[Remote] Senior Principal, Technical Program Management (Research & Development)

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Twilio is a leading customer engagement platform that empowers developers to build modern communication applications. They are seeking a Senior Principal Technical Program Manager for Research & Development to direct complex programs, set strategies, and ensure successful delivery of business and technical improvements across various teams.ResponsibilitiesOrchestrate the technical strategy and multi-year roadmap for high-impact, cross-organizational technical programs that define the future of Twilio’s platforms. You manage systemic complexity and high-stakes risk while serving as the primary technical point of contact for SVPs and executive leadership on mission-critical programsArchitect the end-to-end execution framework, including global sequencing logic, multi-tier governance, architectural integration patterns, and enterprise-grade operational success metrics. You ensure the strategy accounts for technical debt retirement and long-term platform health, moving beyond a project plan to build a sustainable delivery engineOrchestrate Cross-Portfolio Alignment: Own the master execution roadmap for complex, interdependent product suites. You identify and resolve structural misalignment between engineering roadmaps, surfacing high-stakes tradeoffs and resource reallocations to executive leadershipPartner deeply with lead engineers/architects to evaluate technical approaches, integration patterns, and operational risks; ensure plans reflect real system constraints, failure modes, and readiness requirementsDefine Systems of Accountability: Establish the organizational "operating system" for high-stakes programs. Beyond RACI, you define the standards for how cross-functional teams interact, ensuring clear ownership across siloed domains when technical priorities conflictAnticipate Ecosystem-Wide Impacts: Proactively identify "hidden" technical requirements across the platform (e.g., global security / compliance shifts, complex billing migrations, or observability gaps) and ensure they are integrated into the core technical design, not treated as afterthoughtsScale R&D Excellence: Design and institutionalize durable program frameworks and technical readiness standards that elevate the execution maturity of the entire global R&D organization. You build the playbooks that become the Twilio standard for large-scale engineering deliveryForce Multiplier & Mentor: Mentor to Principal TPMs and Engineering Leads. You raise the collective bar for technical risk management, executive storytelling, and high-velocity decision-makingSkills12+ years of experience leading massive-scale technical programs in a high-growth, distributed systems and software engineering domainProven ability to influence technical direction and architectural decisions at the VP/SVP level, with a track record of steering programs through complex technical pivotsExpert-level mastery in defining execution strategies for programs with hundreds of engineers; you have a 'spidey sense' for identifying integration risks and failure modes before they manifestExceptional ability to frame highly technical challenges into strategic business narratives, driving consensus among senior executives with competing prioritiesDeep technical depth in cloud-scale infrastructure, API-first design, and distributed systems. Proven experience influencing Staff/Principal/Distinguished Engineers and challenging assumptions when necessaryDemonstrated success in building and scaling operational readiness frameworks using self-service tools to surface status, actions, and KPIs across a multi-thousand-person R&D organizationA proven track record of bringing order to chaos, creating high-functioning execution structures in environments where specifications, technologies, and market demands are in constant fluxBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, a related field or equivalent practical experienceMaster's in computer science or engineering or a related field5+ years of technical program management at hyperscaler or Fortune 100 cloud software/infrastructure companiesDomain expertise in global-scale communications (Telephony, SMS, CPaaS) or high-throughput distributed platformsExperience leading 'company-bet' transformations, such as major cloud migrations or foundational platform re-architecturesBenefitsCompetitive payGenerous time offAmple parental and wellness leaveHealthcareA retirement savings programThis role may be eligible to participate in Twilio’s equity plan.All roles are generally eligible for the following benefits: health care insurance, 401(k) retirement account, paid sick time, paid personal time off, paid parental leave.Company OverviewTwilio is a cloud communication company that enables users to use standard web languages to build voice, VoIP, and SMS apps via a web API. It was founded in 2008, and is headquartered in San Francisco, California, USA, with a workforce of 5001-10000 employees. Its website is https://www.twilio.com/.Company H1B SponsorshipTwilio has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships, with 12 in 2026, 215 in 2025, 168 in 2024, 209 in 2023, 369 in 2022, 264 in 2021, 157 in 2020. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role.