Technical Program Manager

At AutoZone, we are on a journey to transform our Search Platform into a highly intelligent, scalable, and customer-centric discovery engine. As a Technical Program Manager (TPM) on the Search Platform team, you will lead the end-to-end execution of complex, cross-functional initiatives that power search, relevance, ranking, and AI-driven discovery experiences across our digital ecosystem.

You will partner closely with Engineering, Product, Data Science, and Infrastructure teams to deliver high-impact search capabilities that improve customer engagement, conversion, and overall experience. This role requires a strong blend of technical depth, program leadership, and business alignment to translate strategic goals into scalable, production-ready solutions.

A successful candidate will bring experience managing large-scale distributed systems, a solid understanding of modern search and AI-driven architectures, and a proven ability to drive execution, influence stakeholders, and deliver measurable outcomes in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

Program Leadership

• Lead end-to-end execution of search platform initiatives from concept through production

• Drive alignment across Product, Engineering, Data Science, and Infrastructure teams

• Manage multiple concurrent programs with clear prioritization, dependencies, and trade-offs

• Establish and track program KPIs (e.g., latency, relevance, conversion, search success rate)

Search & AI Strategy Execution

• Partner with leadership to execute the search roadmap across keyword, semantic, and AI-powered search

• Drive adoption of modern capabilities such as vector search, embeddings, hybrid retrieval, and LLM-based ranking

• Translate business problems into scalable search and discovery solutions aligned with customer and revenue goals

Technical Delivery

• Work closely with engineering teams on indexing pipelines, data ingestion, query processing, and ranking systems

• Ensure solutions meet enterprise standards for scalability, resiliency, performance, and cost efficiency

• Align architecture and design decisions with enterprise and platform standards

Data-Driven Optimization

• Define, monitor, and improve key search metrics (e.g., search success rate, zero-result rate, CTR, latency)

• Lead experimentation frameworks including A/B testing and relevance tuning

• Use data insights to prioritize enhancements and quantify business impact

Stakeholder Management

• Build strong, trusted relationships with business, product, and technology leaders

• Communicate program status, risks, and outcomes clearly to senior leadership

• Act as the bridge between technical teams and business stakeholders, enabling informed decision-making

Operational Excellence

• Establish scalable program governance, playbooks, and delivery frameworks

• Identify risks, dependencies, and bottlenecks early; drive mitigation and resolution

• Champion Agile, SDLC, and DevOps best practices across teams

• Coordinate across internal teams and external vendors/partners as needed

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field required; Master's degree preferred

• Minimum of 10 - 15 years of total experience in technology, with at least 5 - 7 years in Technical Program Management or leading large-scale, cross-functional initiatives

• Proven experience delivering programs for distributed systems, preferably in Search, Recommendations, or Data Platforms

• Strong understanding of search systems, including indexing, query processing, and ranking; experience with platforms such as Elasticsearch, Apache Solr, or similar technologies is highly desirable

• Experience with microservices, APIs, and cloud-native architectures (AWS, Azure, or GCP); familiarity with MACH principles is a plus

• Experience working with Data Science / ML teams, including experimentation (A/B testing), model lifecycle, and data-driven optimization

• Strong experience in Agile methodologies (Scrum / Kanban / SAFe) and program governance frameworks

• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, problem-solving, and analytical skills; ability to influence without direct authority

• Experience managing program financials, resource planning, and vendor/partner relationships is a plus

• Strong ownership mindset, high sense of urgency, and ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, fast-paced environments

• Exposure to AI/ML-driven search, semantic search, vector databases, and LLM-based retrieval systems is highly desirable

Since opening our first store in 1979, AutoZone has grown into a leading retailer and distributor of automotive parts and accessories across the Americas. Our customer-first mindset and commitment to Going the Extra Mile define who we are, for both our customers and AutoZoners. Working at AutoZone means being part of a team that values dedication, teamwork, and growth. Whether you're helping customers or building your career, we provide tools and support to help you succeed and drive your future.

Benefits at AutoZone

AutoZone offers thoughtful benefits programs with one-on-one benefits guidance designed to improve AutoZoners' physical, mental and financial well-being.

All AutoZoners (Full-Time and Part-Time):

• Competitive pay

• Unrivaled company culture

• Medical, dental and vision plans

• Exclusive discounts and perks, including an AutoZone in-store discount

• 401(k) with company match and Stock Purchase Plan

• AutoZoners Living Well Program for free mental health support

• Opportunities for career growth

Additional Benefits for Full-Time AutoZoners:

• Paid time off