What does a technical program manager do?

Technical program managers (TPMs) are key to our mission to innovate as a tech leader in the financial industry. They combine strong technical acumen and engineering experience with leadership and program management skills to drive innovation across Capital One’s tech stack, deliver on critical business goals and build large-scale products and platforms.

We spoke to a few of them about their work, the skills they use and what candidates can expect at Capital One.

What does a technical program manager do at Capital One?

Anita, technical program manager with a focus on AI and generative AI: A technical program manager is a problem solver. You work with your team to create short and long-term solutions to any problems that may arise. Working with AI, a field that is constantly growing and evolving, I also have to think on my feet.

Matthew, technical program manager in Consumer Products and Platforms: We focus on building products that make our customers happy. Even though they are tech projects, the impact can span the entire company. You’re driving strategies and solutions and moving projects forward.

Toby, technical program manager in Banking Technology: Our job is focused on leading technical programs through the full technical planning and delivery lifecycle to achieve goals, like building new products and modernizing our tech. There’s a strong focus on planning and execution, while our ultimate goal is to add value to our customers and the company. 

What skills does a technical program manager need?

Anita: It’s a good balance between soft skills and technical skills. Soft skills, such as storytelling, are extremely important as a TPM. You’re working across multiple teams and groups, and some of them aren’t technical. Sometimes you need to take a step back, look at who you’re trying to help and explain the project in a way that is understandable, like a story. 

Matthew: We need a few different groups of skills to succeed. There’s the technical depth and knowledge for solving problems focused on the product. There’s also program management, which is the day-to-day execution and problem solving. Then there’s leadership qualities, which is how we bring people together across the company.

Toby: Along with technical aptitude and program management, I use a lot of leadership skills. Influence is critical to get to decisions and drive value creation. You work with multiple stakeholders with different perspectives. Communication and influence are key. 

What projects have you worked on?

Anita: I’ve worked on a proprietary generative AI agent servicing tool that is helping our agents get access to information to resolve customer questions more quickly and efficiently. It’s super exciting, cutting-edge technology, and I’ve enjoyed delivering products that enhance our customer experience through new technology.

Matthew: I worked on a large modernization project for our mobile app. It was a multi-year initiative, and I came in at the end. My job was to help drive solutions, work with different teams across the company and ultimately make the app more robust. It helped unlock productivity and provided customers with the updated and streamlined experience they needed.

Toby: In the past year, my team and I have built out our internal business system of record. We analyzed our current tech and data storage architecture and decided what could be kept and what needed to be rebuilt. I’ve also worked on cloud migration and client facing programs to develop new products.

What led you to the technical program manager role?

Anita: I started as an engineer working in startups, and that’s where I grew into a TPM role. I realized I enjoyed looking at a high-level solution, organizing teams and having the full vision of a project. I was excited to join Capital One as a TPM in 2023. Since we’re using generative AI and other new technologies, the group I'm working with functions like a startup within a big organization. We’ve got so many new things and innovations.

Matthew: I was an engineering and product manager before I was a TPM. I grew into the TPM role, which I’ve found is a combination of those skill sets. You’re able to coordinate and lead so that product developers and engineers work together well.

Toby: I would say that the role found me. I’m a boomerang associate, so I wasn't working at Capital One when they created the TPM job. I had a role as a software engineering leader at another company, and several former coworkers reached out to me about the position given my background of program, leadership and technology. I knew Capital One prioritized innovative, cutting-edge tech, and I was looking to do more of that.

What motivates your work?

Anita: The AI and Gen AI space is moving so quickly, it's exciting to be learning new things every day. We are able to attend talks from researchers. We can also take classes through Tech College, Capital One’s internal tech learning platform. Capital One is great at giving our tech teams space to make progress.

Matthew: I’m always challenging myself to think bigger. Everything starts with the customers and the users. It’s always important to anchor whatever you’re doing in what the customer needs. From there, you can start thinking about what needs to happen to get to that result. Thinking that way gets you ready to start innovating and trying new ideas.

Toby: I like to find ways to be more efficient in how we deliver products. I try to understand patterns and ask myself what works well and what techniques we can use to build on the plan. We’re constantly learning and looking for new ways to improve.