Principal Technical Program Manager, Education

Learning Commons aims to scale proven teaching and learning practices to benefit every learner by building AI infrastructure that better connects the way students learn to the tools they learn with.

The Team

At Learning Commons, we operate at the intersection of technology, research, and philanthropy. We pair product development with grantmaking to scale proven teaching and learning practices for the benefit of every learner. We aim to bring learning science into the tools educators and students use every day.

Our work is grounded in a deep belief: when technology reflects the realities of classrooms and the science of how students learn, it can meaningfully strengthen teaching and unlock new possibilities for students. The rise of generative AI offers us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to dramatically accelerate the translation of research insights into practical, classroom-ready tools; tools that honor teachers’ expertise, adapt to students’ needs, and make effective learning practices easier to access, implement, and sustain.

In today’s fragmented edtech landscape, school districts are often left piecing together products that don’t always align with curricula or instructional needs. While AI holds enormous potential to support teachers and students, it can only deliver on that promise when grounded in research, high-quality educational data, and expert evaluation. That’s why we’re building open, public-purpose infrastructure — datasets, rubrics, and resources — that help raise the standard for educational tools and create more consistent, impactful learning experiences for all students and teachers.

The Opportunity

Across our Technology and Initiative teams, we design, build, and scale software and data systems that power research, products, and grantmaking efforts. As our portfolio grows, we are seeking a Principal Technical Program Manager to bring clarity, structure, and strategic executional rigor across complex, high-visibility cross-functional technical initiatives.

This role sits at the intersection of engineering, data, product, learning science, and operations. You will lead large, multi-disciplinary programs — including data pipeline initiatives and internal tooling efforts — while strengthening how teams plan, prioritize, and execute work.

You will shape and scale our technical program operating model — including governance standards, Jira and planning systems, roadmap transparency, release coordination, and cross-team dependency management — ensuring programs move from concept to delivery with measurable impact and executive-level visibility.

You will act as a strategic partner to Product, Engineering, and Initiative leadership, influencing how we structure, prioritize, and deliver complex technical work — without formal authority, but with significant cross-functional impact.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in ambiguity, can translate strategy into structured execution, and brings both technical fluency and strong program leadership.

What You'll Do

Technical Program Leadership

• Own, lead and deliver complex, multi-quarter, high-visibility technical programs spanning engineering, data science, product, and external partners
• Proactively identify systemic risks, structural gaps, dependencies, and tradeoffs early; propose mitigation strategies and drive resolution at both program and operating-model levels
• Establish clear success metrics and reporting mechanisms across programs
• Influence sequencing, prioritization, and resource tradeoffs across concurrent initiatives in partnership with leadership.

Data Pipeline & Infrastructure Initiatives

• Coordinate projects related to building, buying, or partnering to obtain critical datasets
• Partner with engineering and data teams to align on architecture, sequencing, and delivery milestones
• Support vendor evaluation and procurement processes when external data or tooling is required
• Ensure appropriate documentation, compliance, and scalable data governance standards are embedded in delivery and aligned with organizational risk frameworks.

Operational Excellence & Jira Governance

• Design and standardize Jira governance and planning frameworks across teams, including workflows, taxonomy, reporting structures, and backlog management standards
• Standardize program tracking, sprint planning, roadmap visibility, and cross-team dependency management
• Establish durable operating rhythms (quarterly planning, milestone reviews, executive updates, retrospectives) that scale with organizational growth
• Enable leadership visibility into program health through dashboards and structured reporting
  
  

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Advise and serve as a connective layer across Engineering, Product Management, Data Science, Operations, Legal, Finance, and external collaborators
• Drive alignment on priorities, sequencing, and capacity planning across Product, Engineering, Data, and Initiative leadership
• Communicate program updates clearly to technical and non-technical audiences
• Influence decision-making and drive accountability through clear communication of tradeoffs, risks, and delivery implications — without formal authority.
• Contribute to a collaborative, inclusive, and outcomes-focused team culture

What You'll Bring

• 12+ years of experience in technical program management, engineering program management, or related roles in technology-driven organizations
• Demonstrated experience owning large, high-impact, cross-functional technical initiatives with executive visibility and multiple stakeholder groups
• Demonstrated ability to influence strategy, align senior stakeholders, and drive execution without direct reporting authority.
• Experience managing data infrastructure or data pipeline programs (e.g., ingestion systems, ETL/ELT pipelines, data platforms, or analytics infrastructure)
• Strong familiarity with Agile methodologies and expertise in Jira administration, workflow design, and reporting
• Experience designing and scaling program management systems, governance frameworks, and operating rhythms across growing or evolving teams
• Technical fluency — ability to engage meaningfully with engineers and data scientists on architecture, tradeoffs, and implementation details
• Experience working with external vendors or managing procurement-related technical initiatives
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level updates
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple complex initiatives simultaneously
• Comfort operating in a dynamic, rapidly evolving environment
• Commitment to equity and inclusive collaboration

Compensation

The Redwood City, CA base pay range for this role is $214,000 - $268,000.00. New hires are typically hired into the lower portion of the range, enabling employee growth in the range over time. Actual placement in range is based on job-related skills and experience, as evaluated throughout the interview process. Pay ranges outside Redwood City are adjusted based on cost of labor in each respective geographical market. Your recruiter can share more about the specific pay range for your location during the hiring process.

This position may be eligible to participate in Learning Commons' discretionary annual performance bonus program. Bonus eligibility and targets are determined in accordance with Learning Commons' total rewards philosophy and may vary by role.

Better Together

As we grow, we’re excited to strengthen in-person connections and cultivate a collaborative, team-oriented environment. This role is a hybrid position requiring you to be onsite for at least 60% of the working month, approximately 3 days a week, with specific in-office days determined by the team’s manager. The exact schedule will be at the hiring manager's discretion and communicated during the interview process.

Benefits for the Whole You 

We’re thankful to have an incredible team behind our work. To honor their commitment, we offer a wide range of benefits to support the people who make all we do possible. 

• Provides a generous employer match on employee 401(k) contributions to support planning for the future.
• Paid time off to volunteer at an organization of your choice. 
• Funding for select family-forming benefits. 
• Relocation support for employees who need assistance moving

If you’re interested in a role but your previous experience doesn’t perfectly align with each qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply as you may be the perfect fit for this or another role.

#LI-Hybrid