supportive team environment that fosters collaboration and innovation.
• Thrive: We offer comprehensive benefits, including flexible time off, generous parental leave, and work flexibility to help you thrive both personally and professionally.
• Belong to an Inclusive Community: We celebrate diversity and foster an inclusive workplace where everyone feels respected, empowered, and heard. Our Employee Resource Groups offer opportunities to connect with colleagues who share your interests and backgrounds.
• Be Part of a Growing Movement: Join a team of dedicated individuals who are passionate about creating a more sustainable future. We offer a collaborative environment where your ideas are valued and your contributions recognized. Together, we can build a brighter tomorrow.

To learn more about our comprehensive benefits package and other perks, visit uplight.com/careers

Salary Range: $113,000 to $140,000 USD + Bonus

In accordance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, the approximate annual base compensation range is listed above. The actual offer, reflecting the total compensation package and benefits, will be determined by a number of factors including the applicant's experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity among our team.

Uplight provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race (including hair texture and hairstyles), color, religion (including head coverings), age, sex, national origin, disability status (including neurodivergence), genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, neurotypicality, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.