00:00in this video we're going to answer the
00:02question what is the role of a technical
00:04program manager my name is kevin way and
00:06i'm here to help you prepare for your
00:08upcoming tech interview be sure to like
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00:12for more tech interview prep videos
00:17the technical program management role is
00:19becoming increasingly popular
00:22if you're looking to make the leap into
00:23becoming a tpm then you've probably seen
00:27various descriptions of this role in
00:28your research we're going to break down
00:30what exactly a tpm does and how you can
00:33transition into becoming a technical
00:35program manager yourself so what is atpm
00:39let's break this down letter by letter t
00:42technical tpms unsurprisingly requires a
00:45technical background for the most part
00:47tpms must be capable of making strategic
00:50decisions based on their technical
00:53this means most tpms need a coding or
00:56technical background to succeed p
00:58program tpms are centered on developing
01:01and executing technical programs for the
01:04in the context of tpms programs are a
01:07plan to accomplish a business goal with
01:10details on what to work on and by whom
01:13m management tpms manage the success of
01:17programs this includes ensuring projects
01:19are delivered on time and that metrics
01:22match the business's goals tpms work
01:24alongside other engineers product
01:26managers and stakeholders as they
01:29develop programs a massive aspect of a
01:32tpm's job is keeping their programs on
01:36technical programs may be pretty complex
01:39many different projects each with their
01:41own timelines so it's the tpm's job to
01:44make sure all of these projects are
01:46running smoothly so that the program's
01:48timeline can be maintained
01:50you might now be asking how are they
01:52different from project managers the fact
01:55that tpms are responsible for working
01:57cross-functionally to get programs
01:59delivered on time might make it appear
02:01as if they're project managers
02:03well the way you can think about this is
02:05that projects are subsets of programs
02:09a program can comprise several related
02:11and interconnected projects
02:13tpms are responsible for all aspects of
02:17as a result they're often tasked with
02:19working through every phase in the
02:21program's life cycle from the beginning
02:23idea phases to the monitoring phases in
02:26this requires them to have strong
02:28program sense cross-functional working
02:30relationships and the technical ability
02:32to be involved in engineering
02:35so now that you know what tpms do what
02:38skills do you need in order to
02:40transition into this role well it's no
02:42surprise that tpm is a multi-faceted
02:45position in the company one that
02:47requires interdisciplinary skills there
02:49are five skills you should focus on so
02:52that you can display that you're capable
02:55first you're going to want to show that
02:57you have strong technical aptitude
03:00every tpm must have strong aptitude and
03:02understanding of their organization's
03:04technical aspects and capabilities
03:07their technical knowledge will be
03:09indispensable for developing and
03:11executing programs next you're going to
03:13need planning and strategic thinking
03:16program management positions are deeply
03:18strategic focusing on long-term big
03:21picture initiatives intended to meet an
03:23organization's business goals tpms
03:25develop the program's roadmaps and
03:27strategies while leading the teams that
03:31this is where excellent people skills
03:32come into play allowing tpms to get
03:35buy-in make strategic decisions and get
03:38the team's trust tpms also need to have
03:40a strong understanding of business goals
03:43a tpm must understand the objectives of
03:47otherwise they would not be in the
03:48position to develop and deploy programs
03:51that would actually result in success
03:53and create business impact
03:55because of a tpm's focus on an
03:57organization's long-term strategic goals
04:00a successful tpm must have the ability
04:04measure and mitigate the many risks that
04:07come with their programs they must be
04:09able to make prudent decisions about how
04:11to best apply an organization's time
04:13resources and personnel to achieve some
04:17tpms must also be strong communicators
04:21communication is the foundation of the
04:22position as tpms must communicate the
04:25strategies roadmaps and issues connected
04:28with their programs to all stakeholders
04:31involved tpms are tasked with
04:33communicating complex technical ideas to
04:36both technical and non-technical
04:38audiences on their team
04:40and last but certainly not least tpms
04:43must have strong leadership
04:45numerous employees may work extensively
04:48on a project within the tpm's program
04:50as such much of their day-to-day
04:52workflow is determined by the strategies
04:54and roadmaps defined by their tpm
04:57tpms need strong leadership skills to
05:00successfully guide folks through the
05:01execution of the program
05:04as companies grow the need for tpms will
05:06only increase to make sure that programs
05:09are successful and cross-functional
05:11teams are working as one cohesive unit
05:14thanks for watching for more technical
05:16program management interview prep videos
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05:21good luck with your upcoming tpm