Requirements & tools
Datadog
The Senior Program Manager, People Team at Datadog reports to the Chief of Staff to the Chief People Officer and leads end-to-end delivery of complex, cross-functional People programs. Responsibilities include partnering with senior stakeholders to define program goals, success metrics, and roadmaps; designing scalable processes that improve employee experience and organizational effectiveness; identifying dependencies, risks, and tradeoffs across initiatives; establishing program governance, reporting, and operating rhythms; and synthesizing insights across workstreams into executive-level updates. Day-to-day work spans People Operations, HR transformation, People systems, and supporting executive-level initiatives across Finance, Legal, IT, and business leadership. Required: 5+ years in program management, operations, consulting, or related field, preferably within high-growth technology or SaaS environments; experience leading large-scale cross-functional programs; strong analytical and stakeholder management skills. Compensation: $170,000 base plus RSUs, ESPP, and Datadog’s standard benefits. Hybrid 3-day-per-week schedule at the NYC office.
Role context
Senior Program Managers on People teams at scaled SaaS companies operate as systems thinkers who translate strategic People priorities into cross-functional execution. At Datadog, this role reports directly to the Chief of Staff to the Chief People Officer and drives transformative initiatives across HR, Legal, IT, Finance, and engineering leadership. The position sits at the intersection of organizational design, employee experience, and operational scaling — touching everything from people analytics infrastructure to manager enablement programs. Datadog operates as a hybrid workplace with three coordinated in-office days per week at the NYC office. Strong fit for program managers with consulting or high-growth SaaS backgrounds who want People-org impact at scale.
Quick facts
Frequently Asked Questions
How does this Senior Program Manager role differ from a traditional Chief of Staff position?
Traditional Chief of Staff roles operate as a strategic right-hand to a single executive, owning prioritization, communications, and direct decision-making support. This Senior Program Manager position is one level removed — it reports to the CoS and executes specific cross-functional programs the CoS function originates. Practically, more time spent on program delivery and stakeholder execution, less on executive prioritization.
Is People Operations or HR Tech experience required?
Not strictly required, but background in People Operations, HR transformation, People systems, or supporting executive-level initiatives is listed as a strong plus. Candidates without People-specific experience but with strong cross-functional program management at SaaS companies are also competitive, especially those who have shipped HRIS implementations or comp & benefits transitions.
What does the three-day hybrid schedule look like at Datadog NYC?
Datadog requires three coordinated days per week at the office, typically Tuesday through Thursday for collaboration alignment. Monday and Friday are flexible work-from-anywhere days. The NYC office is in Midtown Manhattan with active People Team presence supporting hybrid coordination.