Enterprise / Strategic Program Manager

We believe in the power and joy of learning

At Cengage Group, our employees have a direct impact in helping students around the world discover the power and joy of learning. We are bonded by our shared purpose – driving innovation that helps millions of learners improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.   

Our culture values inclusion, engagement, and discovery

Our business is driven by our strong culture, and we know that creating an inclusive workplace is absolutely essential to the success of our company and our learners, as well as our individual well-being. We recognize the value of diverse perspectives in everything we do, and strive to ensure employees of all levels and backgrounds feel empowered to voice their ideas and bring their authentic selves to work. We achieve these priorities through programs, benefits, and initiatives that are integrated into the fabric of how we work every day. To learn more, please see https://www.cengagegroup.com/about/inclusion-and-belonging/.    

The Enterprise / Strategic Program Manager is a senior leader responsible for driving Cengage’s most critical, cross-functional initiatives from conception through execution. This role is pivotal in translating executive-level strategic goals—such as M&A activities, enterprise-wide compliance mandates, or major process re-engineering—into actionable, enterprise-wide programs. They will oversee the end-to-end delivery of complex programs, coordinating the efforts of dozens of teams across technology, product, content, and business units. The Program Manager will establish clarity in uncertain situations, proactively remove barriers, and ensure all collaborators are working towards shared goals. They will build a culture of delivery excellence and reliable execution, serving as a crucial ally to senior leadership across Cengage.    

What you'll do here:

• Lead the planning and execution of large-scale, strategic programs, defining scope, goals, and deliverables in collaboration with senior management and collaborators.

• Own program outcomes, ensuring initiatives like the enterprise accessibility program are delivered timely, within budget, and to the required standard of quality.

• Structure and navigate program execution in ambiguous environments, developing clear paths forward where none exist.

• Serve as the key point of contact for executive sponsors and steering committees, providing clear, concise updates on progress, risks, and financial oversight.

• Govern program-level ceremonies, processes, and reporting, ensuring transparency and alignment across a diverse group of executives, project managers, and business sponsors.

• Advance the identification and mitigation of program-level risks, dependencies, and impediments, resolving conflicts effectively with minimal supervision.

• Coordinate and manage relationships with key external vendors, from selection and contract negotiation to ensuring accountability and timely delivery of services.

• Develop and manage the program’s overall budget, including forecasting and tracking of expenses.

• Foster deep collaboration between numerous teams (e.g., 45+ Product Operating Model Tech Teams, offshore partners, content operations, GTS) to coordinate initiatives from inception to delivery.

• Act as a strategic liaison for the program to other initiatives and executive management, ensuring its objectives align with broader corporate strategy.

• Champion and refine a best-practice framework for cross-team communication, integration, and governance to ensure the integrity of the delivery.     

Skills you'll need here:

• 8+ years of experience in enterprise-level program management, leading complex, cross-functional software development and business initiatives.

• Demonstrated proficiency in program management principles, with the flexibility to blend Agile and Waterfall methodologies to fit complex, large-scale initiatives.

• Proven experience leading programs with significant budgetary oversight and financial accountability.

• Outstanding communication and presentation skills, with the ability to distill complex issues and articulate clear, actionable recommendations to both executive and team-level audiences.

• A track record of successfully managing fast-paced programs, resolving conflict, and making sound decisions in dynamic environments.

• Ability to understand the technical and business domains applicable to a program and facilitate the resolution of complex issues as they arise.

• Solid experience with project governance tools (e.g., JIRA, Confluence) and program reporting tools (e.g., Aha!, Planview, SmartSheet).    

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

• Experience with LEAN principles and continuous improvement practices.

• Experience in an edTech, AI, or technology.

• Experience working in the Product Operating Model (POM).

• Demonstrated experience managing relationships and deliverables with multiple cross-functional resources and third-party vendors.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.    

Cengage Group is committed to working with broad talent pools to attract and hire strong and most qualified individuals. Our job applicants are considered regardless of race, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, veteran status, and any other classification protected by applicable federal, state, provincial or local laws.     

Cengage is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities including during our job application process. If you are an applicant with a disability and require reasonable accommodation in our job application process, please contact us at [email protected] or at +1 (617) 289-7917.    

About Cengage Group

Cengage Group, a global education technology company serving millions of learners, provides affordable, quality digital products and services that equip students with the skills and competencies needed to be job ready. For more than 100 years, we have enabled the power and joy of learning with trusted, engaging content, and now, integrated digital platforms. We serve the higher education, workforce skills, secondary education, English language teaching and research markets worldwide. Through our scalable technology, including MindTap and Cengage Unlimited, we support all learners who seek to improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.  

Compensation

At Cengage Group, we take great pride in our commitment to providing a comprehensive and rewarding Total Rewards package designed to support and empower our employees. Click here to learn more about our Total Rewards Philosophy.

The full base pay range has been provided for this position. Individual base pay will vary based on work schedule, qualifications, experience, internal equity, and geographic location.  Sales roles often incorporate a significant incentive compensation program beyond this base pay range.