Program Manager, Onsite Data Collection

WHO WE ARE Welcome to TELUS Digital https://www.telusdigital.com/ — where innovation drives impact at a global scale. As an award-winning digital product consultancy and the digital division of TELUS https://www.telus.com/en/, one of Canada’s largest telecommunications providers, we design and deliver transformative customer experiences through cutting-edge technology, agile thinking, and a people-first culture. With a global team across North America, South America, Central America, Europe, and APAC, we offer end-to-end expertise across eight core service areas: Digital Product Consulting, Digital Marketing Services, Data & AI, Strategy Consulting, Business Operations Modernization, Enterprise Applications, Cloud Engineering, and QA & Test Engineering. From mobile apps and websites to voice UI, chatbots, AI, customer service, and in-store solutions, TELUS Digital enables seamless, trusted, and digitally powered experiences that meet customers wherever they are — all backed by the secure infrastructure and scale of our multi-billion-dollar parent company. THE OPPORTUNITY The Program Manager owns the end-to-end delivery and execution of the onsite and in-the-wild data collection client programs, overseeing financial performance, client engagement, and cross-functional execution from pre-sales through delivery. This role is business-minded and delivery-focused: it requires deep operational excellence, client satisfaction, and strategic execution in a fast-moving, high-stakes environment where quality, throughput, and safety all matter simultaneously. LOCATION & FLEXIBILITY Our ideal candidate will work remotely out of Los Angeles, California. This role has required and regular travel to program facilities and field data collection sites. RESPONSIBILITIES PROGRAM OWNERSHIP & LEADERSHIP - Own overall program performance, including financial health (forecasting, P&L, invoicing), delivery success, and client satisfaction. - Serve as the primary point of contact and escalation point for operational and client challenges, leading regular client syncs and on-site or virtual business reviews (weekly/quarterly). - Drive consistent reporting through weekly status updates, dashboards, and progress reviews to internal leadership and client stakeholders. - Lead and develop project teams with direct people management responsibility, monitoring performance metrics and productivity across teams and addressing gaps through coaching and development. - Collaborate with Legal and Liability to ensure onsite and in-the-wild collection activities meet compliance, safety, and insurance standards. - Work with Talent Acquisition to define hiring strategy and job profiles for collectors, including hybrid full-time, part-time (FTC/PTC), and crowd-based staffing models. OPERATIONAL STRATEGY & EXECUTION - Guide execution strategy across staffing, vendor engagement, equipment, and day-to-day operationsEvaluate and deploy the right mix of staffing models — full-time collectors, part-time collectors, and crowd-based resourcing — to match program scale, coverage needs, and cost targets. - Lead Project Managers to ensure timelines, budgets, and milestones are met across both facility-based and field collection workstreams. - Support facility sourcing, setup, and readiness for onsite data collection, and own logistics for in-the-wild collection sites. - Oversee procurement strategy for equipment and staffing to match approved program scope. - Support the launch of new workstreams and oversee integration of third-party contributions into the overall delivery model. - Proactively identify and mitigate delivery risks, recommending interventions or contingency plans to close gaps or resolve quality and yield issues before they affect the client. CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION - Align Operations, Talent Acquisition, Legal, Finance, Quality, and vendors around a single delivery plan. - Partner closely with the client — translating their requirements on approach, calibration, and equipment into staffing plans, timelines, and budgets, and ensuring field execution reflects the agreed technical standard. - Ensure alignment between execution and financial expectations, and drive clear communication across stakeholders for accountability. - Contribute to strategic planning with the client account and broader leadership team, identifying opportunities to scale the data collection delivery model to new accounts and programs. QUALIFICATIONS - 3–5+ years managing global or large-scale onsite/field operations programs supporting Data Collection, User Research, Clinical Research, Machine Learning or a similar environment/domain. - Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Operations, or a related field; relevant experience accepted in place of formal education. - Proven success leading cross-functional teams (Operations, TA, Legal, Finance) and driving high-stakes program delivery. Prior client-facing program or account management experience required. - Familiarity with program/project management methodologies such as PRINCE2, PMI, or similar preferred. - Translates complex client and technical requirements into scalable, executable delivery models. - Strong financial ownership: forecasting, P&L management, invoicing, and budget accountability. - Manages high-risk, high-volume onsite and in-the-wild environments effectively, including safety and compliance considerations. - Enables cross-functional alignment and speed across Operations, TA, Legal, Finance, and Quality. - Strong stakeholder management and customer-centric mindset; builds trust and alignment across global, distributed teams. - Structured, results-oriented approach to planning, monitoring, and control; confidently manages escalations and executes contingency plans. - Comfortable presenting performance, financials, and risk to both client and internal leadership audiences. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER At TELUS Digital, we are proud to be a