Technical Program Manager (Software Engineer)

Posted 2 Days Ago
Hiring Remotely in USA
Remote
140K-165K Annually
Mid level
Artificial Intelligence • Cloud • Software • Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
To create a foundational platform for developers to build and run custom AI systems that scale.
The Role
Lead complex, cross-functional technical programs for Runpod’s distributed AI cloud platform. Partner with engineering, SRE, product, data, supply, and data center teams to plan delivery, manage dependencies, identify technical risks, support architecture and rollout reviews, define success metrics, and ensure launch readiness. The role requires hands-on distributed systems and cloud infrastructure knowledge, strong communication, quantitative analysis, and experience driving programs from planning through launch.
Summary Generated by Built In

Runpod is the AI Developer Cloud. More than one million developers, from indie researchers to teams running frontier models in production, use Runpod to experiment, train, fine-tune, deploy, and scale AI on one platform. The platform has processed more than 20 billion inference requests. We closed a $100M Series A in June 2026. We're at an inflection point for AI infrastructure, and we're building the platform the next generation of developers will depend on.

 

We're a small, remote-first team. We take ownership seriously, move fast, and ship work that more than a million developers rely on every day. We're looking for people who care deeply, build with urgency, and want to matter at scale.

 

Learn more in our CEO's funding announcement: https://www.runpod.io/blog/one-million-developers.

We’re seeking a Technical Program Manager (TPM) who understands how distributed systems are built and why they fail, and pairs that depth with exceptional organizational and communication skills. The ideal candidate is a self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and can drive execution through ambiguity with confidence and clarity.

As a TPM at Runpod, you’ll lead complex, cross-functional programs across product and platform teams, working closely with engineering leads and stakeholders across the company. You’ll help build the core of our cloud platform: the systems that schedule, scale, route, and run customer workloads on GPU infrastructure across regions. You’ll anticipate risks early, keep teams focused on what matters, and deliver high-impact work that creates real value for our customers.

The ideal candidate is a dynamic problem solver - not a pure process follower.

Responsibilities:

  • Partner with engineering leads to understand squad architecture, constraints, and technical debt, and build plans that reflect how the systems actually behave.

  • Own planning and delivery for complex, multi-team programs: scope, sequencing, dependencies, and timelines, with close attention to cross-service and cross-region dependencies.

  • Identify technical risk early (scaling limits, failure modes, capacity constraints, migration complexity) and drive mitigation before it reaches customers or commitments.

  • Participate in design and architecture reviews, surfacing gaps in rollout plans, observability, and fault tolerance.

  • Drive launch readiness and safe rollout of platform changes, including staged releases, rollback plans, load and failure testing, and operational handoff.

  • Serve as the primary point of contact for stakeholders, with clear, regular status updates and risks escalated early alongside options and recommendations.

  • Work with Data, Product, and Engineering leads to define and track success metrics for performance, reliability, utilization, and cost, tied to customer outcomes.

  • Partner with SRE to build visibility into system health, and help leadership balance investment in reliability, scale, and new capabilities.

  • Coordinate with Supply and Data Center teams on how capacity and infrastructure changes affect platform roadmaps.

  • Run post-launch and post-incident reviews, and drive the resulting improvements to completion.

Requirements:

  • 3+ years in technical program management or software/infrastructure engineering, leading complex programs for cloud or infrastructure products.

  • Hands-on engineering experience on production distributed systems, with deep understanding of consistency and availability tradeoffs, queueing, scheduling, autoscaling, load balancing, failure handling, and performance at scale.

  • Hands-on familiarity with cloud infrastructure fundamentals: compute, networking, storage, containers and orchestration, and multi-region architectures.

  • Ability to read architecture docs, review designs, and hold credible technical conversations with senior engineers, including on reliability, latency, and capacity tradeoffs.

  • Experience with observability and operational practices (metrics, logging, tracing, SLOs, incident response) and using them to drive program decisions.

  • Proven track record of delivering multiple high-impact programs across 3+ cross-functional teams, from planning through launch.

  • Strong quantitative skills, with the ability to turn system and cost data into clear recommendations.

  • Deep understanding of the software development lifecycle and how engineering teams design, build, test, and ship production systems.

  • Exceptional written and verbal communication, with the ability to align stakeholders across teams and functions.

  • Ownership mindset: highly organized, proactive, and calm under pressure, favoring clarity and follow-through over rigid process.

Preferred:

  • Previous experience in AI/ML developer platforms or GPU/cloud infrastructure-focused organizations.

  • Experience in a fast-paced startup environment.

  • Technical degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.

What You’ll Receive:

  • The competitive base pay for this position ranges from ($140,000 - $165,000). This salary range may be inclusive of several career levels at Runpod and will be narrowed during the interview process based on a number of factors, including the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and location

  • Meaningful equity in a fast-growing company- everyone on the team receives stock options — your impact drives our growth, and you share in the upside.

  • Generous medical, dental & vision plans

  • Flexible PTO- take the time you need to recharge

  • Most roles are remote work first with an inclusive, collaborative teams utilizing slack as the main form of internal communication

  • Join a passionate team on the cutting edge of AI infrastructure — where culture, learning, and ownership are at the heart of how we scale.

  • $1,200 Home Office & Equipment Stipend- We set you up for success from day one with gear and support to create your ideal workspace

 

Runpod is committed to maintaining a workplace free from discrimination and upholding the principles of equality and respect for all individuals. We believe that diversity in all its forms enhances our team. As an equal opportunity employer, Runpod is committed to creating an inclusive workforce at every level. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We welcome every qualified candidate eligible to work in the United States; however, we are currently unable to sponsor employment visas.

Skills Required

  • 3+ years in technical program management or software/infrastructure engineering
  • Experience leading complex programs for cloud or infrastructure products
  • Hands-on engineering experience with production distributed systems
  • Understanding of consistency and availability tradeoffs, queueing, scheduling, autoscaling, load balancing, failure handling, and performance at scale
  • Hands-on familiarity with compute, networking, storage, containers, orchestration, and multi-region architectures
  • Ability to read architecture documents, review designs, and conduct technical conversations with senior engineers
  • Experience with observability and operational practices, including metrics, logging, tracing, SLOs, and incident response
  • Track record of delivering multiple high-impact programs across at least three cross-functional teams
  • Strong quantitative skills and ability to turn system and cost data into recommendations
  • Deep understanding of the software development lifecycle
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
  • Highly organized, proactive, calm under pressure, and ownership-oriented
  • Experience with AI/ML developer platforms or GPU/cloud infrastructure organizations
  • Experience in a fast-paced startup environment
  • Technical degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field

What the Team is Saying

Jamie Ilario
Max Forsey
Jacob Wright

Runpod Compensation & Benefits Highlights

  • Healthcare Strength — Company materials and third‑party listings indicate fully paid health benefits for full‑time employees, with dental and vision coverage also highlighted. Health coverage is described as strong for employees, with the employer covering a substantial share of the employee premium.
  • Equity Value & Accessibility — Meaningful equity or stock options are consistently positioned as a core part of compensation. This setup allows employees to participate in the company’s growth alongside salary and other benefits.
  • Leave & Time Off Breadth — Flexible or unlimited PTO, along with paid sick time and holidays, is frequently emphasized. These policies are presented as generous for a fast‑growing, remote‑first startup.

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The Company
San Francisco, California
120 Employees
Year Founded: 2022

What We Do

Runpod is pioneering the future of AI and machine learning, offering cutting-edge cloud infrastructure for full-stack AI applications. Founded in 2022, we are a rapidly growing, well-funded company with a remote-first organization spread globally. Our mission is to empower innovators and enterprises to unlock AI's true potential, driving technology and transforming industries. Join us as we shape the future of AI. We are building Cloud services focused on accelerating AI adoption. Whether you're an experienced ML developer training a large language model, or an enthusiast tinkering with stable diffusion, we strive to make GPU compute as seamless and affordable as possible.

Why Work With Us

Our Guiding Virtues Give a sh*t - We want to work with people who care - about our customers and about each other. Look in the mirror - We deeply reflect on our own actions and seek to better ourselves. Courage over comfort - We tackle hard truths and tough situations directly, even when it makes us uncomfortable.

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Runpod Offices

Remote Workspace

Employees work remotely.

We’re remote-first, offering flexibility with virtual tools for collaboration. For those nearby, we have coworking spaces in SF and Seattle. Enjoy the choice of office or remote work, with a focus on flexibility and work-life balance.

Typical time on-site:
San Francisco, California
Company Office Image
Seattle, WA
Learn more

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