Senior Technical Project Lead, AI & Automation

Get to Know Us:
It's fun to work in a company where people truly believe in what they're doing!
At BlackLine, we're committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business of enterprise applications.
Since being founded in 2001, BlackLine has become a leading provider of cloud software that automates and controls the entire financial close process. Our vision is to modernize the finance and accounting function to enable greater operational effectiveness and agility, and we are committed to delivering innovative solutions and services to empower accounting and finance leaders around the world to achieve Modern Finance.
Being a best-in-class SaaS Company, we understand that bringing in new ideas and innovative technology is mission critical. At BlackLine we are always working with new, cutting edge technology that encourages our teams to learn something new and expand their creativity and technical skillset that will accelerate their careers.
Work, Play and Grow at BlackLine!
Make Your Mark:
We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Technical Project Manager to spearhead Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation initiatives within BlackLine. This role demands a robust technical project management background, a deep understanding of the AI & Automation development lifecycle, and the ability to thrive in ambiguous, fast-evolving technical environments. The ideal candidate will be a proactive leader with expertise in facilitating scrum ceremonies, adept at applying Agile principles to empower project teams, remove obstacles, and foster a culture of focused execution. Success in this role requires exceptional communication skills to act as a crucial liaison between our technical teams and key business partners, ensuring alignment and clarity across all initiatives. You will be responsible for effectively engaging with senior executives, managing complex AI programs from concept to completion, and driving measurable outcomes for BlackLine's innovative AI solutions.
You'll Get To:
Key Responsibilities:

• Lead Agile Ceremonies and Workflow: Act as the Scrum Master for AI & Automation initiatives, facilitating all Scrum ceremonies (Daily Stand-ups, Sprint Planning, Reviews, and Retrospectives) to ensure predictable and efficient delivery. You will determine and implement the most effective Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, etc.) tailored for our unique AI & Automation development lifecycle.

• Act as the Bridge Between Business and Technology: Utilize exceptional communication skills to serve as the primary liaison between technical teams and business partners. Translate complex business needs into clear, actionable technical requirements and, in turn, articulate technical progress and challenges to non-technical stakeholders.

• Drive End-to-End Project Delivery: Manage complex AI & Automation projects from initial concept through to production deployment and post-launch monitoring, ensuring alignment with BlackLine's strategic objectives.

• Proactively Remove Impediments: Identify, track, and remove obstacles-be they technical, organizational, or resource-related-to empower the project team and maintain project momentum.

• Manage AI-Specific Risks and Governance: Identify, assess, and mitigate risks unique to AI projects, including data quality, model bias, ethical considerations, and performance degradation. Drive the adoption of best practices in responsible AI and data governance within all project workflows.

• Communicate with and Influence Senior Leadership: Effectively report on project status, risks, and outcomes to diverse audiences, including senior executives, ensuring visibility and alignment across the organization.

• Champion AI Innovation: Stay current with emerging trends and technologies in the AI & Automation landscape to inform strategic direction and identify new opportunities for innovation at BlackLine.

What You'll Bring:
Required Qualifications
Education:

• A Bachelor's degree in a quantitative discipline (e.g., Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Applied Mathematics) or equivalent practical experience is required.

• A Master's degree in a related technical or business field is a plus.

Experience and Skills:

• Proven Project Leadership: A minimum of 7 years in technical project management, with at least 3 years of direct, hands-on experience leading complex Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Automation projects from concept to completion.

• Agile & Scrum Expertise: Deep, practical experience as a Scrum Master, with a demonstrated ability to implement and lead Agile ceremonies and workflows (Scrum, Kanban). Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Professional Scrum Master (PSM), or similar Agile certification is highly required. PMP certification is a plus.

• Exceptional Communication: World-class communication and stakeholder management skills, with proven experience acting as the bridge between technical teams, business partners, and senior executive leadership.

• AI & Automation Technical Acumen: Strong familiarity with the AI & Automation development lifecycle and core concepts.

• Strategic Problem-Solving: Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with an ability to navigate ambiguity and proactively mitigate the unique risks associated with AI development, including model bias, data quality, and ethical considerations.

• Cloud Platform Knowledge: Experience with AI services on major cloud platforms (e.g., GCP, AWS, Azure) is highly desirable.

Preferred Qualifications

• Extensive AI Program Leadership: 7+ years of progressive experience in technical program or project management, with a proven track record of leading multiple, large-scale AI/ML initiatives concurrently from R&D through to successful production deployment and business adoption.

• Executive Stakeholder Management: Demonstrated experience reporting to and influencing C-level executives, with a strong ability to articulate complex AI strategies, risks, and outcomes in a clear, concise manner.

• Advanced Agile Leadership: Experience scaling Agile and Scrum practices across multiple teams or an entire organization. An advanced certification such as Certified Scrum Professional (CSP) or Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) is highly desirable.

• FinTech or Enterprise SaaS Experience: Prior experience managing technical projects within the FinTech industry or for an enterprise SaaS company, providing a foundational understanding of our business context and customer needs.

• Deep Knowledge of Responsible AI: A strong command of the principles and practical application of ethical AI, including fairness, accountability, transparency, and explainability in AI systems.

• Technical Literacy: A working knowledge of programming languages commonly used in AI (such as Python) to facilitate deeper collaboration with engineering and data science teams.

Thrive at BlackLine Because You Are Joining:

• A technology-based company with a sense of adventure and a vision for the future. Every door at BlackLine is open. Just bring your brains, your problem-solving skills, and be part of a winning team at the world's most trusted name in Finance Automation!
• A culture that is kind, open, and accepting. It's a place where people can embrace what makes them unique, and the mix of cultural backgrounds and varying interests cultivates diverse thought and perspectives.
• A culture where BlackLiner's continued growth and learning is empowered. BlackLine offers a wide variety of professional development seminars and inclusive affinity groups to celebrate and support our diversity.

BlackLine is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity or expression, race, ethnicity, age, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, ancestry, color, marital status, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, medical condition, genetic information, or any other protected class or category recognized by applicable equal employment opportunity or other similar laws.
BlackLine recognizes that the ways we work and the workplace itself have shifted. We innovate in a workplace that optimizes a combination of virtual and in-person interactions to maximize collaboration and nurture our culture. Candidates who live within a reasonable commute to one of our offices will work in the office at least 2 days a week.