Principal Program Manager: Platform & Product Operations

26WD97648

Job Description
 

We are seeking a Principal Program Manager to bring clarity, structure, and disciplined execution to our Platform Enablement organization. This role sits at the intersection of strategy and delivery, turning direction into actionable plans and ensuring programs are well-coordinated and consistently deliver meaningful outcomes in a fast-moving environment. An ideal candidate can build relationships, establish trust quickly, and navigate executive-level environments.

You will work closely with the Director of Platform Enablement and a principal product manager to shape how we operate, build practical frameworks, and create clarity in areas that are still evolving. Success in this role comes from sound judgment, ownership, and the ability to align people and priorities around a clear path to achieving strategic objectives.
 

At Autodesk, we’re building the tools that help innovators design and make a better world, from buildings and infrastructure to products and experiences used by millions. We believe great outcomes come from strong collaboration, clear thinking, and teams that care deeply about the work and each other. Autodesk offers a flexible, inclusive work environment where people can do meaningful work while growing their careers.
 

Responsibilities

• Guide, coordinate and unblock cross-functional programs with multiple workstreams, dependencies, and senior stakeholders, including work with high executive visibility.
• Translate leadership priorities into clear outcomes, plans, milestones, decision frameworks, and quality bars appropriate for VP- and C-level audiences.
• Keeping leadership abreast of status, strategic shifts, and trends while raising escalations as needed.
• Proactively surface tradeoffs and risks, recommend mitigation strategies, and drive timely decision-making before issues escalate.
• Ensure initiatives remain aligned to platform strategy, leadership priorities, and clearly articulated success metrics.
• Represent the team with VP- and C-level stakeholders, preparing and reviewing executive-ready materials such as deep-dive decks, strategic readouts, and concise status updates.
• Establish and evolve fit-for-purpose planning, tooling, and operating rhythms that reduce friction, rework, and executive churn.
• Strengthen quality and review mechanisms so high-visibility outputs consistently meet the expected bar.
• Lead planning sessions, retrospectives, and onboarding for a small, high-impact team, while managing priorities, dependencies, and risks to ensure consistent delivery.
   

In the first 30–60 days, foundational artifacts:

• Centralized program tracker that captures all active work across portfolio of programs, demonstrating visibility, prioritization discipline, cross-functional alignment, and operational rigor across the organization.
• Establish an operating cadence like including, but not limited to planning rhythm, check-ins, retrospectives, reporting.
• A stakeholder map with clear ownership and communication paths.
• A current-state assessment outlining gaps, risks, and dependencies.
   

By 60–90 days, alignment and visibility:

• A prioritized roadmap covering team programs, team initiatives, and inner source efforts (built in collaboration with partners).
• Defined intake and prioritization process for new work.
• Reporting dashboard or summary (status, risks, progress) used consistently with stakeholders.
• Recommendations for improvements to a senior-level status reporting tool and meeting series.
   

By 90 days to 6 months, scaling impact:

• Formalized program framework that standardizes how work is planned, tracked, delivered, and reported to stakeholders.
• Dependency and risk management approach that is actively used, not just documented.
• Improved roadmap with forward-looking visibility (quarterly or longer).
• Measurable improvements in delivery predictability and stakeholder alignment.
• Recommendations for longer-term tooling or system adoption, based on observed needs.
   

Qualifications

• 8 -12+ years of experience in program management, business analysis, operations, or related roles with substantial delivery responsibility.
• AI-forward mindset with demonstrated adoption of AI tools to accelerate execution, communication, and program outcomes.
• Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional initiatives from early problem framing through execution and measurable outcomes.
• Experience using and maintaining program and portfolio management tools, including Airtable, to track work, manage dependencies, and support clear communication and decision-making across teams.
• Strong ability to organize complex problem spaces into clear outcomes, plans, and decision paths.
• Systems-thinking mindset with the ability to understand interdependencies and downstream impacts.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience working with executive audiences.
• Experience working closely with product and engineering teams in modern software development environments. Knowledge of the software development lifecycle is a bonus.
• Comfort learning new technical concepts, tools, and platforms as needed to support effective execution.
• Can hold strong opinions loosely, communicate sharply, and inspire confidence through accountability and reliability.

About Autodesk

Welcome to Autodesk! Amazing things are created every day with our software – from the greenest buildings and cleanest cars to the smartest factories and biggest hit movies. We help innovators turn their ideas into reality, transforming not only how things are made, but what can be made.

We take great pride in our culture here at Autodesk – it’s at the core of everything we do. Our culture guides the way we work and treat each other, informs how we connect with customers and partners, and defines how we show up in the world.

When you’re an Autodesker, you can do meaningful work that helps build a better world designed and made for all. Ready to shape the world and your future? Join us!

Benefits

From health and financial benefits to time away and everyday wellness, we give Autodeskers the best, so they can do their best work. Learn more about our benefits in the U.S. by visiting https://benefits.autodesk.com/

Salary is one part of Autodesk’s competitive compensation package. For U.S.-based roles, we expect a starting base salary between $124,000 and $221,430. Offers are based on the candidate’s experience and geographic location, and may exceed this range. In addition to base salaries, our compensation package may include annual cash bonuses, commissions for sales roles, stock grants, and a comprehensive benefits package.

Equal Employment Opportunity

At Autodesk, we're building a diverse workplace and an inclusive culture to give more people the chance to imagine, design, and make a better world. Autodesk is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected characteristic. We also consider for employment all qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

Diversity & Belonging

We take pride in cultivating a culture of belonging where everyone can thrive. Learn more here: https://www.autodesk.com/company/diversity-and-belonging

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