Program Manager

About Goosehead

Since 2003, Goosehead Insurance has been disrupting the insurance industry by giving clients the power of choice, utilizing a smarter marketing approach, and delivering world class service. This is all powered by our focus on hiring and retaining extraordinary people. Our clients trust us with their most valuable possessions so, we're more than just a bit selective when it comes to hiring new team members.

Job Summary

The Program Manager is responsible for planning, coordinating, and delivering strategic business programs that span multiple departments and initiatives. Unlike a traditional project manager, this role owns the success of an entire program—from strategy through execution—ensuring individual projects collectively achieve broader business objectives.

This position thrives in ambiguity and is expected to identify opportunities, build new processes, challenge existing assumptions, and drive initiatives that may not have established playbooks. Success requires curiosity, sound judgment, resilience, and the confidence to move work forward while balancing thoughtful risk with accountability. The ideal candidate is comfortable navigating uncharted territory, influencing without formal authority, and bringing structure to complex business problems.

They understand when to seek guidance, when to make informed decisions independently, and are empowered to move the business forward rather than waiting for perfect direction. This role will drive strategies with existing and new strategic partners to maximize revenue and profitability, optimize the customer experience, and strengthen partner relationships. The professional we seek must be proactive, with a strong sense of accountability and a day-to-day focus on bottom-line results.

This role will continuously identify and evaluate new opportunities for partnership growth, working closely with Enterprise Sales, Technology, Marketing, and Product in order to meet objectives and drive partner optimizations efficiently.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Program Strategy & Planning

Support the development and execution of strategic program roadmaps aligned with organizational priorities.

Translate business objectives into actionable initiatives and measurable outcomes.

Coordinate multiple related projects while maintaining focus on overall program success.

Continuously evaluate priorities and adjust plans as business needs evolve.

Program Leadership

Serve as the operational leader for assigned programs, ensuring alignment across multiple teams and stakeholders.

Partner with leaders across Strategic Partnerships, IT, Marketing, Operations, Sales, and other business functions.

Build strong relationships and influence decisions without direct management authority.

Foster collaboration and accountability across cross-functional teams.

Program Execution

Oversee execution across multiple concurrent initiatives.

Monitor milestones, deliverables, budgets, timelines, dependencies, and resource constraints.

Utilize Jira, Confluence, Smartsheet, and similar tools to maintain transparency and visibility.

Escalate issues appropriately while proactively driving resolution.

Governance & Risk Management

Identify program-level risks, dependencies, and constraints.

Develop mitigation strategies and contingency plans.

Support governance processes that promote consistency, accountability, and successful delivery.

Ensure program decisions support long-term organizational objectives.

Executive Communication

Prepare executive-level dashboards, presentations, and status updates.

Communicate program health, accomplishments, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership.

Support steering committee meetings and cross-functional planning sessions.

Translate technical or operational details into business-focused communication.

Change Management

Support organizational change efforts associated with program initiatives.

Partner with stakeholders to develop communication, training, and adoption strategies.

Promote alignment and engagement across impacted teams.

Continuous Improvement

Evaluate existing business processes and recommend improvements.

Identify opportunities for automation, AI-enabled workflows, standardization, and operational efficiencies.

Define the KPIs and OKRs that measure program impact, and use those metrics alongside stakeholder feedback to continuously improve delivery.

Innovation & Ownership

Identify problems before they become obstacles.

Create solutions where no existing process exists.

Challenge the status quo respectfully and constructively.

Make informed decisions with incomplete information.

Take calculated risks that accelerate business outcomes.

Operate with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.

Move initiatives forward proactively rather than waiting for perfect clarity.

Experience and Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Management, Information Systems, or a related field — or an equivalent combination of experience and certifications. We evaluate candidates on demonstrated skills, not credentials alone.

1-3 years of experience managing programs, projects, or cross-functional initiatives.

Experience coordinating multiple concurrent initiatives across diverse stakeholder groups.

Experience presenting to executive leadership a plus.

PMP, PgMP, Scrum Master, Agile, or related certification a plus.

Required Skills and Abilities

Strong understanding of Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Waterfall, and hybrid delivery methodologies.

Demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority.

Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.

Comfort working with data — interpreting program metrics, building simple reporting views, and using evidence to drive decisions.

Proficiency with Jira, Confluence, Smartsheet, Asana, Microsoft Project, or similar platforms, and comfort adopting AI-assisted tools for planning, reporting, and documentation.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Ability to prioritize effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment.