Job Details

OVERVIEW

We are partnering with a travel and hospitality industry client to hire a Senior Technical Project Manager. This role is based in Westlake Village, California (in-office 2-3 days per week) and reports directly to the VP of Technology. You will serve as a subject matter expert and strategic partner, bridging technical and business teams to drive platform engineering initiatives. This is a high-autonomy role on a lean team-ideal for a self-directed professional who thrives with minimal supervision and takes ownership of outcomes end-to-end.

*Must be able to work in the United States without sponsorship*

Start Date: Early March
Duration: Contract to Hire - initial contract duration is 6 months
Location: Westlake Village, CA (Hybrid - 2-3 days/week onsite)
Rate: $85/hr to $110/hr DOE

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Planning & Execution

• Own the full project lifecycle from scoping through delivery, independently managing timelines, budgets, risks, and resource allocation
• Develop comprehensive project plans, define deliverables, and establish success metrics aligned with business objectives
• Proactively identify issues, roadblocks, and opportunities-driving resolution without waiting for direction

Technical Leadership

• Act as the subject matter expert, conducting technical interviews with developers and discovery sessions with business stakeholders to translate requirements into actionable deliverables
• Partner with Product Management to define and document requirements for engineering teams, ensuring alignment between business needs and technical solutions
• Lead and coordinate CI/CD pipeline implementation with the offshore India team, including project planning, milestone tracking, and delivery oversight
• Evaluate technical approaches, weigh trade-offs, and make informed recommendations on platform engineering initiatives

Cross-Functional & Global Collaboration

• Coordinate across distributed internal and external teams in multiple time zones (US, India, and others), managing dependencies and ensuring seamless handoffs
• Build strong working relationships with internal teams and external stakeholders, navigating competing priorities and driving consensus
• Foster collaboration between Product, Engineering, and Business teams to deliver cohesive solutions

Executive Communication & Stakeholder Management

• Deliver clear, concise executive-level updates to VP leadership-synthesizing complex technical information into strategic insights
• Communicate project status, risks, and recommendations to senior stakeholders with confidence and clarity
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all project-related matters, managing expectations across all levels of the organization

Process & Continuous Improvement

• Drive Agile ceremonies (standups, sprint planning, retrospectives) adheres to best practices when possible, but be flexible given the existing environment
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes, improve efficiency, and enhance delivery quality
• Establish and maintain project documentation, standards, and governance

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• 7-10 years of experience in technical project management within software development or platform engineering environments
• Experience with Platform Engineering, backend systems, and CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps, or similar) - does not require hands-on technical experience, but requires demonstrated experience as a senior PM.
• Proven track record working with global/distributed teams, particularly offshore development teams in different time zones
• Strong Agile/Scrum methodology experience with the ability to adapt frameworks to team needs
• Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision-self-starter who takes initiative and drives results
• Executive presence with exceptional written and verbal communication skills; comfortable presenting to VP-level leadership
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to anticipate challenges and proactively mitigate risks
• Experience managing multiple concurrent workstreams in a fast-paced, dynamic environment

Preferred

• Experience in travel, hospitality, or e-commerce industries
• PMP, CSM, or similar certification
• Technical background (CS degree or equivalent experience) that enables credibility with engineering teams
• Experience with DevOps practices, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), and modern software development lifecycle

Soft Skills

• Scrappy, resourceful, and adaptable-comfortable with ambiguity and shifting priorities
• High ownership mentality-treats the project as your own and does what it takes to deliver
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to influence without authority
• Positive, can-do attitude with resilience in challenging situations

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or other non-merit factor. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for all employees.