Technical Product & Program Leader

Hi πŸ‘‹, I’m

Nikunj Patel

Turning complex platform, API and integration work into products that ship reliably in regulated environments.

Technical Product & Program Leader with 14+ years across enterprise platform, API and integration products. I own product priorities, backlog structure, acceptance criteria, release planning and delivery risk alongside engineering, architecture, UX, operations, vendors and business teams.

I’ve modernized SDK-based integrations into REST API products and use defect trends, SLAs, reliability data and adoption signals to guide product decisions β€” backed by PMP and Agile practice in release coordination and delivery governance.

14+years in product & delivery
40%fewer outages at FEI
4professional certifications
Portrait of Nikunj Patel
Agentic AI AI/ML Platform Roadmaps AI Forward PM Design Thinking
About

About My Work

Driving AI product strategy & innovation β€” turning models into real-world outcomes.

I sit between engineering and the business: deciding what a platform should do next, defining it clearly enough to build, and steering it through release without surprises.

My path runs from QA and Agile coaching through program management to product ownership at Cisco, FEI Systems, Optum and Capital One β€” so I know how products are tested, delivered and governed, not just planned.

Product Focus

Roadmaps, requirements, acceptance criteria and success metrics for platform and API products β€” including AI/ML-driven features β€” with decisions grounded in reliability, defect and adoption data.

Regulated Environments

Healthcare, financial services and government platforms where compliance, auditability and uptime matter as much as features. I plan releases around those constraints from day one.

Workday HCM Experience

Workday HCM certified, with hands-on experience supporting HR and payroll teams on Core HCM, business process configuration, EIB data loads, custom reporting and integrations β€” bringing the same product mindset to keeping Workday reliable and useful for the business.

Core HCMBusiness ProcessesEIBCustom ReportsIntegrations
Core Expertise

Core Expertise

Product, program and delivery leadership for enterprise platforms and APIs.

Product Management

Owning roadmaps, priorities and success measures from discovery through release.

Product RoadmapsBacklog PrioritizationRequirementsAcceptance Criteria

API & Platform Products

Modernizing integrations and platforms for real-time data exchange and better developer experience.

API Product MgmtREST APIsSDK β†’ APIPlatform Modernization

Technical Program Management

Planning and governing complex, multi-team programs to predictable delivery.

Release PlanningMilestone TrackingBudget OversightGovernance

Agile & SAFe Delivery

Lean-Agile coaching, PI and quarterly planning, and scaled delivery practice.

SAFeScrumJiraRallyVersionOne

Risk & Dependencies

Surfacing delivery risks early and resolving cross-team and vendor dependencies.

Risk ManagementDependency TrackingVendor Management

Product Metrics

KPIs that connect product work to quality, reliability and business outcomes.

KPIsSLAsDefect TrendsAvailabilityAdoption
Professional Approach

How I Lead Delivery

Data-informed, collaborative and built for predictable releases.

Understand the Need

Translate business, customer and compliance requirements into a clear, prioritized backlog.

Define Done

Write requirements, acceptance criteria and success metrics before a line of code is built.

Plan Realistically

Release plans, milestones and budgets that account for dependencies and regulatory limits.

Manage Risk Early

Track dependencies and risks across teams and vendors, and resolve them before they block.

Measure What Matters

Use defect trends, SLAs, reliability and adoption data to steer product decisions.

Keep Everyone Aligned

Transparent communication with engineering, UX, operations, vendors and business leaders.

Credentials

Certifications

Formal grounding in project, program and scaled Agile leadership.

PMI

Project Management Professional (PMP)

PMI

PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)

Scrum Alliance

Certified Scrum Professional (CSP)

Workday

Workday HCM

Contact

Let’s Talk

Hiring managers, recruiters and teams building platform or API products β€” I’d be glad to hear about your product and program leadership roles.

Emailnickpm48@gmail.com
Phone239.565.3586
LinkedInnikunj-patel-aiproductleaderOpen profile β†’