Open to opportunities

John Cruz

@johncruz

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Senior Program Manager specializing in AI solutions, technical program leadership, and PMO strategy.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I seek senior technical program roles driving AI/automation adoption, building PMO capabilities, partnering across engineering and product, and delivering measurable business outcomes in collaborative, innovation-focused environments.

I am a results-driven Senior Program Manager with over 20 years delivering large-scale, complex technology programs across AI, aerospace, automotive, fintech, and consumer tech.

I lead end-to-end implementation of AI-powered solutions, build scalable PM infrastructures, and align cross-functional teams to translate business needs into technical execution.

My career highlights include directing a $1.9B M&A integration, managing $60M+ technical programs, and deploying AI workflow automations, LLM-powered agents, and AI voice prototypes for enterprise adoption.

I am skilled in Agile, Waterfall and hybrid methodologies, adept at stakeholder engagement, risk management, and driving measurable business outcomes through program leadership and adoption-focused change management.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

AI Product & Automation Specialist

Current

Independent

Jan 2024 - Present (1 year 8 months)

Built AI-powered workflow automations and voice agent prototypes for SMBs, integrating ChatGPT and Make.com to streamline campaigns and deliver customer-facing POCs that improved engagement and operational efficiency.

Prompt Engineering Make Python PoC Development Workflow Automation Google Sheets

Current

Senior Technical Program Manager

Current

Supernal

Nov 2023 - Present (1 year 10 months)

Directed a $60M+ eVTOL prototype program, established PMO processes and KPI dashboards in Power BI/JIRA, and partnered on ISO 9001 compliance to drive milestones toward Entry Into Service.

Program Management PMO Risk Management Power BI Jira ISO 9001 Stakeholder Management

Senior Technical Project Manager

Rivian

May 2023 - Oct 2023 (5 months)

Coordinated hardware, software, and integration teams for ECU test systems, managed vendor RFQs and BOM procurement, and reported risks to leadership to ensure on-time delivery of production test systems.

Hardware Integration Vendor Management RFQ ECU Test Systems Procurement

Senior Product Manager

GrandPad

Jun 2021 - Jan 2023 (1 year 7 months)

Owned product vision and launched companion iOS/Android apps and Shopify migration, driving a 35% increase in online sales and expanding distribution to Amazon to improve senior/caregiver connectivity.

Product Management Roadmapping iOS Android Shopify UX Go To Market

Senior Project Manager

SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union

Apr 2017 - Jun 2021 (4 years 2 months)

Directed a $1.9B merger integration for 150,000 members and 11 branches, centralized PMO operations, and deployed Agile and change management frameworks to harmonize customer experience.

PMO Change Management Agile Workfront Stakeholder Management

Program Manager, In-Flight Systems

Thales Avionics

Jan 2010 - Dec 2015 (5 years 11 months)

Delivered Android-based in-flight entertainment systems across programs exceeding $100M, leading cross-functional teams to meet product and delivery targets for airline customers.

Program Management Android In Flight Entertainment Supplier Management

Systems Engineer

Raytheon

Jan 2007 - Jan 2010 (3 years)

Led requirements and systems engineering for the Joint Tactical Radio System, supporting classified programs with Secret clearance and ensuring engineering compliance and integration across subsystems.

Systems Engineering Requirements Management JTARS Integration Technical Documentation