# Technical Program Manager (TPM), Infrastructure **Company:** [Cursor](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/cursor) Cursor is seeking a Technical Program Manager for Infrastructure to drive cost of goods sold (COGS) attribution, R&D spend efficiency, and GPU resource allocation. You'll partner with ML, Infrastructure, and Finance teams to transform complex cost and capacity data into actionable business decisions while managing cross-functional programs that impact engineering prioritization and operational efficiency. This role requires 5+ years of technical program management experience with deep expertise in cloud infrastructure costs, capacity planning, and financial attribution frameworks. **Role:** Technical Program Manager **Seniority:** Senior **Locations:** San Francisco **Salary:** 180000–280000 USD [Apply](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/cursor/1910bd0e-806c-4e60-bfd6-157e369d6d02) Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/jobs/cursor/technical-program-manager-tpm-infrastructure --- ## Responsibilities - Own COGS and R&D Attribution Programs: Design and implement comprehensive cost attribution frameworks across inference, compute, and infrastructure workloads. Partner with Finance and Data teams to connect spend to specific products, features, and business metrics. Develop actionable dashboards and reporting mechanisms that enable engineering leaders and executives to make data-driven decisions on resource allocation and investment prioritization. - Drive GPU and Infrastructure Resource Allocation: Build and maintain frameworks for capacity planning and allocation decisions spanning first-party models, third-party inference services, and experimentation workloads. Conduct bi-weekly or recurring allocation reviews with ML and Infrastructure leadership. Translate high-level business priorities into concrete, implementable resource allocation plans that balance innovation velocity with operational efficiency. - Manage Cross-Functional Technical Programs: Own the full lifecycle of infrastructure programs including cost optimization, capacity planning, reliability improvements, and platform migrations. Establish clear operating rhythms for each initiative alongside designated sponsors. Track program progress against defined metrics, identify and escalate technical or organizational blockers, and ensure measurable outcomes are delivered on schedule. - Partner Strategically with Engineering Leadership: Serve as a strategic thought partner to senior engineering, ML, and Finance leaders on critical resource tradeoffs, investment prioritization, and operational improvements. Synthesize complex technical data, infrastructure metrics, and financial information into clear, actionable recommendations that align with company priorities and business outcomes. - Execute Hands-On Analysis and Program Delivery: Take direct ownership of building financial models, querying infrastructure data systems, creating analytical dashboards, and conducting deep-dive cost analyses. Develop executive briefings, write comprehensive program documentation, build forecasting models, and drive execution across all phases of program delivery without waiting for direction. ## Requirements ### education - {"name":"Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or Related Field","description":"Foundational technical knowledge from formal education in computer science, electrical engineering, systems engineering, or equivalent discipline. This provides the technical foundation to understand infrastructure architecture and cost drivers."} - {"name":"Demonstrated Financial and Analytical Competency","description":"Strong background in quantitative analysis, financial modeling, economics, or operations research. Can be demonstrated through formal education, certifications, or hands-on experience with financial planning and analysis tools."} ### technical - {"name":"Cloud Infrastructure Cost Analysis","description":"Demonstrated experience analyzing, modeling, and optimizing cloud infrastructure costs across multiple dimensions including compute, storage, networking, and third-party services. Expertise in cost attribution methodologies, chargeback models, and infrastructure spend optimization."} - {"name":"GPU and High-Performance Compute Capacity Planning","description":"Hands-on experience with GPU cluster management, capacity planning for machine learning workloads, and resource allocation frameworks. Understanding of GPU utilization metrics, constraint-driven allocation decisions, and infrastructure scaling models."} - {"name":"Financial Data Modeling and Analytics","description":"Strong capability in building financial models, cost attribution frameworks, and utilization dashboards. Experience working with SQL, data visualization tools, and business intelligence platforms to translate raw infrastructure data into actionable financial insights."} - {"name":"Cross-Functional Program Management","description":"Proven experience managing complex technical programs across Engineering, Operations, Finance, and Product organizations. Ability to drive execution and alignment without direct authority through influence, stakeholder management, and clear communication."} ### experience - {"name":"Technical Program Management in Highly Technical Environments","description":"5+ years of experience in Technical Program Management, Infrastructure Program Management, or equivalent roles within companies with significant engineering complexity, infrastructure challenges, or high-scale compute operations."} - {"name":"Cost and Capacity Planning Program Leadership","description":"Direct experience owning or leading programs related to COGS attribution, R&D spend efficiency, infrastructure cost management, or capacity planning at scale. Track record of turning complex cost data into business impact."} - {"name":"Collaboration with Senior Technical Leaders","description":"Demonstrated ability to build credibility and trust with VP-level and senior engineering leadership through preparation, reliability, directness, and strategic thinking. Experience serving as a thought partner on technical strategy and resource allocation decisions."} - {"name":"Execution-Oriented Program Delivery","description":"Proven track record of delivering measurable outcomes on ambitious technical programs. Experience with bias toward action, high ownership mentality, and ability to execute without extensive process or ceremony."} ## Skills ### required - {"name":"Cost Attribution and Financial Modeling","description":"Expert-level ability to design cost allocation models, build financial attribution frameworks, and create dashboards that connect infrastructure spend to business value. Understanding of chargeback mechanics, transfer pricing, and financial accountability systems."} - {"name":"Data Analysis and SQL","description":"Strong proficiency in SQL for querying infrastructure and financial data. Ability to extract, transform, and analyze large datasets to identify cost trends, efficiency opportunities, and resource allocation patterns."} - {"name":"Infrastructure Architecture Understanding","description":"Solid grasp of cloud infrastructure architecture, GPU computing, distributed systems concepts, and how infrastructure costs scale. Familiarity with inference serving, model deployment, and ML operations infrastructure."} - {"name":"Stakeholder Management and Influence Without Authority","description":"Exceptional ability to build alignment across engineering, finance, and executive stakeholders through clear communication, data-driven arguments, and trusted partnerships. Skill in managing competing priorities and driving consensus."} - {"name":"Program Management and Execution","description":"Mastery of program scoping, roadmap development, milestone tracking, and cross-functional coordination. Ability to establish operating cadences, monitor progress against metrics, and drive delivery of measurable outcomes."} - {"name":"Business Systems Thinking","description":"Demonstrated ability to connect infrastructure decisions to business outcomes. Systems-level thinking that maps technical decisions to product strategy, financial health, and competitive positioning."} ### preferred - {"name":"AI/ML Infrastructure Experience","description":"Background in managing infrastructure for machine learning platforms, inference serving at scale, or AI model deployment operations. Understanding of transformer model inference costs, optimization techniques, and ML-specific capacity planning."} - {"name":"Startup or High-Growth Tech Experience","description":"Experience in startup or hypergrowth environments where infrastructure costs and resource constraints are critical business drivers. Familiarity with rapid scaling challenges and innovative solutions to resource allocation problems."} - {"name":"Advanced Analytics and Visualization Tools","description":"Proficiency with business intelligence platforms (Tableau, Looker, Redash), spreadsheet modeling in Excel or Google Sheets, and Python/R for advanced analysis. Ability to create compelling data visualizations for executive audiences."} - {"name":"GCP or Cloud Provider Infrastructure Knowledge","description":"Direct experience with Google Cloud Platform, AWS, or Azure infrastructure, including cost optimization tools, capacity planning services, and infrastructure monitoring platforms. Understanding of cloud provider pricing models and optimization strategies."} - {"name":"Economics or Operations Research Background","description":"Formal training or demonstrated expertise in microeconomics, operations research, or optimization theory. Ability to frame infrastructure problems as optimization problems and develop quantitative solutions."} ## Tech stack ### tools - {"name":"Business Intelligence and Visualization Platforms","description":"Proficiency with tools like Tableau, Looker, Redash, or similar for creating dashboards and reports that translate cost data into actionable insights for engineering and finance stakeholders."} - {"name":"Spreadsheet and Modeling Tools","description":"Advanced Excel or Google Sheets skills for building financial models, scenario analysis, and capacity forecasting models. Ability to create dynamic models for cost scenario planning."} - {"name":"Cloud Infrastructure Management Consoles","description":"Hands-on experience navigating cloud provider consoles (GCP Console, AWS Console) to understand cost breakdowns, resource allocation, and capacity metrics."} - {"name":"Project and Program Management Tools","description":"Facility with collaboration platforms (Jira, Asana, Linear, Notion) for tracking program progress, managing dependencies, and coordinating across distributed teams."} ### others - {"name":"Infrastructure Monitoring and Observability","description":"Understanding of infrastructure monitoring systems and observability platforms that track utilization metrics, performance data, and resource consumption patterns across compute clusters."} - {"name":"Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) Processes","description":"Knowledge of budget planning cycles, forecast models, and financial planning processes that connect infrastructure investment decisions to overall corporate financial strategy."} ### databases - {"name":"Data Warehouses and OLAP Systems","description":"Experience with enterprise data warehouses (Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift) where infrastructure cost and utilization data is aggregated and made available for analysis."} - {"name":"Time-Series Databases","description":"Familiarity with time-series data systems used for tracking infrastructure metrics, resource utilization, and cost trends over time for forecasting and capacity planning."} ### languages - {"name":"SQL","description":"Essential for querying infrastructure databases, cost systems, and building complex analytical queries to extract cost and utilization data."} - {"name":"Python","description":"Valuable for advanced data analysis, building financial models, automating reporting workflows, and creating custom analyses beyond standard BI tools."} ### frameworks - {"name":"Program Management Methodologies","description":"Familiarity with structured program management approaches including OKRs, staged delivery gates, risk management frameworks, and stakeholder engagement models."} - {"name":"Cost Attribution Frameworks","description":"Understanding of established cost accounting methodologies such as Activity-Based Costing (ABC), direct vs. indirect cost allocation, and chargeback models commonly used in infrastructure cost management."} ## Benefits ### benefits - {"name":"Mission-Driven Culture","description":"Work on Cursor's core mission to automate coding and revolutionize how professional developers build software with AI. Be part of a talented, flat organization that values truth-seeking, creative problem-solving, and shipping impactful products."} - {"name":"High-Impact Strategic Role","description":"Own programs that directly influence engineering prioritization and company resource allocation. Have direct influence on how billions of dollars in infrastructure investment are deployed across the organization."} - {"name":"Access to Senior Leadership","description":"Work as a strategic thought partner with VP-level engineering, ML, and Finance leaders. Collaborate directly with executive sponsors on company-critical initiatives and resource decisions."} - {"name":"Intellectual Stimulation","description":"Tackle complex optimization problems spanning infrastructure architecture, financial modeling, and organizational systems. Work in an environment that encourages spirited debate and creative approaches to hard technical problems."} - {"name":"Talent-Dense Organization","description":"Collaborate with exceptional engineers, ML experts, and operations leaders. Fast learning environment with high-caliber peers across all disciplines."} - {"name":"Small Team and Flat Structure","description":"Operate in a flat organizational structure where your impact isn't diluted by layers. Direct access to decision-makers and ability to drive outcomes without navigating heavy bureaucracy."} ## Compensation - **max:** 280000 - **min:** 180000 - **currency:** USD - **stockOptions:** true ## Interview process ### steps - {"name":"Initial Screening Call","description":"30-minute conversation with recruiter to discuss your background in technical program management, infrastructure cost experience, and alignment with Cursor's mission and culture. This call assesses baseline fit and communication style."} - {"name":"Technical Program Management Deep Dive","description":"60-90 minute interview with the hiring manager (likely VP Infrastructure or similar) to explore your past programs, approach to cross-functional execution, and examples of driving decisions without direct authority. Expect detailed questions about specific cost attribution or capacity planning programs you've led."} - {"name":"Financial and Analytical Assessment","description":"60-minute interview focused on your analytical capabilities, financial modeling experience, and approach to translating complex infrastructure data into business decisions. May include a take-home analytical exercise or live case study discussion."} - {"name":"Stakeholder Management and Influence Round","description":"Conversation with 1-2 senior engineers or finance leaders who would be key collaborators. Assess your ability to build credibility, handle competing priorities, and serve as a thought partner to senior technical leadership."} - {"name":"Executive or Sponsor Round","description":"Final interview with an executive sponsor or senior engineering leader to discuss strategic vision, alignment with company priorities, and how you'd approach the highest-impact programs. Opportunity to ask questions about company direction."} ## Full description Our mission is to automate coding. The first step in our journey is to build the best tool for professional programmers, using a combination of inventive research, design, and engineering. Our organization is very flat, and our team is small and talent dense. We particularly like people who are truth-seeking, passionate, and creative. We enjoy spirited debate, crazy ideas, and shipping code. # Technical Program Manager (TPM), Infrastructure ### Role summary Cursor is hiring a **Technical Program Manager (TPM)** to partner with our Infrastructure teams to drive COGS attribution, R&D spend efficiency, and resource allocation across Cursor's infrastructure. This role partners with engineering leaders in ML, Infrastructure, and Finance to turn complex cost and capacity data into clear decisions, then drives the programs that land those decisions. You'll own the programs to enable Cursor to achieve its top business priorities that affect Engineering prioritization, working with an executive or engineering sponsor to scope, drive, and deliver cross-functional initiatives spanning GPU allocation, inference cost management, infrastructure spend attribution, and R&D investment efficiency. **What success looks like** * COGs and R&D spend are clearly attributed, understood, and actionable across Engineering and Finance. * GPU and infrastructure allocation decisions are grounded in data and aligned to business priorities. * Cost and efficiency programs run on a predictable cadence with measurable outcomes. * Engineering leaders trust the TPM as a strategic partner who removes ambiguity and drives execution. ### What you'll do * **Own COGs and R&D attribution programs.** Stand up cost attribution across inference, compute, and infrastructure workloads. Partner with Finance and Data to connect spend to products, features, and business metrics. Make cost data actionable for engineering and executive decision-making. * **Drive GPU and infrastructure resource allocation.** Build frameworks for capacity planning and allocation across 1P models, 3P inference, and experimentation. Run recurring reviews with ML and Infra leadership. Translate business priorities into concrete allocation plans. * **Manage technical programs with infrastructure teams.** Scope and drive programs in cost optimization, capacity planning, reliability, and migration. Own the operating rhythm for each program alongside a designated sponsor: track progress, escalate blockers, ensure outcomes. * **Partner strategically with engineering leaders.** Serve as a thought partner on resource tradeoffs, investment prioritization, and operational improvements across ML, Infrastructure, and Finance. Synthesize complex technical and financial information into clear recommendations. * **Roll up your sleeves.** Dig into dashboards, data, and systems. Write the doc, build the model, run the analysis, and get stuff done. ### Sample projects * Stand up **COGs attribution**: mapping inference and infrastructure spend to products and workloads, with dashboards used by engineering and finance. * Build a **GPU allocation review** that runs bi-weekly with ML and Infra leadership, producing clear decisions tied to business priorities. * Drive an **R&D spend efficiency program** identifying the highest-leverage cost reductions across engineering. * Scope a **capacity forecasting model** connecting product growth to infrastructure investment needs for planning. ### Who thrives in this role * Thinks in **systems**: connects infrastructure decisions to business outcomes. * Can operate at every level. Equally comfortable in a strategy discussion and a spreadsheet. * Builds trust with senior technical leaders by being prepared, direct, and reliable. * Operates with high ownership. Doesn't wait to be told what to do. ### What we're looking for * 5+ years in **Technical Program Management** or similar roles in highly technical environments. * Experience with **cloud infrastructure costs, GPU/compute capacity planning, or COGs/R&D attribution**. * Strong analytical skills; comfortable with cost data, utilization metrics, and financial models. * Proven ability to drive cross-functional programs across Engineering, ML, and Finance without direct authority. * Bias toward action and outcomes over process and ceremony.