Senior Technical Program Manager

Who we are: First Street is the standard for Climate Risk Financial Modeling. We use transparent and peer-reviewed methodologies to calculate the past, present, and future climate risk for every property in the world. We started working with the world’s leading climate scientists to create groundbreaking, climate-adjusted, property specific models over 8 years ago and haven’t stopped. 

Our mission: We exist to connect climate and financial risk. 

Our data: We create physics-based, deterministic models of flooding, wildfire and hurricanes, and advanced statistical models of extreme heat, air quality, drought, hail, severe convective storms, winter storms, and more. All of this data is used to create property-level financial risk metrics and macroeconomic variables to quantify the impacts of climate, property by property.

Our customers: We empower governments at the highest levels to make smart regulations, businesses to avoid bad investments, and everyday Americans to understand their personal risk from climate change. We are relied on every day by:

• Agencies ranging from the U.S. Department of Treasury to Fannie Mae

• The world's biggest banks such as Bank of America and Wells Fargo 

• Institutional investors like Nuveen and Blackstone 

• Millions of everyday users on Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com, Homes.com, and more 

We believe:  With the right data, we can identify the problems, avoid bad investments, and implement solutions. This is why we have invested tens of millions of dollars into our science, data, people, and products and have raised tens of millions more to move even faster. Read more about our culture here and see what Climate Risk Financial Modeling is all about here. 

Come join us and use your talents to change the world.

Team & Role Overview: 

As a Senior Technical Program Manager at First Street, you are a cross-functional leader within the Program Management Office and the broader Business Operations Team. Reporting to the Director of Program Management, you’ll work closely with Climate Scientists, Data Scientists, project managers, and senior leadership to ensure the success of our most complex, high-impact initiatives.

You will be instrumental in translating big ideas and technical insights into concrete, actionable plans—driving project strategy, balancing scope, schedule, and cost, and holding teams accountable. We’re looking for someone who can work independently, take initiative, and drive projects forward with the support of a collaborative and capable team.

What you’ll do: 

• Lead large-scale, cross-functional climate data science projects independently, with support from your team

• Define, scope, and plan initiatives – incorporating timelines, risks, dependencies, and contingencies

• Translate business requirements into technical project deliverables and tasks

• Drive execution by serving as a problem-solver across teams and facilitating decision-making between key stakeholders

• Lead risk assessments and adjust plans in response to evolving information

• Proactively surface bottlenecks and guide decision-making discussions with First Street Leadership

• Build and maintain detailed project plans and timelines—including 12+ month initiatives with complex interdependencies

• Manage project resources in collaboration with Project Leads

• Coordinate cross-team handoffs to ensure seamless transitions and knowledge continuity

• Serve as the primary liaison to stakeholders – keeping all parties aligned and moving forward

What you’ll need: 

• 4-6 years of technical project/program management experience, ideally within a science, research, or climate technology setting. 

• Demonstrated success leading interdisciplinary stakeholder initiatives within climate, science, or research and owning the full lifecycle for multiple projects concurrently.

• Strong knowledge of program/project management methodologies and techniques demonstrated by experience scoping complex projects and developing/managing timelines

• Proven track record of translating business requirements into complex climate, science, or research deliverables. 

• Knowledge of data science and engineering processes / infrastructure.

• Experience managing programs/projects using project management software (such as: Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, Jira) 

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to articulate concepts and ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Ability to facilitate technical discussions and multi-disciplinary meetings; ability to keep attendees on task and defining next steps 

• An analytical, strategic, and solutions-oriented mindset with the ability to conduct analysis as part of project related work

• Curiosity and willingness to learn about climate modeling and First Street’s product offerings

• Ability to mentor junior team members and elevate team performance

• Bachelor's degree, or equivalent, in a relevant discipline such as engineering, MIS, business, project management, etc.

What will make you stand out: 

• Formal certifications in project management, agile, or scrum a plus (PMP, Scrum Master)

• Strong understanding of data product lifecycle or scientific modeling workflows

• Experience designing PMO frameworks or team-wide initiatives

• Experience at a growth stage company and/or excitement for supporting an early stage startup and getting your hands dirty

• Experience as a people manager

• Previous experience as an engineer or a technical role is a plus 

• Familiarity and/or curiosity with a wide range of tools and technologies for business operations (such as Stripe, Zendesk, HubSpot, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, etc.)

How we work: 

• Impact: We only focus on things that move the needle 

• Drive: We are driven by the role we play in connecting climate and financial risk 

• Ownership: This is our company and we act accordingly

• Urgency: We move quickly because the world depends on it 

• Resilience: We have a growth mindset in all that we do

What we offer: 

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience 

• Ownership interest in the company via Employee Stock Option Plan 

• Hybrid Schedule with in-office work days on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 

• 15 vacation days along with 5 days for winter break office closure, 8 statutory company holidays, and 10 sick days 

• Health benefits covered at 100% for employee or a significant contribution for family plans 

• Vision and dental benefits with partial employee contribution

• 12 weeks of paid parental leave 

• Access to One Medical, Teledoc, HealthAdvocate, Kindbody, and Talkspace

• Company 401k program 

• Commuter benefits 

• Life Insurance

• Tech startup environment 

• Weekly team meals and an office stocked with coffee and snacks 

• Working on the world’s biggest issue with other passionate professionals 

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.