Senior Director Technical Program Management

A Moving Experience.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Delivery

• Hold full accountability for strategic planning, governance, and execution of large, complex, multi-year programs and a portfolio of customer projects
• Define project delivery frameworks and ensure consistent implementation across project teams
• Anticipate risks and drive executive-level mitigation strategies to ensure delivery success and customer satisfaction
• Steer the application of Cerence’s AI strategy within customer programs and translate OEM AI requirements into robust, production-ready Cerence solutions.

Cross-Functional & Executive Collaboration

• Lead and coordinate technical and cross-functional execution with global Cerence teams (Europe, US, APAC), ensuring alignment with technology, product, and business objectives
• Represent Professional Services at the executive level, both internally and with customers
• Establish and maintain trustful, productive long-term relationships with key customer stakeholders, including Directors, VPs, and C-level leaders

Business & Financial Management

• Own project and program profitability, including revenue forecasting, margin analysis, and scope management
• Develop and present executive project reviews, including project health, financials, and strategic risks
• Drive continuous improvement in delivery KPIs, operational efficiency, and resource utilization across programs

Thought Leadership & Product Influence

• Drive organizational learning: identify patterns, surface customer trends, and contribute to the strategic roadmap of Cerence Products and Services
• Act as a senior advisor to internal product teams, ensuring customer needs and market insights influence product evolution
• Support pre-sales activities, including solution design, customer workshops, and contract definition

People Leadership

• Mentor and guide Project Managers, providing leadership, coaching, and development
• Contribute to talent planning, workforce strategy, and organizational capability building within Professional Services
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and delivery excellence

Qualifications

• Minimum 12+ years of relevant work experience in project/program management or technical leadership roles
• Master’s or Graduate Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related technical field
• Demonstrated experience leading complex global programs in a matrixed, technical environment

Required Skills

• Extensive customer-facing experience managing large-scale, complex embedded software programs
• Proven ability to engage with senior customer leadership and influence strategic decision-making
• Strong mastery of agile and hybrid delivery models
• Experience leading Automotive AI initiatives within OEM or Tier-1 environments
• Exceptional leadership abilities with demonstrated capability to lead without direct authority
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving mindset
• Excellent communication skills, including executive presentations and written reporting
• Ability to manage demanding timelines and navigate ambiguity in fast-paced environments
• Willingness to travel internationally for key customer engagements
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English

Preferred Skills

• Experience with Automotive Software, Speech Assistants, AI-based solutions, or mobility ecosystems
• Familiarity with Automotive SPICE, ISO standards, or other automotive delivery frameworks
• Professional certifications preferred (PMP, PgMP, Scrum Master, SAFe, etc.)
• Strong understanding of embedded system constraints and automotive development processes

Cerence Inc. (Nasdaq: CRNC and www.cerence.com) is the global industry leader in creating unique, moving experiences for the automotive world. Spun out from Nuance in October 2019, Cerence is a new, independent company that has quickly gained traction as a leader in the automotive voice assistant space, working with all of the world’s leading automakers – from Ford and Fiat Chrysler to Daimler, Audi and BMW to Geely and SAIC – to transform how a car feels, responds and learns. Its track record is built on more than 20 years of industry experience and leadership and more than 500 million cars on the road today across more than 70 languages.  

As Cerence looks to the future and continues an ambitious growth agenda, we need someone to join the team and help build the future of voice and AI in cars. This is an exciting opportunity to join Cerence’s passionate, dedicated, global team and be a part of meaningful innovation in a rapidly growing industry. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Cerence is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and to compliance with all federal, state and local laws that prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sex, sex stereotyping, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, protected military or veteran status, genetic information and other protected classifications. Cerence Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement.

All prospective and current Employees need to remain vigilant when it comes to executing security policies in the workplace. This includes:

- Following workplace security protocols and training programs to familiarize with the ways to maintain a safe workplace.
- Following security procedures to report any suspicious activity.
- Having respect for corporate security procedures to allow those procedures to be effective.
- Adhering to company's compliance and regulations.
- Encouraging to follow a zero tolerance for workplace violence.

- Basic knowledge of information security and data privacy requirements (e.g., how to protect data & how to be handling this data).

- Demonstrative knowledge of information security through internal training programs.