Location & Flexibility

Our Program Director role will be an integral part of our leadership at WillowTree. To help retain our deep culture of collaboration both among ourselves and our clients, this role will maintain an in-office presence in a hybrid (Work From Near) capacity out of either our Charlottesville, Virginia or Durham, North Carolina offices.

Learn more about Work From Near.

Who We Are

WillowTree is an award-winning digital product agency driven by innovation and grounded in strategy and user-centered design. We create long-term partnerships with the world’s leading brands to build and design digital flagship products crucial to our clients’ business needs. We’re one of the largest independent digital firms in the US and some of our clients include HBO, National Geographic, Hilton, Anheuser-Busch, PepsiCo, and more! Check out what others are saying about us.

The Opportunity

As a Program Director, you’ll partner with one of our Engineering Directors to lead a multidisciplinary project team. Together, you'll establish and grow partnerships with clients to deliver world-class products.

We understand our responsibility to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive place within the tech industry, while pushing to make our industry more representative. Because of this responsibility, we need candidates who value diversity and inclusion through their work, team collaboration, or mentorship.

Responsibilities

• Create, guide, and communicate the holistic (WillowTree, client, 3rd party) project plans and goals to create alignment and overall program delivery success
• Partner across teams to drive product development, own the creation of mission-critical products, and deliver desired outcomes
• Lean on your deep client services experience to provide effective decision-making on complex issues of scope, design, architecture, and process
• Deliver timely and tailored communication for various audiences: engineering teams, product managers, marketing partners, and C-level executives
• Optimize processes and use of time for your team while focusing on key client activities
• Be flexible and adaptive by applying appropriate project management frameworks that suit the customer and product
• Visit your client regularly, usually 1-3 days per month, up to 20% of the time during kickoff or launch periods

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in software development
• Experience leading large-scale custom software development projects, from discovery through UX design, implementation, and deployment
• Demonstrated experience and confidence managing software projects with complex scope and executive partners
• Experience facilitating working sessions with client stakeholder groups and internal teams
• You've managed projects, provided feedback, and led a multidisciplinary team
• Ability to clarify complex ideas and navigate ambiguity for your team and client

Bonus Points

• Professional experience as a Project or Product Manager and Scrum Master from a major technology consultancy or agency
• You’ve guided a client to further their use of modern engineering practices or agile software delivery processes
• Certifications such as CSM, CSPO, PMP, SA, SPC, etc.
• Account planning and growth activities

Even if you don’t have expertise in all of the qualifications listed, we value new perspectives and backgrounds and encourage you to apply. We’re committed to building a diverse company that reflects the diversity of our users. We’re committed to growth-mindset.

Why WillowTree?

We offer a place to be yourself.

Our differences, both visible and invisible, benefit our teams, our communities, and the products we craft. That’s why WillowTree strives to build a team with diverse backgrounds, skills, and perspectives. You’ll work hard here; however, we’ll balance that with a culture that supports your growth and cares about your well-being. We’re committed to creating an environment of inclusion — a place where every Tree can thrive.

We want you to reach your fullest potential and part of your professional development at WillowTree will include dedicated time to innovate on passion projects and an annual stipend to fund your professional pursuits.

WillowTree upholds our core values in every aspect of our work. We promote safe and inclusive work environments and maintain a drug-free workplace. We celebrate our differences and provide equal employment opportunities to all team members and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Diverse teams build better products. We acknowledge that the tech industry especially lacks opportunity for those who are of non-traditional backgrounds and in underrepresented groups. In order to create the best products for everyone, we know that it's important for our team to reflect the diversity of our users, and we are committed to being the change we want to see.