Technical Program Manager, Deployments at Zipline

About You and The Role

• We’re looking for an exceptional Technical Program Manager to lead the end-to-end execution of Zipline’s Nigeria deployments.
• You’ll own the integrated deployment plan, operating cadence, tools, and processes required to turn a complex portfolio of launches into predictable, repeatable execution. Working across Nigeria-based and global teams, you’ll identify risks early, drive accountability, resolve cross-functional issues, and ensure every site is ready to launch safely and successfully.
• If you’re energized by bringing order to complexity, leading high-stakes programs, and building systems that deliver meaningful real-world impact, we’d love to hear from you.

What You'll Do
Own the Nigeria deployment Operating system:

• Own the master deployment plan across multiple concurrent distribution center launches in Nigeria.
• Build and maintain integrated schedules connecting construction, procurement, shipping, hardware commissioning, regulatory approvals, software readiness, operations readiness, hiring, training, and launch execution.
• Maintain a single source of truth for program health, site readiness, key dependencies, and critical-path milestones.
• Continuously improve the deployment operating model so Nigeria launches become faster, more predictable, higher quality, and more cost-effective over time—with the long-term goal of launching new distribution centers in under three months.

Drive cross-functional execution:

• Lead execution across Engineering, Supply Chain, Construction, Logistics, Regulatory, Operations,  Finance, and Nigeria country teams.
• Identify risks months before they become problems by understanding long-term dependencies across workstreams, and anticipate how decisions made today can accelerate or jeopardize a launch many months down the road.
• Ensure every workstream has clear ownership, accountability, and escalation paths.
• Partner closely with Nigeria leadership to align deployments with customer commitments and country priorities.
• Serve as the central coordination point during commissioning and launch windows, helping teams rapidly resolve issues that threaten launch.

Build systems that scale:

• Develop repeatable planning tools, stage gates, dashboards, templates, playbooks, and readiness checklists that contribute to or become the standard for deployments globally.
• Establish metrics that provide clear visibility into schedule performance, launch readiness, execution quality, and deployment cost.
• Raise the execution standard across the company by building planning processes, operating rhythms, and decision-making mechanisms that enable teams to execute consistently at a world-class level.
• Capture lessons from every launch and translate them into improvements for future Nigeria and global deployments.

Lead program governance:

• Run weekly program reviews, executive status updates, cross-functional risk reviews, launch readiness reviews, and post-launch retrospectives.
• Provide leaders with concise, decision-oriented reporting that highlights priorities, risks, tradeoffs, and actions.
• Drive timely decisions when priorities compete, assumptions change, or plans fall behind.

What You'll Bring 

• 6+ years leading complex technical, operational, infrastructure, construction, manufacturing, deployment, or supply chain programs.
• Proven track record managing large cross-functional programs with multiple organizations and long-lead dependencies, with accountability for schedule, quality, and cost.
• Experience launching complex physical infrastructure or real-world operational systems. Experience in Nigeria or a comparable operating environment is highly preferred.
• Strong program management fundamentals, including integrated planning, critical-path management, risk mitigation, dependency management, and escalation frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to build operating systems such as integrated schedules, stage gates, readiness criteria, playbooks, and program dashboards.
• Hands-on experience with program and scheduling tools (e.g., Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, Primavera, Jira, Airtable), AI tools, and building dashboards that track KPIs.
• Clear, concise communicator who can simplify technical complexity and coordinate large cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Ability to work effectively across global, cross-cultural teams and translate between on-the-ground realities and global requirements.

Operating context and traits:

• Comfort operating in fast-paced, ambiguous, and safety- or regulation-sensitive environments.
• Willingness to travel regularly within Nigeria and internationally for planning, commissioning, and launch support.
• Flexibility to regularly work across time zones, and outside normal hours during critical launch periods.
• Relentless attention to detail, disciplined cadence-setting, strong judgment, and a bias toward measurable outcomes.

Non-negotiables:

• Prior ownership of integrated deployment schedules spanning engineering, procurement or manufacturing, shipping and logistics, and regulatory activities.
• Demonstrated history of improving schedule predictability, launch readiness, deployment cost, or execution quality.
• Experience personally driving complex programs through execution—not only creating plans or facilitating status meetings.