Nicola Ruggiero

About Nicola Ruggiero

Senior Program Manager | Infrastructure & Technical Operations | Cross-Functional LeadershipExperienced Senior Program Manager with 9+ years driving large-scale infrastructure optimization and capacity planning across high-growth technology environments. Proven track record of partnering with engineering, research, and cross-functional teams to deliver automated solutions, optimize resource allocation, and scale operations from startup to enterprise levels.Core Expertise: Capacity Planning & Resource Optimization - Managed infrastructure scaling from 25 to 49 sites while optimizing allocation for 69M+ units during peak demand periods Automated Infrastructure Solutions - Partnered on tools like FAWKES that saved 190K units in constraints; built monitoring dashboards and real-time integrations saving $8-12M monthly Cross-Functional Program Management - Bridge technical and operational teams, translating complex requirements into scalable solutions across payments, fulfillment, and retail systems Technical Leadership - Led migrations, coordinated product launches, and optimized end-to-end customer journeys while maintaining operational excellenceCurrently focused on payments infrastructure at Nordstrom, where I\'ve driven $3.25M in incremental revenue through data-driven optimization and automated monitoring systems. Previously scaled Amazon\'s Sub Same Day network operations and optimized T-Mobile\'s retail technology stack.Passionate about applying technical program management expertise to emerging technologies, particularly AI/ML infrastructure challenges where capacity planning and cross-team coordination are critical for success.Technical Skills: SQL, Python, R, Tableau, JIRA, Cloud InfrastructureEducation: MS Business Analytics (Data Science)- University of Washington

Experience

1. Sr Program Manager - Payments

   Nordstrom

   Sep 2023 — Present · Seattle, WA, US

   Strategic Partnership Management: Spearheaded collaborations with external partners, including Amex, PayPal, and Afterpay, to drive customer acquisition and increase customer trips. Achieved a 137% increase in total spend from targeted Card Members, resulting in an incremental $3.25M in total spend.• Payments Process Optimization: Enhanced payments KPIs, dashboards, and monitoring systems, including the ingestion of interchange and network fees from third-party invoices. Streamlined payment processes to improve efficiency and accuracy in financial reporting.• Data-Driven Decision Making: Translated complex customer data into actionable insights, leading to a ~50% increase in approval rates for Card on File transactions before the 2023 Holiday season. Provided data expertise to support critical decisions in the Payment Orchestration process.• Risk Management & Fraud Prevention: Advocated for the integration of BIN data at the transaction level, enabling more detailed analysis of declines, chargebacks, and fraud. Developed strategies to mitigate risks and enhance payment security.• Cross-Functional Leadership: Led a recon group to address data gaps with acquirer Worldpay, facilitating a comprehensive reanalysis of data quality and accuracy. Played a key role in the evaluation and selection of payment solutions, contributing to Nordstrom\'s overall payment strategy.

Education

• Shoreline Community College

  Automotive General Service Technician Certificate, Automotive

  2011 — 2011

• UW Foster School of Business

  Master of Science - MS, Business Analytics

  2019 — 2020

• Central Washington University

  Bachelor of Science - BS, Information Technology and Administrative Management

• Highline College

  AAS, Criminal Justice

  2005 — 2007

Skills

• Automotive
• Customer Service
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Powerpoint
• Windows
• Windows Vista
• Maintenance & Repair
• Computer Hardware
• Troubleshooting
• Networking
• Team Building
• Management
• Customer Satisfaction
• Training
• Process Improvement
• Customer Retention
• Access
• Sales
• Teamwork
• Leadership