Manager, Competitive Programs

Job description

**This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Manager, Competitive Programs based in the United States.** This is a strategic leadership opportunity for an experienced program management professional to build and scale a competitive programs function from the ground up. You will lead a team responsible for helping the organization respond effectively to its highest-priority competitive challenges and opportunities. The role combines people leadership, strategic planning, and hands-on program execution across Product, Sales, Marketing, Pricing, Finance, and Go-to-Market teams. You will establish operating models, playbooks, decision forums, and measurement frameworks that turn competitive intelligence into coordinated action. Working closely with senior executives, you will translate complex market, customer, and deal signals into clear priorities and actionable recommendations. This role is ideal for a versatile, highly adaptable leader who thrives in ambiguous environments and enjoys creating structure where none exists. You will have significant influence on strategic decisions while building a durable capability that can evolve with changing business priorities. ### Accountabilities - Lead, develop, and retain a high-performing team of program managers, setting objectives, assigning priorities, coaching team members, and maintaining a high standard for execution and stakeholder management. - Establish the portfolio, priorities, operating model, and capacity allocation for centrally supported high-priority competitive programs in partnership with senior leadership and Market Intelligence teams. - Directly lead the design, launch, and lifecycle management of the most complex competitive programs, particularly initiatives requiring coordination across Product, Go-to-Market, Commercial, and executive stakeholders. - Define program goals, work plans, operating cadences, decision forums, success measures, and accountability structures for strategic initiatives. - Build and continuously improve repeatable playbooks, program standards, decision logs, escalation mechanisms, operating reviews, and executive reporting processes. - Partner with Market Intelligence to translate competitive, customer, and deal signals into prioritized actions and ensure the appropriate functional teams own and execute resulting initiatives. - Coach program managers as they develop and manage competitive programs, including decisions to continue, adjust, graduate, or re-elevate programs as market conditions evolve. - Provide senior leaders with concise, decision-oriented updates covering program health, competitive risks, outcomes, capacity requirements, and strategic recommendations. - Facilitate cross-functional alignment among Sales, Product, Product Operations, Marketing, Pricing, Finance and Strategy, and Go-to-Market Operations teams with differing priorities and decision rights. - Identify systemic barriers to effective competitive execution and coordinate with functional leaders to establish durable solutions without unnecessarily centralizing ownership. - Influence strategic decisions related to product priorities, commercial policies, account strategies, and other high-impact competitive responses. - Apply program design and execution capabilities to additional strategic Go-to-Market priorities as organizational needs evolve. ### **Requirements** - 9+ years of experience in program management, business operations, Go-to-Market strategy, management consulting, or a related discipline, including experience within Sales, Marketing, Product, Go-to-Market Operations, or another commercial organization. - 2+ years of people-management experience, including setting team objectives, allocating work, coaching experienced individual contributors, and managing performance. - Demonstrated success leading complex, ambiguous, and cross-functional programs from problem definition through implementation, adoption, and sustainable operational handoff. - Experience managing global programs across regions, segments, and product lines, with the ability to establish objectives, work plans, operating cadences, decision forums, and success measures. - Strong judgment and prioritization skills, with experience allocating limited resources toward the highest-value strategic opportunities. - Proven ability to navigate senior stakeholders with different incentives, priorities, and decision rights while driving alignment and making trade-offs explicit. - Strong analytical skills and the ability to transform complex qualitative and quantitative information into clear recommendations for senior leaders. - Excellent executive communication skills, including decision-oriented reporting, senior-level facilitation, and the ability to communicate risks, trade-offs, and recommendations directly. - A hands-on player-coach mindset with the adaptability and resilience required to operate effectively in high-pressure, rapidly changing environments. - High ownership, sound judgment, strong problem-solving ability, and a collaborative approach that builds trust while maintaining accountability. - Preferred experience in competitive programs, strategic account programs, product launches, commercial transformation, or other high-stakes Go-to-Market initiatives. - Experience building new operating models, program-management teams, or repeatable playbooks from the ground up is highly valued. - Familiarity with competitive intelligence, win/loss analysis, sales enablement, pricing, commercial strategy, product feedback mechanisms, or executive account programs is beneficial. - Experience in B2B technology, enterprise software, fintech, payments, or platform businesses is preferred. - Comfort working with SQL, business intelligence tools, or other analytical methods for evaluating pipeline, adoption, revenue, and operational performance is a plus. ### **Benefits** - Annual U.S. base salary range of **$189,400–$284,000**, with the final offer determined based on experience, qualifications, skills, and location. - Equity opportunities and eligibility for company bonus programs. - 401(k) retirement plan. - Medical, dental, and vision coverage. - Wellness stipends and resources supporting employee well-being. - Opportunities to lead a newly established strategic function and influence high-priority organizational decisions. - A collaborative, cross-functional environment with significant exposure to senior leadership. - A flexible approach to workplace presence, with office expectations varying by role, team, and location. - For most office-assigned employees, an expectation of spending at least 50% of the month in the local office or with users, supporting a balance between in-person collaboration and flexibility.