Principal Program Manager, Talent Management

Job Summary

As a Principal Talent Management Program Manager, you will lead the strategy, design, and execution of complex, enterprise-wide talent management initiatives that shape how NetApp assesses, develops, and plans talent. This role will drive critical programs across the talent management portfolio translating business priorities into scalable processes, governance, insights, and leader enablement. You will operate as a senior individual contributor with significant autonomy, influencing across HR teams to deliver high-impact, high-visibility programs.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in talent management and program leadership, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, anticipate downstream impacts, and connect strategy to operational execution. This role requires strong judgment, executive presence, and a continuous improvement mindset to evolve talent processes, systems, communications, and reporting in support of a high-achievement culture. Success in this role will come from building trusted partnerships, driving alignment across stakeholders, and delivering durable solutions that improve the experience and effectiveness of leaders, employees, and HR partners globally.

This is a hybrid role going into the office 3x a week. Candidates must reside in San Jose, CA or Research Triangle Park, NC

Essential Functions

• Lead the strategy, design, and execution of complex, cross-functional talent management programs across performance management, talent reviews, and succession planning, ensuring alignment to business priorities and enterprise talent objectives.
• Own end-to-end program governance for high-visibility talent processes, including process design, milestones, risk management, stakeholder alignment, decision support, and global implementation planning.
• Translate evolving talent strategy into scalable processes, operating rhythms, leader guidance, and implementation plans that enable consistent execution across functions, geographies, and levels of the organization.
• Partner with senior HR leaders, HR Business Partners, HR Operations, Compensation, Technology, Analytics, and Communications teams to drive integrated solutions across systems, reporting, policies, training, and communications.
• Define measurement strategies, success metrics, and reporting requirements for talent programs; synthesize data and insights to identify risks, inform decisions, and recommend improvements.
• Lead change management and adoption efforts for new or evolving talent processes by developing clear stakeholder engagement strategies, enablement resources, and communication plans.
• Identify process gaps, policy implications, operational dependencies, and proactively drive solutions that improve efficiency, consistency, and user experience.
• Influence priorities and decisions across a broad stakeholder network without direct authority, building alignment through expertise, judgment, and strong program leadership.
• Create and maintain clear process documentation, decision frameworks, and implementation resources that support sustainable execution and continuous improvement.

Job Requirements

• Demonstrated ability to lead highly complex, cross-functional programs with significant ambiguity, multiple dependencies, and enterprise-wide impact.
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to connect long-term talent goals to practical execution plans and operational detail.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influence skills, including the ability to build credibility and alignment with senior leaders and cross-functional partners.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to create executive-ready materials, facilitate alignment, and translate complex concepts into clear guidance.
• Strong analytical capability and comfort using data to define measures of success, generate insights, and guide decision-making.
• Experience driving change management, process improvement, and adoption efforts across diverse stakeholder groups, including the ability to apply instructional design principles to create and facilitate effective leader and employee enablement, training materials, and learning resources for complex talent processes.
• Demonstrated ability to leverage AI and automation tools to streamline workflows, improve scalability, and accelerate time to execution across talent management programs, enablement, communications, and operational processes.
• Strong judgment and discretion, including the ability to navigate sensitive talent matters with professionalism and care.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize effectively, and deliver high-quality outcomes in a fast-paced, evolving environment, while also being a strong team player who collaborates effectively across individuals and groups and contributes to shared team success.

Education

• Typically requires 10+ years of experience in Human Resources, Talent Management, Program Management, or a related field.
• Significant experience leading end-to-end enterprise programs or processes, preferably in talent management, performance management, succession planning, leadership development, or related HR domains.
• Experience partnering with senior HR leaders and cross-functional stakeholders to design and implement scalable talent solutions.
• Experience working across HR technology, reporting, analytics, and process documentation to operationalize talent programs effectively.
• Experience building executive communications, leader enablement materials, and change plans for complex organizational initiatives.