Staff Technical Program Manager, Data Infrastructure

Overview

About the Role
This role offers the opportunity to put technical expertise and leadership skills toward driving high-impact programs that enhance our Data Infrastructure products, platforms, and tools, effectively enabling scalable, data-driven decision-making across the organization. As a Staff Technical Program Manager at Instacart, you will lead complex, high-visibility programs that transform and optimize the data platforms on which the company operates, addressing both internal needs and external monetization opportunities. You will work closely with cross-functional teams—including Data Engineering, Data Science, Analytics, and Product—to define strategy, prioritize enhancements, manage execution, and deliver impactful, user-centric solutions.

This role is critical to ensuring our data ecosystem evolves to meet the needs of internal data practitioners while also powering scalable, trustworthy data products for external stakeholders. In this role, you will be instrumental in integrating AI solutions, ensuring robust data governance, and delivering a forward-looking data platform that drives Instacart’s strategic initiatives.

Every day, you will solve impactful problems, foster user-centric thinking, and lead the delivery of programs that enable Instacart to leverage a world-class data ecosystem. Join us in this opportunity to shape the future of how data drives innovation, efficiency, and growth in the grocery space and beyond.

About the Team
The Data Infrastructure team at Instacart powers the foundational tools, platforms, and governance that support data-driven decision-making across the company. From enabling internal teams to discover insights swiftly using robust internal tooling, to building scalable data solutions for external products, the team drives some of the most impactful programs for the company. The Technical Program Management team partners closely with data engineering, analytics, and AI/ML stakeholders to align efforts with company goals and deliver cutting-edge solutions for data practitioners and business users across our ecosystem.

The TPM role in this space is uniquely positioned to address challenges like improving internal data workflows, scaling infrastructure for exponential growth, and integrating AI into the platform’s offerings to better serve both internal and external users. Programs led by the TPM team will directly enhance data quality, usability, and governance, underpinning key innovations like user hyper-personalization, data monetization, and ethical AI adoption.

About the Job
As the Staff TPM for Data Infrastructure, you will:

• Drive the strategy, planning, and execution of high-impact programs for data platforms and infrastructure, balancing the needs of internal practitioners (engineers, analysts, data scientists) with external use cases like data monetization and hyper-personalization.
• Act as the owner and primary driver of key initiatives to evolve Instacart’s data catalog , experimentation platform, and frameworks for data governance, self-service pipelines, and monitoring.
• Partner closely with data practitioners to deeply understand workflows, pain points, and tools that accelerate productivity, enabling a forward-looking roadmap for internal data tools.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define and deliver scalable platforms for external data monetization, ensuring robust governance, compliance, and dataset quality.
• Be instrumental in integrating AI into the data platform, identifying opportunities where AI enhances internal productivity or empowers external product experiences.
• Own clear and effective communication with stakeholders at all levels, ensuring alignment and transparency on program scope, progress, risks, and trade-offs.
• Define and drive the adoption of frameworks, metrics, and processes for prioritizing work, measuring success, and ensuring alignment between business value and technical investments.
• Advocate for and implement data governance solutions that ensure scalability, compliance, and ethical use of data assets for internal and externally facing initiatives.
• Work with stakeholders across the company to enable maximum value realization from the existing tech stack while identifying opportunities for innovation and efficiency.
• Drive clarity and remove ambiguity in areas of high complexity, ensuring forward progress on critical business priorities.

About You

Minimum Qualifications:

• 10+ years of post-graduation experience in a technology field, including roles such as technical program manager, engineering manager, product manager, or software engineer within a data-heavy or technical space.
• Proven experience leading end-to-end programs in the design, development, and deployment of data platforms, tools, and pipelines.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex programs involving internal tooling for data practitioners and external-facing data initiatives, including integration with AI/ML solutions.
• Expertise in navigating the intersection of engineering and business needs, with the ability to prioritize technical feasibility alongside user impact.
• Strong familiarity with data ecosystems, including data infrastructure, cataloging, experimentation platforms, governance frameworks, and scalable architecture.
• Skilled communicator adept at delivering detailed artifacts and tracking plans for engineering teams while simultaneously upleveling to executive-level summaries.
• Experience working hands-on with cross-functional teams, including product management, data engineering, and data science, to align on vision and execution.
• Passionate about unlocking the full potential of data platforms and delivering tools that empower data practitioners to work efficiently and effectively.
• Bachelor’s degree or greater in a technology or engineering discipline.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in a relevant technical field.
• Experience delivering data infrastructure solutions for both internal and external customers in a high-growth environment.
• Understanding of AI/ML technologies and a track record of facilitating their integration into data-related programs.
• Demonstrated success advocating for and driving the adoption of governance, data quality, and compliance frameworks for scalable infrastructure.
• Strong technical acumen in areas like data architecture and pipelines, paired with the ability to influence both technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels.

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