Work location:

• This position requires on-site presence in Costa Mesa, CA, following a hybrid work model.

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly organized and proactive Program Manager to lead and manage product certification initiatives with key technology partners. This role is accountable for driving successful partner certifications required for official designations and approvals, enabling our products to be marketed, sold, and co-branded within partner ecosystems.

The Program Manager owns the end-to-end certification lifecycle, ensuring products meet rigorous partner standards for quality, reliability, compatibility, security, and user experience. Responsibilities include planning and coordinating partner led testing, preparing devices, software, and documentation for validation, managing certification timelines aligned to go-to-market goals, and maintaining compliance as partner requirements evolve. The role requires close collaboration with internal engineering, product, QA, and go-to-market teams, as well as direct engagement with partner certification teams and authorized test labs, to ensure certifications are achieved predictably and on time.

Key Tasks & Responsibilities (Essential Functions)
• Own and manage the end-to-end certification lifecycle for partner platforms (e.g., Microsoft, Zoom, and others).
• Serve as the primary point of contact for certification programs, maintaining strong relationships with partner organizations.
• Coordinate lab testing across internal and external labs, including scheduling use of internal lab resources and managing availability and engagement with external test facilities.
• Prepare products for certification readiness by ensuring hardware, firmware, software, documentation, and test configurations align with published partner specifications.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Marketing, Alliances & Ecosystems, QA, Legal, Compliance) to meet certification requirements and deadlines.
• Track certification statuses, requirements, renewals, and updates across multiple partners.
• Interpret technical and compliance requirements and translate them into actionable plans during the early stages of product development for internal teams.
• Co-lead certification engagement startup for new product categories with the Alliances team, working with partners to establish contracts, define product scope and requirements, and align on certification approach and next steps.
• Identify risks and proactively resolve blockers that may impact certification timelines.
• Manage certification defects, test failures, waivers, and appeals in collaboration with partners and internal teams.
• Maintain documentation for certification processes, requirements, and approvals.
• Drive continuous improvement in certification workflows, tools, and reporting.
• Monitor partner ecosystem changes and ensure ongoing compliance with evolving standards.
• Support go-to-market efforts by aligning certification milestones with product launches.
• Provide clear status reporting to leadership on certification health, risks, and readiness relative to launch commitments.

Skills and Minimum Experience Required

• 5+ years of program or project management experience, preferably in SaaS, enterprise software, or technology environments.
• Experience managing third-party certifications, integrations, or partner programs is strongly preferred.
• Experience working with platform certification programs (e.g., collaboration platforms, cloud ecosystems, or hardware/software validation programs) is highly desirable.
• Strong understanding of software development lifecycles and product release processes.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple complex programs simultaneously.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, including working with external partners.
• Familiarity with hardware-software integrated systems, device testing, or regulated quality validation processes is a plus.
• Ability to translate technical requirements into clear business processes.
• Experience with tools such as Jira, Asana, Smartsheet, or similar program management platforms.
• PMP, PgMP, or equivalent certification is a plus.
• Engineering degree preferred.

Travel Requirements

• 1-20%

Other

Key Competencies

• Cross-functional leadership
• Attention to detail and compliance rigor
• Strategic thinking with strong execution skills
• Risk management and problem-solving
• Clear and effective communication
• Comfort operating in externally governed programs with fixed standards, formal testing gates, and limited flexibility on timelines.

Success Metrics

• Timely completion of product certifications
• Reduction in certification-related delays or escalations
• Zero missed go-to-market launches due to certification readiness gaps.
• Improved efficiency of certification workflows
• Strong partner satisfaction and relationship health
• Alignment of certifications with product launch timelines

The range for this position is $102,000 to $184,000. Placement within this range may vary, depending on the applicant's experience and geographic location. Acuity offers generous benefits including health care, dental coverage, vision plans, 401K benefits, and commissions/incentive compensation depending on role. For a list of our benefits, click here.