IT Program Manager - VMO

Costco Wholesale It Program Manager

Costco IT is responsible for the technical future of Costco Wholesale, the third largest retailer in the world with wholesale operations in fourteen countries. Despite our size and explosive international expansion, we continue to provide a family, employee centric atmosphere in which our employees thrive and succeed.

This is an environment unlike anything in the high-tech world and the secret of Costco's success is its culture. The value Costco puts on its employees is well documented in articles from a variety of publishers including Bloomberg and Forbes. Our employees and our members come first. Costco is well known for its generosity and community service and has won many awards for its philanthropy. The company joins with its employees to take an active role in volunteering by sponsoring many opportunities to help others.

Come join the Costco Wholesale IT family. Costco IT is a dynamic, fast-paced environment, working through exciting transformation efforts. We are building the next generation retail environment where you will be surrounded by dedicated and highly professional employees.

The IT Program Manager will oversee multiple programs / projects and initiatives of varying sizes and complexities. Key areas of focus will be on project initiation, interdependencies between programs / projects, executive communication, mitigating program level risks and issues, and ensuring execution is effectively managed throughout the lifecycle.

We expect that the successful candidate will have both program management and senior project management experience to execute a project at Costco to the expected levels. While day to day responsibilities will not often require direct management of projects, this knowledge and experience is key to providing guidance to project teams and programs as well as understanding how the interdependencies will affect / impact areas up and downstream of their responsibilities.

IT Program Managers provide all of the necessary direction, coordination and follow-up to ensure quality standards are met and the visibility to the accurate status are assured. They have responsibility for successfully leading large, cross-functional programs / projects, and initiatives for departments enabling value to the business.

Works with department and leadership in development and driving executable IT Programs in support of the company, divisional goals and objectives as they relate to assigned areas. Manages and handles multiple programs / projects simultaneously. Plans and executes cross-functional programs / projects with scopes that have significant impact to the business. Oversees, coordinates and assists in the management of all facets of projects within a given program ensuring milestones and deliverables are met within schedule, budget and quality ensured. Directs and supports project teams within the program balancing project priorities and tradeoff decisions as necessary, escalating issues as appropriate. Develops and maintains appropriate program documentation (master schedule, risk mitigation plans, decisions etc.) that provide insight into and resolution of any and all issues and risks. Identifies key requirements for cross-functional teams and external vendors. Develops and manages budgets for projects and is accountable for delivering against established business goals and value / objectives. Develops and coordinates program controls and associated metrics to measure success. Manages adherence to approved Costco practices and policies within the program and Value Management Office (VMO) Methodology / Framework. Provides leadership, mentoring and coaching, for team members. Leads the ongoing management of program level activities by developing and executing against a strategic program roadmap and program charter. Possesses proactive, resourceful problem-solving abilities with a continuous improvement mindset. Demonstrates strong leadership and team-building skills. Manages program / project level budgeting and provides financial tracking. Aligns both active and planned project work efforts with program vision. Manages program / project architectural and technical strategies as defined by Enterprise Architecture. Meets deadlines within budgets delivering successful quality product(s) / programs. Works successfully with people at all management levels. Possess excellent and effective delegation skills and strong follow-up skills as well as be able to define and execute program communication plans. Possess excellent interpersonal and diplomatic skills as well as be extremely responsive, with a strong sense of urgency. Drives seamless cross-functional collaboration by serving as a communication nexus between engineering, product, architecture, and key stakeholders. Facilitates continuous planning sessions across all delivery pods / dev teams aligned to a product, or value stream, and the accompanying planning sessions. Understands the Objectives and Key Results (OKR) framework and works with the team to measure outcomes. Aggregates individual delivery pod status into portfolio-level risks, assumptions and interdependencies. Facilitates weekly reports highlighting the health of the overall delivery status to program leadership and various stakeholders. Facilitates regular "Scrum-of-Scrum" type meetings with PM / DDMs and POs across the enterprise to drive alignment between development activities and review blockers or impediments impacting team productivity. Manages Steering Committee and or Operating Committee to provide leadership an accurate status and updates. Fosters connection by putting people first and building trusting relationships including a focus on change management. Coordinates the resolution of internal and external dependencies across value streams and shared services. Approaches work with a positive, productive attitude. Occasional evening, weekend, and holiday support required.

Required : 5+ years of Agile practices. 20+ years of project or Delivery Management experience. 1+ years of program management experience. PMP (Project Management Professional) certifications. Strong communication skills, both oral and written, including presentation skills. Highly ethical and able to deal with confidential issues with tact, discretion & confidentiality. Communicates with honesty and kindness, creating the space for others to do the same. Expertise with Smartsheet, ADO, or similar project management tools. Successful internal candidates will have spent one year or more on their current team. Experience as a Delivery Manager (RTE) and / or Program / Project Manager. Experience designing and implementing project management methodologies. Proven track record for successful delivery of multi workstream programs and working cross-functionally with business and IT. Ability to create and manage detailed project plans, schedules, and report critical paths. Sets clear expectations for self and others and takes appropriate actions to ensure obligations are met. Revises standards in response to changes in the business or IT goals. Applies standard techniques and tools to carry out analysis and performance monitoring activities for specified products. Leads with courage, knowing the possibility of greatness is bigger than the fear of failure. Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and effectively manage multiple priorities independently with excellent attention to detail.

Recommended

Bachelor's degree or equivalent. Change Management experience. Proficient in Google Workspace applications, including Sheets, Docs, Slides, and Gmail.

Required Documents : Cover Letter, Resume. California applicants, please click here to review the Costco Applicant Privacy Notice.

Pay Range : $150,000 - $190,000, Bonus and Restricted Stock Unit (RSU) eligible

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, health benefits - medical / dental / vision / hearing aid / pharmacy / behavioral health / employee assistance, health care reimbursement account, dependent care assistance plan, short-term disability and long-term disability insurance, AD&D insurance, life insurance, 401(k), stock purchase plan to eligible employees.

Costco is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Costco is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or any other legally protected status. If you need assistance and / or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to IT-Recruiting@costco.com

If hired, you will be required to provide proof of authorization to work in the United States. Applicants and employees for this position will not be sponsored for work authorization, including, but not limited to H1-B visas.