Staff Technical Program Manager, Compute & Data Infrastructure

Location: Bellevue, United States | Los Angeles, Canada | Palo Alto, Canada

Department: Engineering

Employment Type: Full time

About Snap Inc

Snap Inc is a technology company. We believe the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. Snap contributes to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together.

About the Role

Snap Inc is a camera company that believes the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. We contribute to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together through our core products: Snapchat, a visual messaging app; Lens Studio, an AR platform; and Spectacles, our AR glasses. As a Staff Technical Program Manager, Compute & Data Infrastructure in Engineering, you will be a strategic, high-leverage leader at the intersection of software engineering, machine learning, data analytics, and execution. Unlike traditional TPM roles, you will serve as a single-threaded owner of large-scale programs powering the compute and data backbone for Snap's camera-first innovations, writing Python notebooks, building dashboards, and shaping technical roadmaps to ensure scalable, reliable infrastructure for real-time AR and visual experiences. In this hands-on role, you will lead cross-functional programs spanning engineering orgs, managing ambiguity and dependencies to deliver outcomes that fuel Snapchat's global scale, Lens Studio's AR creativity, and Spectacles' immersive capabilities. Partnering with engineering leaders, you will drive architectural decisions, optimize compute costs, and use data-driven insights to enhance platform reliability and performance. Your work will directly impact Snap's ability to process massive camera data streams, enabling innovative features that keep our community connected and creative in fast-moving environments. Thriving in Snap's dynamic, creative culture requires quick learning, technical depth, and ownership. You will mentor teams, build automation tools, and operate with high visibility to scale our data infrastructure. Our rigorous interview process—featuring technical screens, Python/SQL coding via HackerRank, and leadership interviews—ensures we hire TPMs who think like engineers and act like owners. Join us to drive the infrastructure that powers Snap's vision of a more expressive, AR-enhanced world. Snap practices a 'Default Together' policy, expecting 4+ days per week in office to build our culture faster.

What You'll Do

• Lead complex, cross-functional programs spanning multiple engineering organizations for Snap's Compute & Data Infrastructure, requiring deep technical understanding to power camera and AR innovations
• Operate as a single-threaded owner (STO) for high-stakes programs managing ambiguity, dependencies, and alignment across teams building scalable data systems for Snapchat and Lens Studio
• Own the full lifecycle of programs—from ideation to execution to operational excellence—delivering infrastructure that supports AR glasses (Spectacles) and real-time visual messaging
• Partner directly with engineering and product leadership to shape roadmaps, influence technical decisions, and drive accountability for compute resources fueling creative AR experiences
• Use hands-on data analytics (Python, SQL, dashboards, notebooks) to guide programs, uncover insights on data pipelines, and communicate clearly with senior stakeholders
• Contribute to Snap’s technical ecosystem by building automation tools, improving internal systems, and identifying opportunities for platform-wide transformation in data infrastructure
• Drive development programs with complex interdependencies and platform excellence programs focused on reliability, efficiency, and performance for high-volume camera data processing
• Mentor and grow junior TPMs and Engineers to scale the performance of the Compute & Data Infrastructure org, fostering Snap's innovative and creative culture
• Ensure engineering systems scale cost-consciously to handle massive data from Snapchat's global user base and AR features
• Collaborate on initiatives optimizing compute for machine learning models powering Lenses and Spectacles AR capabilities

Minimum Qualifications

• BS/BA degree in an analytical field (Computer Science, Engineering, Science, Math, etc.) or equivalent years of experience
• 11+ years of experience spanning Engineering, Data Science, or Technical Program Management leading cross-functional efforts in the software or tech industry in a data-driven environment
• 6+ years of experience in Technical Program Management
• A proven track record of leading large-scale, ambiguous programs in fast-paced, cross-functional environments
• Strong proficiency with Python and SQL, and experience using data to analyze systems, build tools, or inform decisions
• Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Grafana, Looker, Tableau), source control (e.g., GitHub), and ticket management (e.g., JIRA)
• Experience working directly with engineers and contributing to technical design, architectural trade-offs, and roadmap planning

Preferred Qualifications

• A background in software engineering, machine learning, or infrastructure systems
• Prior hands-on experience with big data technologies such as Spark, Airflow, Hive, Kafka, or Flink
• Familiarity with cloud-native infrastructure (e.g., AWS, GCP) and containerization tools like Kubernetes or Docker
• Deep understanding of ML development workflows, model lifecycle management, or experimentation frameworks
• Background in building internal tools or developer platforms to improve engineering velocity and system reliability
• Experience managing production systems, reliability initiatives, or cost optimization programs

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Python programming
• SQL querying
• Data analytics and visualization (Grafana, Looker, Tableau)
• Source control (GitHub)
• Ticket management (JIRA)
• Technical design and architectural trade-offs
• Roadmap planning and execution
• Cross-functional leadership
• Handling ambiguity in fast-paced environments
• Hands-on tool building and automation
• Big data technologies (Spark, Airflow, etc.)
• Cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP)
• Containerization (Kubernetes, Docker)
• ML workflows and experimentation
• Communication and stakeholder influence
• Mentoring and organizational skills
• First-principles thinking
• High-visibility ownership

Our Benefits

• Paid parental leave
• Comprehensive medical coverage
• Emotional and mental health support programs
• Compensation packages that let you share in Snap’s long-term success
• Office collaboration under our 'Default Together' policy (4+ days per week in office)
• Opportunities to work on cutting-edge camera, AR, and creative tech products
• Diverse, inclusive culture with equal opportunity employment
• Accommodations for disabilities or special needs

Compensation

$209,000-$313,000 annually

This position is eligible for equity in the form of RSUs.

"Default Together" Policy: At Snap Inc, we practice a "default together" approach and expect team members to work in an office 4+ days per week.

Snap is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.