Technical Program Manager, AI Infrastructure

Character.AI

Technical Program Manager overseeing AI infrastructure initiatives supporting Character.AI's cutting-edge model development and serving systems at scale. Driving execution and team alignment in a complex technical environment.

Posted 4/21/2026full-timeRedwood City • California • 🇺🇸 United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $220,000 - $260,000 per yearWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

CloudDistributed Systems

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead planning and execution of major AI infrastructure initiatives spanning training pipelines, data systems, model evaluation, and inference/serving
Build structures that keep teams aligned: scopes, goals, requirements, timelines, risks, and success metrics
Partner with engineering, research, and product to translate model and product needs into infrastructure roadmaps and priorities
Drive cross-functional accountability and communication across teams working on tightly coupled systems
Track key infrastructure metrics (e.g., reliability, latency, throughput, cost efficiency) and define reporting that surfaces progress and risk
Identify bottlenecks in infrastructure workflows and lead efforts to improve tooling, automation, and developer velocity
Support capacity planning and resource allocation to ensure infrastructure scales with model and product growth
Develop repeatable frameworks and operational patterns that improve execution quality across infrastructure programs
Serve as a strategic partner to leaders on prioritization, sequencing, and tradeoffs across infrastructure investments.
Work closely with AI cloud providers and serve as the primary bridge between internal engineering teams and external partnership efforts.
Technical understanding of GPU clusters, AI accelerator chips, and cloud providers to effectively evaluate requirements and guide infrastructure decisions.

Requirements

What you’ll need

5–8 years of experience in program management, technical operations, or product execution in a fast-moving, technical environment
Proven ability to lead complex, multi-team initiatives spanning engineering and infrastructure systems
Strong communication skills with the ability to bridge technical and non-technical stakeholders
Experience working closely with engineering teams on distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, or platform development
Ability to break down ambiguous problem spaces into clear plans and drive alignment across teams
Analytical mindset with experience using data to inform decisions and measure impact
Strong ownership and execution mindset, with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously

Benefits

Comp & perks

Top-notch health coverage for you & your family, with majority of the premium covered
We invest in your future with a generous 401(K) contribution
New parents, we've got you covered with incredible paid leave -up to 20 weeks
4 weeks of PTO to explore, unwind & come back recharged
Daily in-office catering plus a monthly Doordash stipend to help keep you fueled no matter where you are**
Monthly wellness stipend to support you in your health journey

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

AI infrastructuretraining pipelinesdata systemsmodel evaluationinferenceautomationdeveloper velocitycapacity planningGPU clustersAI accelerator chips

Soft Skills

leadershipcommunicationanalytical mindsetproblem-solvingownershipexecutioncross-functional collaborationalignmentprioritizationrisk management