Senior Technical Program Manager; AI

Senior Technical Program Manager (AI)

Job :  | Category:
Technology | Position Type:
Full Time |

Location:

US-CA-Pleasanton

Today, through BHN’s single global platform, businesses of all kinds can tap into the world’s largest network of branded payment solutions. BHN helps businesses grow revenue, increase loyalty, motivate and reward their teams, disburse funds and engage consumers. Branded payment solutions include the issuance and distribution of gift cards, e‑gifts, corporate payouts and rewards, along with the technology to deliver these products in seamless, integrated ways.

BHN’s network spans the globe with more than 400,000 consumer touchpoints. Learn more at

Hybrid flexibility: At Blackhawk Network, you’ll enjoy the best of both worlds—focused remote work plus in‑person collaboration on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, our regular in‑office days at our Pleasanton headquarters. This rhythm gives you the tools, connection, and autonomy you need to make a real impact.

At Blackhawk Network, we’re shaping the future of global branded payments through cutting‑edge digital technologies that connect brands and people across the globe. Our fintech solutions— from digital payments and prepaid products to scalable infrastructure and security—drive innovation, customer loyalty, and business growth.

We are accelerating the use of AI to improve how work gets done across the company while continuing to deliver innovative branded payment solutions at global scale.

About the Role

We are seeking a Senior Program Manager – AI to drive cross‑functional AI programs that help business and technology teams automate work, improve operating efficiency, and deliver measurable outcomes. This role will sit at the intersection of business teams, AI architecture, AI engineering, data, operations, legal, compliance, and security to identify high‑value opportunities, define execution plans, and drive delivery from concept through deployment.

This is first and foremost a program management role. The ideal candidate brings strong program management discipline, excellent cross‑functional leadership, and enough technical and AI fluency to work effectively with business and technical partners on initiatives that automate workflows, improve decision‑making, and increase productivity through AI and workflow automation capabilities.

AI Program Intake and Prioritization

• Partner with business and technology stakeholders to evaluate requests, define scope, and sequence work against capacity and business value.
• Translate business needs into clear program charters, milestones, and delivery plans for AI‑enabled automation initiatives.
• Build and maintain the AI program roadmap for assigned domains, including dependencies, delivery timelines, key decisions, and status across concurrent initiatives.
• Help teams make tradeoffs based on outcome impact, adoption, delivery risk, and business value.

Program Governance and Execution

• Lead end‑to‑end program execution for AI initiatives from planning through launch, ensuring disciplined operating cadences and predictable delivery.
• Proactively manage risks, issues, cross‑team dependencies, escalations, and tradeoffs across engineering, data, architecture, and business teams.
• Create visibility through regular syncs, decision forums, dependency tracking, and crisp status communications tailored to technical, business, and leadership audiences.
• Ensure launch readiness by coordinating testing, rollout planning, operational handoffs, documentation, and post‑deployment follow‑up for AI solutions.
• Partner closely with AI architects and technical teams to assess feasibility, identify gaps and risks, and turn automation opportunities into executable programs.
• Support pilot execution and rollout of AI capabilities, helping teams move from experimentation to repeatable operational use cases.
• Define and track program KPIs such as throughput, productivity gains, cycle time reduction, quality improvements, adoption, and business value realization.
• Create lightweight templates, checklists, and working practices that improve repeatability and help peer teams execute more effectively.
• Part…