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Program Manager & AI Automation Lead

ExcelerateSan Diego, CAWorkforce Enablement
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Salary
$80 – $100 per hour
Job type
Contract
Work mode
Remote
Experience
Senior · 7+ yrs
Posted
22 Sept 2026
Status
Open · checked 7d ago

About this role

Excelerate seeks a Program Manager & AI Automation Lead in San Diego, CA to oversee technical initiatives and build automated workflows. This contract position suits professionals with extensive technical program management backgrounds and practical experience in agentic AI delivery.

Role Overview

Excelerate is hiring a Program Manager & AI Automation Lead for a 10-month contract engagement in San Diego, CA. The role requires a weekly commitment of 40 hours. The position combines technical program management with the creation of AI-agent-driven automation to enhance operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

Direct program execution for over 55 production services, managing executive operating reviews, incident tracking, root cause analysis, and readiness activities.
Define program priorities, scope, milestones, dependencies, and deliverables while coordinating work across various teams.
Locate and prioritize manual processes that can be streamlined or replaced through automation.
Create and productionize AI-agent automation for tasks such as ticketing, cross-platform reconciliation, program telemetry, reporting, and follow-up workflows.
Manage multiple AI agents toward specific outcomes by setting context, acceptance criteria, validation controls, and human-in-the-loop procedures.
Produce documentation and runbooks to keep automation maintainable, auditable, and reliable.
Report program risks, progress, decisions, and outcomes to senior technology leaders.
Foster cross-functional relationships to secure commitments through communication and follow-through.

Requirements

Bring at least 7 years of technical program management experience within infrastructure, platform, or high-scale technology settings.
Demonstrate practical experience designing and delivering AI-agent automation linked to live workflows and data.
Show a history of personally constructing automation and workflows, including API integrations for tools like Jira and Smartsheet, dashboards, tracking systems, and AI or agent tools such as Claude.
Share examples of shipped automation, detailing personal contributions, design choices, and resulting outcomes.
Apply AI governance practices, covering auditability, validation controls, and human-in-the-loop workflows.
Possess operational familiarity with the software development lifecycle, incident management, and distributed systems.
Display executive communication skills and the ability to drive delivery through influence in fast-moving technology environments.

Nice to Have

Background in security, identity, or authorization.

Skills and Tools

Claude
Jira
Smartsheet
API integrations
AI agent frameworks

Salary and Benefits

Pay rate ranges from $80 to $100 per hour.
Project-based hourly W2 employment status.
Eligible for benefits.

About the Company

Excelerate offers project-based contracting roles focused on operational excellence and technological automation initiatives.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly on the official Excelerate careers page.

Skills and tech stack

ClaudeJiraSmartsheetAPIsDistributed Systems

Questions candidates ask

What is the location and duration of the role?

The position is located in San Diego, CA, structured as a 10-month contract requiring 40 hours per week.

What is the compensation for this position?

The pay rate is between $80 and $100 per hour as a W2 project-based role with benefit eligibility.

How many years of experience are required?

Candidates need 7 or more years of technical program management experience in high-scale technology, infrastructure, or platform environments.

What technical tool experience is expected?

Candidates must have hands-on experience with API integrations for tools like Jira and Smartsheet, along with AI and agent tools such as Claude.

What is a preferred background qualification?

Experience in identity, security, or authorization is listed as a plus.

Ready to apply?

The application is on the official Excelerate careers page.

Apply on company site