The Principal IT Program Manager of Retail Systems (POS) will be responsible for delivering significantly complex programs and leading projects end-to-end within a highly visible Retail Systems portfolio. The Program Manager will collaborate with key business partners, IT teams and vendors to create a vision and strategy for developing, deploying, and supporting retail solutions which are scalable, operational, and maintainable. We are looking for an experienced leader with a strong drive for results, critical thinking capabilities, the ability to work across teams, and someone who has a passion for delivering value to our stores, cashiers, and customers while aligning with Whole Foods Market’s strategic objectives.

Responsibilities:

• Initiates, plans, and implements large-scale and complex multi-year projects (or oversees multiple small to medium projects) utilizing WFM’s methodologies, practices, and requirements spanning one or more technical domains.
• Quickly takes control of and leads project turnarounds on troubled projects.
• Defines and follows a communication plan with Team Members, partners, and stakeholders.
• Contributes to the enterprise PSO with methodology evolution, knowledge library development, and participation in project/program review processes.
• Participates in the interview and performance evaluations of project managers and Team Members in the domain.
• Plans the program in detail, oversees the completion of and alignment to the component project plans, documents dependencies, and works with resource managers to acquire and schedule resources.
• Standardizes, generates, and evaluates project and program-level metrics and reporting.
• Tracks dependencies between project teams and on partners, vendors, and other 3rd parties and effectively influences successful dependency resolution.
• Establishes clear roles and responsibilities on the program.
• Serves as an escalation and conflict resolution point for project teams for issue, scope, budget, resource, or process concerns.
• Manages, accurately documents, and communicates program status and/or roll-up reporting to leaders and stakeholders on a regular basis.
• Establishes program documentation library and ensures program management deliverables are completed.
• Controls program quality and success by actively managing issues and the decision process, assessing risks, initiating, and tracking change requests, meeting schedule and deadlines for deliverables, financial planning, and timely completion of program deliverables.
• Organizes, attends, participates in, and facilitates meetings and ceremonies with Team Members, partners, and executive stakeholders, and distributes minutes to all attendees where appropriate.
• Identifies and provides recommendations for program management process improvements.
• Keeps abreast of changes and innovations in the IT field and/or technical domain – particularly with respect to project management and SDLC practices
• Supports professional development of Team Members in various ways including mentoring, establishing Communities of Practice, advising on conferences, classroom training or independent study.
• Anticipates critical situations and independently drives mitigation strategies and actions.
• Guides project teams’ response to critical situations and oversees successful resolution.
• Conveys a strong sense of urgency and drives issues to closure
• Diplomatically but assertively leads negotiation of competing priorities and interruptions with stakeholders on behalf of the team, escalating where necessary.

Skills:

• Advanced experience planning and managing complex programs.
• Advanced experience in project governance to keep multiple projects on track financially, technically, and in accordance with deadlines.
• Knowledge of both Agile/Lean and waterfall project management and key differences in principles and practices.
• Experience aligning waterfall and Agile/Lean project schedules to program-level workplans.
• Advanced experience developing waterfall or Agile/Lean project management deliverable structure and content.
• Experience defining and leading process for program risk, issue, and scope change management.
• Advanced experience monitoring and controlling programs using a combination of Agile/Lean and waterfall project measurements and metrics.
• Expert experience in project governance to keep multiple projects on track financially, technically, and in accordance with stakeholder deadlines.
• Advanced ability to oversee and advise on project management issues and lead overcoming barriers.
• First-hand experience supporting or maturing a PMO or PSO.
• Advanced experience with advanced backlog management tools (e.g., JIRA).
• Experience successfully leading troubled project recoveries.
• Ability to oversee and advise on project management issues and assist with overcoming barriers.
• Actively participates and collaborates with Team Members to achieve business goals.
• Flexible in one’s viewpoints and positions in order to support the direction taken by other Team Members.
• Builds rapport with Team Members inside and outside the organization.
• Challenges the status quo, champions change and influences others to change.
• Conveys and / or consults on issues of moderate to significant complexity.
• Regularly interacts with colleagues or customers up to the senior leadership level.
• Establishes credibility quickly by proactively setting and routinely meeting expectations.
• Proactively dives deep into technical solution, business context, and team process as a servant leader.
• Demonstrates resourcefulness, ceaseless energy, persistence, and ownership mindset to achieve goals despite obstacles and difficulties.
• Understands customer, competitor, and industry trends and emerging challenges.
• Understands the WFM product mix, supply base, and retail operations.
• Uses judgment to convey an appropriate sense of urgency and drives issues to closure
•  Ensures that all personal and program activities, metrics, and reports are conducted with as high transparency as possible for stakeholders, leaders, partners, and as part of a program if applicable.
• Able to play a key and influential role working with others, in groups, in cross-functional settings and with diverse stakeholders internally and externally.
• Comfortable in a servant-leadership role, successfully resolving critical situations with coaching and communication, while minimizing direct action unless required.
• Models WFM principles and core values.

Education & Experience:

• BA/BS degree and 7-10 years’ relevant experience OR equivalent combination of education and relevant experience. (required)
• At least one industry-standard project or program management certification. (preferred)
• 5+ years’ experience managing large scale and complex multi-year projects with both a business and a technology focus. (required)
• 5+ years in leading, planning and execution of POS Releases, leveraging a matrixed team within a large, complex, and critical portfolio. This includes adherence to SLDC deliverables. (preferred)
• Experience with Point of Sale (POS) hardware and peripherals. (preferred)
• 5+ years building and leading teams. (required)
• Experience working with a structured project management methodology. (required)
• Familiarity with the system scope and project objectives, as well as the role and function of each Team Member. (required)

At Whole Foods Market, we provide a fair and equal employment opportunity for all Team Members and candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, marital status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristic. Whole Foods Market hires and promotes individuals solely based on qualifications for the position to be filled and business needs.