Principal Technical Program Manager, Reliability

Snap Inc is a technology company. We believe the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. Snap contributes to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together. The Company’s three core products are Snapchat, a visual messaging app that enhances your relationships with friends, family, and the world; Lens Studio, an augmented reality platform that powers AR across Snapchat and other services; and its AR glasses, Spectacles.

At Snap, the Technical Program Manager (TPM) is not a traditional project coordinator—this is a strategic, high-leverage leadership role designed for deep technical operators who thrive at the intersection of software engineering, machine learning, data analytics, and program execution. TPMs at Snap are single-threaded owners of large-scale, high-stakes, and often ambiguous programs. They combine engineering depth with execution precision, earning visibility and trust across the company by driving outcomes that power the core of our products and infrastructure. Unlike industry-standard TPM roles, Snap TPMs are hands-on contributors who write Python notebooks, build dashboards and automation tools, and partner closely with engineering leaders to shape technical roadmaps, make architectural trade-offs, and drive the operating rhythm of the business. The most successful TPMs possess the ability to grasp new concepts quickly, navigate technical complexity, and adapt in fast-moving environments. This role is ideal for former engineers or data scientists who have evolved into program leaders without leaving their technical roots behind.

Our interview process reflects the technical rigor and strategic impact expected of TPMs at Snap. Unlike typical program management interviews, our process is designed to evaluate candidates’ ability to think like engineers and act like owners. Candidates begin with an introductory conversation with the hiring manager, followed by a technical screen that dives into core program execution and engineering fundamentals. From there, candidates complete a hands-on data analytics assessment via HackerRank, where they write executable Python and SQL code to analyze real-world data problems. The final stage is a virtual onsite, which includes a program leadership presentation and three 1:1 interviews with senior leaders across Snap. Throughout, we assess not only communication and collaboration skills but also technical fluency, first-principles thinking, and the ability to drive strategic outcomes in complex, ambiguous environments.

As a Technical Program Manager (TPM) at Snap, you will:

• Lead complex, cross-functional programs that span multiple engineering organizations and require deep technical understanding, rigorous execution, and strategic influence.

• Operate as a single-threaded owner (STO) for the most critical programs, managing ambiguity, dependencies, and alignment across diverse technical teams.

• Own the full lifecycle of programs—from ideation to execution to operational excellence—delivering outcomes that support Snap’s product, infrastructure, and platform goals.

• Partner directly with engineering and product leadership to shape roadmaps, influence technical decisions, and drive accountability.

• Use hands-on data analytics (Python, SQL, dashboards, notebooks) to guide programs with data, uncover insights, and communicate clearly with senior stakeholders.

• Contribute to Snap’s technical ecosystem by building automation tools, improving internal systems, and identifying opportunities for platform-wide transformation.

• Work across both development programs (spanning multiple orgs with complex interdependencies) and platform excellence programs (focused on reliability, efficiency, and performance).

• Drive the operating rhythm of the business, ensuring engineering systems scale effectively while remaining cost-conscious and performant

• Mentor and grow other junior TPMs and Engineers to scale the performance of the org

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's in a technical field such as computer science, mathematics, statistics or equivalent years of experience

• 12+ years of experience spanning Engineering / Data Science / Technical Program Management leading cross-functional efforts in the software or tech industry in a data-driven environment. 

• 5+ years of experience in Technical Program Management .

• A proven track record of leading large-scale, ambiguous programs across distributed teams in fast-paced, cross-functional environments, especially in the areas of improving platform reliability, operational stability and performance of production systems

• Strong proficiency with Python and SQL, and experience using data to analyze systems, build tools, or inform decisions.

• Experience with data visualization tools (e.g. Grafana, Looker, Tableau) building dashboards, source control (e.g. GitHub), ticket management (e.g. JIRA).

• Experience working directly with engineers and contributing to technical design, architectural trade-offs, and roadmap planning.

• Comfort operating with high visibility and accountability; you thrive on ownership and impact.

• Demonstrated ability to quickly learn new domains, systems, and technologies.

• Excellent communication, organizational, and leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A background in software engineering, machine learning, or infrastructure systems

• Prior hands-on experience with big data technologies such as Spark, Airflow, Hive, Kafka, or Flink.

• Familiarity with cloud-native infrastructure (e.g., AWS, GCP) and containerization tools like Kubernetes or Docker.

• Deep understanding of ML development workflows, model lifecycle management, or experimentation frameworks.

• Background in building internal tools or developer platforms to improve engineering velocity and system reliability.

• Experience managing production systems, reliability initiatives, or cost optimization programs.

• Exposure to high-scale consumer technology or social platforms with strong privacy, performance, or safety requirements.

• Strong storytelling and presentation skills—especially with senior engineering or executive audiences.

• Masters or PhD in a highly analytical field

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please don’t be shy and provide us some information.

"Default Together" Policy at Snap: At Snap Inc. we believe that being together in person helps us build our culture faster, reinforce our values, and serve our community, customers and partners better through dynamic collaboration. To reflect this, we practice a “default together” approach and expect our team members to work in an office 4+ days per week. 

At Snap, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to create innovative products that improve the way people live and communicate. Snap is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. EOE, including disability/vets.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law (by example, the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, where applicable).

Our Benefits: Snap Inc. is its own community, so we’ve got your back! We do our best to make sure you and your loved ones have everything you need to be happy and healthy, on your own terms. Our benefits are built around your needs and include paid parental leave, comprehensive medical coverage, emotional and mental health support programs, and compensation packages that let you share in Snap’s long-term success!

Compensation

In the United States, work locations are assigned a pay zone which determines the salary range for the position. The successful candidate’s starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. The starting pay may be negotiable within the salary range for the position. These pay zones may be modified in the future.

Zone A (CA, WA, NYC):

Zone B:

Zone C:

This position is eligible for equity in the form of RSUs.