Director, Strategic Program Management

Upwork ($UPWK) is the world's work marketplace. We serve everyone from one-person startups to over 30% of the Fortune 100 with a powerful, trust-driven platform that enables companies and talent to work together in new ways that unlock their potential.
Last year, more than $3.3 billion of work was done through Upwork by skilled professionals who are gaining more control by finding work they are passionate about and innovating their careers.
One of our product principles at Upwork is to "Make our customers win big." As the Customer Growth Team, we are united around this principle. Our mission is to build delightful ways for companies and remote talent to engage with each other on our platform, get work done, and build trusting and long-lasting relationships!
We are looking for a strategic program leader that is excited to take on some of the most important and impactful cross-organizational projects here at Upwork. This is a unique opportunity to lead and drive tangible results through the successful execution of complex programs and help us realize our vision of the work marketplace. You will report to the Sr Director of PEX Operations, which sits with the Office of the Chief Product and Experience Officer.
Your Responsibilities:

• Lead strategic programs by achieving agreement on program scope, release planning, aligning multiple teams on vision, business goals, creating program structure, and securing support from partners.
• Develop partnerships with important functional partners to drive focus on business goals. Be a trusted partner for executive management to ensure program success.
• Partner with team members to lead working team meetings to address tactical release issues, dependencies, team status, production issues, metrics review, milestones.
• Report program status (issues, risks, metrics) on an ongoing basis through proactive status reporting (to all partners, team members, and interested parties).
• Manage program dependencies across multiple teams, scrum teams, functions, divisions, and stakeholders.
• Anticipate and remove obstacles that slow down or prevent project teams from delivering on project goals.
• Work with teams to provide insight into the current state of project goals, risks, and escalations.
• Create a collaborative environment that fosters creativity, innovation, and learning.
• Be a catalyst within the organization, someone who can help promote our Product & Technology strategy and guide others to change.

What it takes to catch our eye:

• You have experience delivering results, across multiple disciplines and geographies, in areas of industry strategy, growth programs, and new market segments.
• You will balance multiple strategic programs simultaneously, surfacing prioritization conflicts as they arise.
• Balance of facilitation, orchestration, and influence. Balance of urgency and prioritization
• Impactful and creative recommendations to problems while collaborating and coordinating with stakeholders to align with executive vision and business priorities
• Be both a player and a coach as needed, and you must be willing and able to roll up your sleeves and get into the details when required.

Come change how the world works.
At Upwork, you'll shape talent solutions for how the world works today. We are a remote-first organization working together to create exciting remote work opportunities for a global community of professionals. While we have physical offices in San Francisco and Chicago, currently we also support hiring of corporate full-time employees in 19 states in the United States. Please speak with a member of our recruitment team to determine whether you are located in a state in which we are hiring corporate full-time employees.
Our vibrant culture is built on shared values and our mission to create economic opportunities so that people have better lives. We foster amazing teams, put our community first, and have a bias toward action. We encourage everyone to bring their whole selves to work and grow together through development opportunities, mentorship, and employee resource groups. And oh yeah, we've also got amazing benefits - including medical insurance for you and your family, unlimited PTO, 401(k) with matching, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, and a generous Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Check out our Life at Upwork page to learn more about our benefits and the employee experience.
Check out our Life at Upwork page to learn more about the employee experience.
Upwork is proudly committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we never discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.
#LI-Remote