People Manager, Operations Program Management (OPM), Product Operations

Product Operations is looking for a People Manager to lead a team of Operations Program Managers (OPMs) responsible for driving NPI program execution across Amazon's Devices portfolio (Echo, Tablet, Kindle, FireTV). This role owns the performance, growth, and delivery output of a team operating in ambiguous, cross-functional environments where problem definition and strategy are not always predetermined. You will manage resource allocation across 25–30+ concurrent NPI programs, partner with Finance, Quality/AME, Supply Chain, and Hardware Engineering on program governance frameworks (e.g., 9-Block classification), and build the mechanisms that make your team's work auditable, data-driven, and scalable without your direct involvement in every decision.Key job responsibilitiesTeam & People Management• Own hiring, onboarding, and career development for a team of OPMs; proactively recruit bar-raising talent with NPI/program management expertise• Build and share customized onboarding plans so new OPMs ramp quickly on programs, tools (Milestone Manager, NPI Data Hub), and process• Run regular 1:1s tying performance evaluation to growth trajectory; lead the promotion process for OPMs demonstrating next-level scope; act as career sponsor for lateral moves• Evaluate team members against role guidelines; participate in and begin leading calibration to ensure fair, consistent evaluation• Identify underperformance early, document expectations and timelines clearly and respectfully• Establish a psychologically safe team culture; actively listen and act on team feedback (reallocating work, escalating broken mechanisms)• Manage workload sustainability; partner with leadership to remedy systemic overload rather than absorbing it silentlyScope, Influence & Execution• Define metrics for program health, resource utilization, and operational excellence across the NPI portfolio• Own resourcing decisions for the team — balance tactical program coverage against strategic hiring/restructuring needs (e.g., off-roadmap program gaps, Bee cohort resourcing)• Drive cross-functional alignment with Finance, Quality/AME, and Supply Chain on shared frameworks (9-Block, SPOR thresholds, gating requirements)• Own regular reporting mechanisms (MBR, OP1/OP2 inputs) that make program and team performance auditable to leadership• Negotiate priorities across programs and product lines; make explicit trade-offs between short-term coverage and long-term team capability building• Build audit mechanisms and self-sustaining processes (e.g., mechanisms with permanent BIE/OPM ownership rather than manager-dependent)Problem Complexity & Communication• Lead a team accountable for a cross-cutting program area spanning multiple product lines, not a single isolated workstream• Present program and team performance narratives to leaders up to three levels above (L10); write clear, structured narratives (MBR, OP1/OP2, COEs)• Resolve contentious cross-functional issues (e.g., GCM/MPM role conflicts, off-roadmap HC gaps) by building consensus among stakeholders with competing priorities• Communicate a team vision anchored to customer/program outcomes, not just task listsProcess Improvement• Establish operational excellence mechanisms that reduce repeated work and defects across the OPM team's workflows• Identify and close gaps in program governance systems (e.g., reconciliation gaps across Roadmap, Pre-Concept Tracker, Program Driven HC)• Drive simplification of program delivery processes; reduce team exposure to recurring failure modes (e.g., late-stage ID/packaging changes, phase-skip patterns at Dev Commit→HVT)