What Is Program?
Before we jump into program management, let’s understand what’s the Program?
A program is a collection of projects that are managed as a group to achieve efficiencies of scale. Just as project management involves the coordination of individual tasks, program management is the coordination of related projects that are grouped together.
Projects are bundled together into a program when the benefits of managing the collection outweigh the benefits of managing them as individual units.
What Is Program Management?
Program management is the process of managing several related projects, often with the intention of improving an organization’s performance
program management vs technical program management
Technical Program Managers are responsible for the execution of the requirements. TPM’s often work closely with Engineering Managers and teams to iron out implementation details and resourcing, and with other stakeholders across the company to create project timelines. TPM’s are responsible for the “when”, and work with Engineering leads on the “how” and the “who.”
In many organisations, the roles and responsibilities of TPMs are more or less the same as Project Managers and Program Managers.
TPM designation is generally offered in product-based companies and is often an individual contributor role.
Visit here to understand more about Program Manager roles, responsibilities, and salary
What Is A Technical Program Manager?
Technical program managers (TPMs) are in charge of handling all aspects of technical projects for their organization. They are responsible for initiating programs, following their progress, and serving as support providers in case issues arise. They coordinate efforts among workers and outside vendors, as well as develop effective schedules and suggest action items that still need to be completed to complete the project.
In addition to these tasks, technical project managers track technical issues and promptly implement solutions. They must effectively communicate project status and suggest changes to use company resources more efficiently. Technical project managers propose solutions to technical constraints using their technical expertise and experience, as well as provide expertise for escalated quality problems, and anticipate bottlenecks in the development cycle. They define strategies, regularly participate in executive meetings to present their progress, and share project information with other professionals in their organization.
Technical Program Manager - Job Description
Responsibilities For Technical Program Manager
- Manages job duties in accordance with the core organizational values.
- Focus on Culture, Coach for Success, Lead Change, Drive to Outcomes, Communicate with Transparency
- Manage projects and programs of all sizes with moderate to high complexity
- Project Management with a focus on data-driven risk management
- Manage communication of progress/status to a diverse, cross-functional audience
- Monitor quality of releases and interim development, triage, and assign issues. Coordinate fixes for release branches and publish releases
- Own and publish release calendars detailing code deployments, data refreshes, code freezes, and patch windows
- Develop tools and processes to improve software engineering productivity
- Coordinate/track program demos and launch reviews across multiple teams. Projects managed may include up to twelve scrum teams
- Exercise technical judgment in working with large, cross-functional teams, communicating schedules, priorities, and status to all levels of the company
- Independently identify and resolve key organizational issues.
- Lead and influence change at the broader organizational level.
- The scope of the role ranges from smaller feature teams (i.e. scrum master) to larger projects and programs that include a diverse set of components and products
Qualifications For Technical Program Manager
- Certificate / Diploma in project/program management preferred
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, business, or a related field
- 2+ years of Technical program management and relevant experience in a software development organization including hands-on management of large, cross-functional software efforts & experience with the software development life-cycle from inception to testing to production deployment and maintenance.
- Scrum Master/Release Train Engineering experience
- A proven track record of successfully implementing software or web development projects using Agile methodologies
- Solid understanding of and demonstrated experience in using appropriate tools such as Jira, Microsoft Project or equivalent
- Excellent presentation, communication, and negotiation skills, across functions and organizational layers
- Creative approach to problem-solving with the ability to focus on details while maintaining the “big picture” view
- An aptitude for budgeting, scheduling, and assigning tasks
- Decision-making and prioritization skills, conflict resolution, community building, and follow-through
Rising Career Opportunities In Technical Program Management
Even before the pandemic, the Need for Technical Program Management was evolving at the speed of light. But now, every organization needs a skilled Technical Program Manager to ensure business objectives are met. In a world-widely getting disrupted by digital and data, organizations are increasingly finding the need to respond faster and be more agile in the way programs are being managed.
- 40% expected growth in Global Technical program management labor force through 2027 resulting in 2 million new technical program management jobs creation
- 5 Lakhs new Technical Program management jobs by 2027 in India
Going by the reports, by 2027, India will be the second-largest producer of Technical program management-oriented jobs in the world, second only to China. At a global level, 2 million new Technical Program management job openings are expected by 2027.
Technical Program Management Job Openings
First, let us look at the opportunities open to Technical Program managers in India. A simple LinkedIn search can land you on more than 1400 job opportunities for a Technical Program Manager in India, and that too from product-based organizations.
On Naukri, there is more than 17000 technical program manager-related job openings from different firms in India. Out of these, almost 5000 are from Bangalore, followed by 3000 from Delhi and 2000 from Pune and Mumbai each. There are ample opportunities for people with the right skill sets and experience. So, there are opportunities galore for technical program managers, and the indispensable nature of their jobs ensures that the technical program manager’s salary in India is quite elevated.
Technical Program Manager Salary In India
Let us look at the most important aspect – the Technical Program Manager Salary in India. How much can you earn if you enter this field?
The Median Program Manager Salary In India
According to Glassdoor, the average technical program manager salary in India is around Rs 29,50,000. For comparison, the average salary for a project manager in India is only around Rs 15,00,000. So, being a technical program manager could you fetch almost two times more income than your project management counterparts!
Technical Program Manager Career Path and Salary Trajectory
Let’s explore different experience and seniority levels and their salary trajectory
Role / Designation | Experience | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
L2 - Technical Program Manager | 2 - 10 years | 25 Lakhs |
L3 - Senior Technical Program Manager | 7 - 14 years | 42 Lakhs |
L4 - Principal Technical Program Manager | 15+ years | 55 Lakhs |
L5 - Head Technical Program Manager | 17+ years | 60 Lakhs |
L6 - Vice President of Program Management | 20+ years | 80 Lakhs |
List Of Top And Popular Recruiters
Your salary will also depend on the company you are working in. Normally, tech giants Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Flipkart, and Walmart pay more than average. But getting into these can be quite challenging as they generally have a rigorous recruitment process and tend to require higher aptitude and problem-solving skills than average.
List of top recruiters based on their pay:
Top Paying Locations In India For Technical Program Manager
Also, the amount in your paycheck may also depend on your location. Location plays a vital role in determining project manager salary in India. The table below shows that most of the bigger cities in India offer a salary higher than the national average.
1. Greater Bengaluru Area
2. Pune/Pimpri-Chinchwad Area
3. Greater Hyderabad Area
4. Greater Chennai Area
5. Mumbai Metropolitan Region
6. Greater Delhi Area
Program Manager Salary In Other Countries
How do Indian salaries compare to the top countries in the world? Let’s find out
| COUNTRY | SALARY (USD) |
| AUSTRALIA | $200000 |
| SWITZERLAND | $160,000 |
| UNITED STATES | $168,000 |
| UNITED KINGDOM | $152,000 |
| GERMANY | $141,000 |
Influencing Factors For Technical Program Manager Salary
Here is a list of the factors that affect the Technical Program Manager salary:
- More experience: Managers having more experience earn a higher amount of salary as compared to freshers, managing their first projects.
- Location: Location plays a vital role in the salary of a Project Manager. If a candidate gets a job in cities such as Bangalore, Chennai, etc, will be paid a higher salary when compared to other cities in India.
- Sector and company: The Technical Program Manager salary also depends upon the type of company the professionals choose to work in. The sector they opt for also impacts their salary on a high scale. The bigger the company, the greater the salary.
- Skills: If they have sufficient skills, they can optimize their work efficiently. And greater the performance, more the benefits in terms of salary
Why Should You Become A Technical Program Manager?
It is but natural to be attracted to the high salary that a project manager can earn. But, to succeed, you need to have a passion for driving a project from inception to closure. As is mentioned above, you can develop the skills but you should be clear on why you want to pursue the field.
Let us understand why you can pursue this field:
- Technical Program management is very rewarding and job satisfaction is high in comparison with other job profiles.
- Technical Program managers are high in demand and the demand is set to increase. It means a good project manager can pick and choose projects that suit them.
- A variety of fields requires Technical program managers, so you will have a chance to work in a field that is of interest to you.
- The learning curve allows for constant professional growth. You will interact with different perspectives across cultures and sensibilities. It will also help with personal growth.
- You build your risk assessment and management skills. These are the skills that are essential for leadership roles. Most CEOs are experienced and applauded Technical program managers. To make your career to grow as a program manager and earn the highest possible program manager salary in India, you need to have update your required skills.
Conclusion
Technical Program Management is an unyielding, established domain. From the facts given in this blog, it is clear that this field is not going to diminish in importance at any time soon. Rather, its demand in the industry is going to be at the peak. Every organization comes up with brilliant and unique ideas, every now and then. To handle these ideas and projects, these companies need some great minds. Transforming an idea into reality can be thrust into the hands of a Technical Program Manager provided the professional is well-equipped with the specific skill set.
We hope that the blog could clear your doubts about the salary, job opportunities, and related information you were seeking on Program Management. If you want to add more points or share feedback, you can tell us in the comment box down there.
