Principal Technical Program Manager - FinOps

About this role

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We're looking for a Principal Technical Program Manager to join our Product & Technology Operations team and own how we manage, optimize, and scale cloud, vendor, and AI spend across the organization.

You will define the FinOps strategy itself - not just run an existing cost program, but decide what gets optimized, in what order, and why. Cloud and vendor cost management has an established playbook that we want to scale and automate; AI spend does not. You'll be defining and building FinOps for AI, while also evolving existing practice into a more automated system.

This is a very senior technical IC role. You'll bring enough technical depth to build or directly shape the automations, dashboards, and optimization recommendations yourself, and enough strategic judgment to influence how leadership thinks about cost trade-offs and how we partner with Finance, Procurement and other functions on all things vendor management and optimizations.

What you’ll be doing:

Define the FinOps strategy

- Own the strategy for cloud, vendor, and AI cost management across the organization - not just the execution of an existing roadmap.

- Continuously reassess what to optimize, in what order, and why, based on where spend and risk are actually concentrated.

- Build the framework for managing AI cost, an area with no established industry playbook yet.

Drive cost optimization with technical depth

- Analyze cloud usage, vendor contracts, and AI spend to identify inefficiencies and develop strategies to reduce unnecessary cost.

- Build or directly shape the dashboards, automations, and monitoring systems that make cost visible and actionable, at a technical depth equivalent to a Senior Engineer.

- Propose specific technical optimizations, not just process recommendations, and know when a suggestion requires deeper engineering partnership.

- Apply hands-on experience building and automating with AI, not just directing others to do it.

Lead the program across the organization

- Oversee and in some cases execute multiple cost-optimization initiatives simultaneously.

- Own the reporting structure - cost attribution, monitoring, and alerting - and use it to tell leadership a clear, trustworthy story about spend and savings.

- Partner with FP&A to define and establish key cost metrics giving leadership a sharper financial lens on cost efficiency.

- Manage cross-functional dependencies, risk, and change across SRE, Engineering, Data, FP&A, and Procurement teams.

Influence at the executive level

- Bring insights on feasibility, timelines, risk, and cost trade-offs directly to senior and executive stakeholders, shaping decisions that affect real budget and infrastructure choices.

- Balance centralized cost management standards with the autonomy individual business units need to operate effectively.

- Proactively surface issues and advocate for change across products and teams, rather than waiting to be asked.

Mentorship

- Partner with Delivery Ops leadership on TPM career development, best practices, and the foundation of the broader TPM function.

- Mentor other TPMs, helping raise the technical and strategic bar across the team.

What you need to bring:

- Experience owning both the strategy and execution for a cloud, vendor or AI cost optimization program - not just executing one someone else designed.

- Deep knowledge of the AI vendor landscape - pricing models, contract structures, and the specific optimization levers and nuances that differ from traditional cloud cost management.

- Technical depth in cloud architecture, cost management, and optimization techniques strong enough to build or directly evaluate dashboards and automation yourself.

- Experience navigating an area with no established playbook, building the framework as you go rather than applying a known model.

- A track record of running large, cross-organizational programs spanning multiple business units.

- Strong executive communication skills - able to translate complex technical and cost trade-offs into decisions leadership can act on.

- Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive change across an organization without formal authority over them.

We know that people are more than what’s on their CV. If you’re unsure that you have the right profile for the role... hit the ‘Apply’ button and give it a try!

Be a changemaker

You’ll enjoy:

- A flexible work environment that empowers you to do your best work

- A culture that celebrates performance

- The chance to make an impact in a team that’s big enough for career growth, but lean enough to make your voice heard

- Career-defining opportunities

Plus benefits designed to keep you happy, healthy and fulfilled.

- Flexible paid time off and remote work policies

- Equity options, because this is your company too

- Contributions to your pension plan. Your future matters

- Training opportunities to grow your skills and career

- Health and wellness credit so you feel your best

- Time off to volunteer and give back to your community

- Interest groups, employee led networks, social committees to sponsored sports teams

- Computer purchase program to get your personal Macbook

- Enhanced parental leave to support growing families

Fuel your growth. Find your people.

At Lightspeed, your growth is our priority. We invest in you with continuous learning opportunities, global mobility and benefits designed to support you—all within a driven, diverse and inclusive team that’s passionate about empowering our communities

Please note that we ask applicants to disclose any criminal convictions, and we conduct criminal record checks as part of our hiring process for this role.

To all recruitment agencies: Lightspeed does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. If we have not directly engaged your company in writing to supply candidates for a specific vacancy, Lightspeed…