Ria Lamenzo Advanced Into Google Engineering Program Management Role

Breaking into more technical roles often requires more than professional experience. It takes confidence, hands-on skills and the ability to communicate effectively with engineering teams.

For Ria Lamenzo, a seasoned program manager with more than a decade of experience in the technology sector, our software development certificate became the bridge between her business operations background and the deeper technical expertise she wanted to build.

Ria has held program manager roles at companies such as Google, Microsoft, O’Reilly Media and Ten-X, where she worked on global-scale product delivery, data systems, reporting products and operational improvements.

“I wanted to deepen my technical expertise and increase my confidence in designing technical solutions,” Ria says on choosing our certificate. “The program helped me achieve both those goals.”

That investment in technical growth ultimately helped Ria pursue more advanced opportunities, including landing a role at Google as an engineering program manager.

I wanted to deepen my technical expertise and increase my confidence in designing technical solutions. The program helped me achieve both those goals.

Building Technical Confidence

Ria already had a strong professional foundation before coming to us. A graduate of Boston University’s business administration undergraduate degree program, she had built a successful career managing programs, sales operations initiatives and corporate application implementations across the technology industry.

But as the tech landscape evolved, Ria recognized the value of having stronger software development skills and a deeper understanding of technical systems.

“What draws me to the field is the satisfaction of collaborating with a cross-functional team to creatively build a solution that delivers both value to users and impact to the business,” she explains of learning about software development.

When researching computer science and software development certificate programs online, our certificate stood out immediately. “The types of courses and flexible scheduling appealed to me,” she adds.

Working full time remotely as a program manager, Ria enjoyed the online, asynchronous structure, which allowed her to continue advancing professionally while developing new technical skills after business hours.

Throughout the program, Ria appreciated how the coursework balanced technical rigor with practical application.

“My interactions with the instructors were terrific,” she says. “They provided excellent critiques and guidance on my coursework submissions. The exercises helped me grasp the material, and the slides and teaching materials were well curated.”

The certificate gave her opportunities to explore emerging technologies while learning how software development principles connect directly to real business problems. “One of the courses covered coding in JavaScript for websites, and I was able to apply that knowledge in creating websites to test out web solutions for small- and mid-sized business advertisers,” she explains.

That hands-on experience helped her bridge the gap between program management and engineering collaboration.

The experience also reinforced her curiosity—and will encourage your own—about technology and innovation.

“Learn at your own pace and allow yourself to go deep into the material to satisfy your curiosity in the topic,” she advises. “When you are motivated by a passion for learning, it will lead to better success.”

It personally gave me the confidence to pursue more technical roles, including landing a role at Google, after attaining the certificate.

Opening the Door to Google

While the technical skills were valuable, the confidence Ria gained through the certificate proved equally transformative.

“It personally gave me the confidence to pursue more technical roles, including landing a role at Google, after attaining the certificate,” she says.

That confidence translated into real career momentum.

What developers need to understand now to stay relevant in an AI-assisted development landscape is to have an open mind on how AI can help augment their skills and creativity.

At Google, Ria works as an engineering program manager supporting highly technical initiatives and collaborating across teams. Her experience reflects a growing trend across the tech industry: Companies increasingly value professionals who can combine business strategy and technical execution.

Our software development certificate helped Ria strengthen that bridge.

Instead of simply managing timelines or coordinating projects, she gained the ability to engage more deeply in technical conversations, understand development challenges and contribute to solution design.

That included using AI to help reshape software development and engineering workflows.

“What developers need to understand now to stay relevant in an AI-assisted development landscape is to have an open mind on how AI can help augment their skills and creativity,” she adds.

For Ria? She’s keeping that open mindset as she ponders her future career arc.

“I’ll most likely be in a program management capacity still, just a little more senior,” she says.

For professionals considering a move into more technical roles—or looking to strengthen their ability to collaborate with engineering teams—Ria’s story highlights how targeted education can create lasting career impact.

Our software development certificate did more than teach coding skills. It gave her the confidence to step into new challenges, contribute more deeply to technical innovation and pursue opportunities at one of the world’s leading tech companies.

And for Ria, that transformation started with a willingness to keep learning.