Are you an innovative, collaborative, and organized leader who wants to be part of world-class fulfillment centers and logistics systems across the globe? Do you want a high level of driving ownership to develop mechanisms that solve complex problems? Does the challenge of standardizing ambiguous programs and processes appeal to you? If so, we have a job for you! Global Engineering Services (GES) North America (NA) is searching for an innovative and solutions-oriented Strategic Planning Program Manager (SPM) to join their Business Strategy and Execution team to drive process initiatives and facilitate high impact programs for Amazon’s North American network. The goal of SPMs is three-fold: 1) serve as trusted advisors and strategic partners to pillar leaders by proactively resolving blockers and delivering targeted solutions, 2) develop standard mechanisms and goals that drive organizational alignment and operational excellence, and 3) support end-to-end talent strategy execution including hiring coordination and resource management.
SPMs value their direct relationship with customers and stakeholders to ensure that all requests are evaluated and prioritized on data-driven analyses aligned with strategic directives for the business. There are opportunities to create and drive impactful changes while simplifying processes. This includes building working groups to solve business challenges, optimize onboarding of fellow Amazonians, being the owner to end-to-end programmatic processes, driving productive facilitation of meetings, and creating effective process-oriented solutions to save time and reduce redundancies across the network. By fully embracing Amazon’s principles and implementing sustainable, scalable, and solution-based outcomes for programs and processes, the role helps connect programmatic work to the goals that the team will achieve. You will work with a variety of roles including technical program managers, design and controls engineers, and operations engineers in a fast-paced and often ambiguous environment. GES NA works on hundreds of projects by varying complexity – small to large – and processes each year. You will coordinate and collaborate with fellow engineers and managers across teams and organizations to reach outcomes that deliver on customer promise and optimize GES NA network.
This role requires 50% travel on a yearly basis. When not traveling, you must have the ability to work from a corporate office. Candidates should either live near or be willing to relocate within a reasonable commuting distance of one of the corporate office locations listed. Relocation assistance may be provided.
Key job responsibilities
High degree of organization – SPMs must have organizational acumen in order to manage and prioritize scope. This includes remaining nimble when last minute requests need closing out, and coordination of meetings that effectively overlap. Bridging materials, managing resources, and planning timelines are also an integral part of the role.
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Dealing with Ambiguity & Strategic Problem Solving – There are instances where a solution is hard to quantify or solve. SPMs must be able to handle situations that are not fully explained or understood, and it is anticipated that the individual is able to manage through and find creative, outside the box solutions as workarounds to solve problems. The individual must have grit to solve nuanced work and have the ownership to step in and find innovative solutions.
Written and Verbal Communication – SPMs articulate in both written and verbal formats. This includes the ability to write documents and presentations that are reviewed by leadership and senior leadership. This entails the ability to use concise language, willingness to embrace feedback, and speak confidently.
Business & Data Analytics – SPMs leverage data and business insights to drive strategic decision-making and operational efficiency. They collect, process, and analyze complex data to identify trends, translating findings into actionable solutions, standardized tools, and scalable templates. These frameworks support operational improvements and process standardization while effectively communicating insights to stakeholders at all levels. Examples include establishing relevant metrics and templates for business reviews, ensuring data quality, and synthesizing complex information into clear, business-aligned solutions.
Program/Product Management – SPMs rely on their program management experience to lead, coordinate, and drive programs (and products) to completion. This includes building engineering programs and products, manage stakeholder expectations, and drive to the success of a number of programs (or products). This entails ownership, earning trust, and meeting completion dates.
A day in the life SPM roles may differ on a regular basis depending on scope and pillar support. However, there will be consistency in approaches, mechanisms, and tools to drive success in the role. This includes managing leadership-aligned programs that improve the network, to gathering key inputs for goals and business reviews monthly to helping improve communications between teams and cross-functional organizations. Being able to decipher ambiguity and nuances is key to the role. There are deliverables and workback schedules to help drive working teams to completion. Ambiguity exists in different ways and having fungibility between program management, product development, and supply chain experience will bolster success. Facilitating meetings and capturing feedback for the programmatic teams require someone who is well-organized and have ability to push back, when necessary.
About the team
At Amazon, we are all Owners and leverage unique opportunities presented to us by owning everything from firm engineering to project execution and final hand-off to our customers. We are a diverse, upbeat, creative team of engineers and managers working on a daily basis to ensure that our internal customers have capabilities to deliver on the Customer Promise.
We not only build, but we are also consistently improving our capabilities at Amazon. Continuous improvement is the ongoing enhancement of our systems through incremental and breakthrough developments. We are continually raising the quality bar, and are never satisfied. We seek to improve through captured lessons learned that are incorporated back into our mechanisms as a way to perpetually improve upon the next design and processes iterations.
We continually learn, grow, and develop throughout the organization and our Subject Matter Expertise is leveraged globally.
GES NA works across North America to deliver Material Handling System launches, retrofits, and innovations. A day in the life can take place on a jobsite, in an active facility, or in one of Amazon’s corporate offices. GES NA is highly team-oriented, working daily be smarter together, be faster together, and to grow together.
The Engineering Business Strategy and Execution team consists of Strategic Planning Engineers (SPEs) and Program Managers (SPMs) who promote organizational parity, standardization, cadence, and collaboration throughout the organization.
Basic qualifications
3+ years of program or project management experience
Experience using data and metrics to determine and drive improvements
Experience working cross functionally with tech and non-tech teams
Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or other STEM field
Experience developing operational processes and data insights
Knowledge of and proficiency in Excel and SQL
Experience in process engineering, strategic planning, program management, or business operations roles supporting engineering or technical organizations
Experience building and maintaining business reporting frameworks, dashboards, or KPI tracking systems
Position includes travel up to 50% (Nationwide). Travel involves air travel to r
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