Program Director

APPLY

Toronto, ON, Canada4h ago

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Key details

Salary: CA$160K–CA$200K/yr
Location: Toronto, ON, Canada
Work style: Hybrid
Level: Lead / Staff+
Job type: Full-time
Experience: 10–13 yrs
Function: Product / Program management
Focus area: other
Posted: 4h ago

Skills

account managementaccount planningagentic aiagilebusiness developmentchange managementchange ordersclaudeclaude codeconfluencegcpgeminigenerative aijirakanbanllmmodel context protocolproject managementsdlcsmartsheetwaterfall

About the role

ABOUT APPLY

APPLY is the Agentic Customer Experience (ACx) partner for the world's most ambitious consumer and entertainment brands. We bring together deep domain expertise across Retail, CPG, Sports, and Media with AI-native delivery capability, designing and delivering agentic solutions that turn CX vision into commercial reality. We are the partner of choice for brands like Arc'teryx, NFL, Lululemon, and Kraft Heinz. For more information, visit applydigital.com.

LOCATION: APPLY is hybrid/remote friendly. The preferred candidate should be based in Canada, working in hours that align to ET (Eastern Timezone).

THE ROLE:

As a Program Director at APPLY, you will hold a hybrid role combining senior program leadership, account management, and client services for a strategic enterprise manufacturing client. You will lead delivery across a multi-track program while acting as the executive relationship lead, establishing governance, steering committees, and account plans to position APPLY for strategic growth.

Leading a team of Project Managers who handle day-to-day execution, you will focus on high-level program structure, executive stakeholder alignment, and expansion. Following the rollout of the client's Gemini Enterprise infrastructure, you will lead subsequent phases to transform their innovation and R&D processes across multiple business units.

Bringing a digital agency or consultancy background with manufacturing sector experience, you are an AI-forward leader accountable for operationalizing APPLY's agentic delivery model. You will establish robust human-in-the-loop guardrails, maintain high quality standards, and guide clients in adopting modern AI-driven workflows.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Leadership

Define and lead the delivery strategy for multi-million dollar, multi-track programs from discovery through delivery, establishing custom governance mechanisms, steering committees, and executive reporting cadences.

Set program strategy, plans, and success metrics, overseeing milestones, dependencies, resources, risks, and assumptions across all workstreams.

Scope and shape new business initiatives, translating business needs into clear delivery approaches, requirements, and estimates.

Coach cross-functional teams and Project Managers on Agile, Waterfall, Kanban, and Agentic delivery frameworks tailored to project needs.

Client Services & Account Management

Serve as the primary client relationship lead, cultivating trusted C-suite and Director-level relationships while driving long-term account growth plans.

Share accountability for account revenue, profitability, client satisfaction, and commercial agreements (SOWs, change orders, pricing, margin targets).

Navigate complex client conversations and sensitive situations with diplomacy, ensuring team alignment with client priorities.

Manufacturing Industry Leadership

Apply deep understanding of manufacturing operations, plant systems, and R&D processes to inform solution design and client advisory.

Serve as internal subject matter expert, shaping APPLY's manufacturing points of view and partnering with Business Development on RFPs, proposals, and new business.

Agentic & AI-Enabled Delivery Leadership

Guide client adoption of Gemini Enterprise and agentic delivery methods, defining review gates, human-in-the-loop governance, and value metrics.

Promote reusable prompts, skills, and automated workflows and improve PjM processes to elevate delivery efficiency across the discipline.

REQUIREMENTS

Program Delivery & Client Services Experience

10+ years leading end-to-end digital delivery in consulting or agency environments for enterprise clients.

Proven track record in client services and account management, building C-suite relationships and driving account growth.

Experience managing multi-track programs or portfolios with $7-10M+ annual financial responsibility, diverse stakeholders, and competing priorities.

Strong commercial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, proposal estimates, and scoping multi-million dollar engagements.

Expertise in Agile, Kanban, Waterfall, and agentic delivery frameworks across the full software development lifecycle.

Proficiency with AI tools (Gemini, Claude) and modern project management software (JIRA, Confluence, Smartsheet, Workspace).

Previous experience as a Strategist, Business Analyst, Technologist, or another role that contributed directly to digital project deliverables.

Manufacturing Experience

Experience consulting or working within B2B manufacturing environments, with a strong understanding of plant-level operations and engineering systems to drive digital and AI opportunities.

Proven track record supporting innovation, R&D, or product development functions.

Communication & Soft Skills

Communication Excellence: Exceptional written and verbal communication, tailored across audiences from steering committees to delivery teams with clarity and transparency.

Influence & Gravitas: Able to lead, advise, and sell, with the gravitas to influence C-level executives, with a high degree of independence and autonomy in decision-making.

Interpersonal Intelligence: High emotional intelligence, navigating conflict with empathy, practicing compassionate candor, and influencing stakeholders without formal authority.

Sound Judgment: Experience-based judgment to guide teams, address complex challenges, and make sound business decisions balancing client satisfaction, profitability, quality, and team cohesion.

AI & Agentic Delivery

As APPLY operates on an agentic model, hands-on AI fluency is essential. You will use these tools daily, coach others in them, and lead discussions about agentic workflows with clients and internal teams.

Hands-on experience with Claude and Gemini (Gemini Enterprise), is strongly preferred.

Hands-on experience using LLMs and AI workflows to accelerate planning, documentation, and reporting, with strong critical evaluation skills to refine outputs and set team review standards.

A passion for AI with a commitment to continuous growth, experimentation, and guiding teams and clients through evolving ways of working.

Experience leading program-level agentic delivery, designing human-AI workflows, and guiding change management is a nice to have.

Familiarity with BMAD, Markdown, CLI AI tools (e.g., Claude Code), and MCP connectors is a bonus.

Relevant AI certifications (e.g., GCP Generative AI Leader, Gemini Enterprise, Anthropic Academy) are considered an asset.

LIFE AT APPLY

People are at the core of everything we do at APPLY. We provide you with modern tools, systems and approaches, value your time, safety, and health, and strive to build a work community where you can thrive and grow. Here are a few benefits we offer to support you:

Agentic Delivery: Our people work in a modern way to deliver client outcomes. Broaden your skills on a range of engagements with international brands that have a global impact.

An inclusive and safe environment: We’re truly committed to building a culture where you are celebrated and everyone feels welcome and safe.

AI & Strategic Upskilling: Accelerate your professional growth with generous training budgets and mentorship, with a specific focus on Agentic AI expertise and the critical human skills required for the future of work.

Generous vacation policy: Work-life balance is key to our team’s success, so we offer flexible personal time off (PTO); allowing ample time away from work to promote overall well-being.

Customizable benefits: Tailor your extended health and dental plan to your needs, priorities, and preferences.

Flexible work arrangements: We work in a variety of ways, from remote, to in-office, to a blend of both.

APPLY is a safe, respectful, and inclusive community where differences are celebrated. We are committed to equal opportunity and fostering a workplace where everyone belongs. Learn more in our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) section. For recruitment accommodations, please email careers@applydigital.com.