Strategic Operations, Director

Company Description
It all started in sunny San Diego, California in 2004 when a visionary engineer, Fred Luddy, saw the potential to transform how we work. Fast forward to today - ServiceNow stands as a global market leader, bringing innovative AI-enhanced technology to over 8,100 customers, including 85% of the Fortune 500®. Our intelligent cloud-based platform seamlessly connects people, systems, and processes to empower organizations to find smarter, faster, and better ways to work. But this is just the beginning of our journey. Join us as we pursue our purpose to make the world work better for everyone.
Job Description
About the team:
The Connected Customer Experience (CCx) team in Digital Technology designs and delivers digital experiences that help customers and partners adopt, learn, and succeed with ServiceNow. CCx spans support, learning, and success experiences, built on the ServiceNow AI Platform.
About the role:
The Strategic Operations, Director is a senior individual contributor responsible for owning the operational backbone of the CCx organization. This role partners closely with the SVP of CCx and the Chief of Staff to translate strategy into executable plans, manage financial and headcount operations, drive organizational alignment and engagement, and provide clear, data-driven insights and recommendations that enable confident executive decision-making.
This role is ideal for a highly autonomous and structured operator with strong judgment, a point of view on operational excellence, and the ability to influence senior leaders through clarity, rigor, and trust in a complex, matrixed organization. The ideal candidate understands that operational excellence extends beyond financial and program management to encompass how a large distributed organization communicates, aligns, and maintains organizational health.
Key Responsibilities:
Budget Management and Operating Model

• Own the CCx budget (~$50M) in close partnership with Finance.
• Manage the headcount operating model, including tracking, forecasting, and change execution
• Own vendor and contractor operations, including SOWs, renewals, scope changes, and performance management.
• Own the annual planning process for CCx, including timelines, inputs, dependencies, and outputs.
• Drive monthly and quarterly execution against approved plans, proactively managing changes and tradeoffs and surfacing decision points with clear options and implications.
• Own the internal communications operating rhythm (cadence, forums, inputs, sequencing) for CCx- including all-hands, leadership syncs, and change communications - in partnership with the Chief of Staff and SVP.
• Continuously evolve the CCx operating model to improve execution, decision velocity, and transparency.

Data, Metrics & Transparency

• Own CCx operational data and dashboards, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and executive usability to track organizational health and progress against goals.
• Partner with Finance and cross-functional teams to maintain a high bar for financial accuracy and transparency.
• Own the definition, alignment, and ongoing tracking of CCx OKRs, ensuring clear linkage between strategic priorities, execution plans, and measurable outcomes.
• Translate complex programs, financial data, and operational issues into concise, decision-oriented materials for senior leadership.
• Develop executive-ready decks, documents, and written narratives that clearly communicate status, insights, risks, and recommendations, maintaining a high bar for clarity, structure, and point of view in all executive communications.

Cross-Functional Alignment

• Act as the operational point of contact for cross-functional partners supporting CCx, building strong, trusted relationships with leaders across Digital Technology, Customer Success, Support, and Finance to drive alignment, surface tradeoffs, and enable timely decision-making and execution.
• Influence cross-functional leaders through a strong POV on how work gets done, not just what gets done.
• Ensure alignment between strategy, execution, and resource allocation by clarifying cross-functional roles, decision rights, and operating interfaces.
• Represent CCx in cross-functional forums to remove execution blockers and align on operational implications of customer and business outcomes.

Strategic Initiative Leadership

• Lead and orchestrate complex, cross-functional programs in support of CCx strategic priorities, including org-wide changes, operating model evolution, and critical initiatives.
• Drive change management activities, ensuring clear ownership, sequencing, and communication across stakeholders.
• Establish initiative-level plans, milestones, risks, and dependencies while holding partners accountable through influence.
• Proactively surface risks, tradeoffs, and decision points, escalating with clarity and recommendations.
• Ensure strategic initiatives remain aligned to approved priorities, funding, and capacity, proactively surfacing investment and resourcing tradeoffs with clear recommendations for executive decision-making.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in strategic operations, business operations, product ops, or consulting.
• Experience in leveraging or critically thinking about how to integrate AI into work processes, decision-making, or problem-solving. This may include using AI-powered tools, automating workflows, analyzing AI-driven insights, or exploring AI's potential impact on the function or industry.
• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale programs or strategic initiatives in complex / matrixed organizations.
• Proven experience managing large-scale budgets and complex operating models.
• Strong financial and analytical acumen; comfort working closely with Finance.
• Experience driving internal communications at scale and employee engagement programs.
• Demonstrated systems thinker who understands and optimizes the connections between financial health, operational execution, organizational engagement, and strategic outcomes.
• Executive presence with the ability to influence without authority.
• Exceptional clarity in written and verbal communication.
• Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, computer science, or related field; MBA or equivalent experience preferred.

FD21
For positions in this location, we offer a base pay of $173,200 - $303,100, plus equity (when applicable), variable/incentive compensation and benefits. Sales positions generally offer a competitive On Target Earnings (OTE) incentive compensation structure. Please note that the base pay shown is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies, and work location. We also offer health plans, including flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) Plan with company match, ESPP, matching donations, a flexible time away plan and family leave programs. Compensation is based on the geographic location in which the role is located and is subject to change based on work location.
Additional Information
Work Personas
We approach our distributed world of work with flexibility and trust. Work personas (flexible, remote, or required in office) are categories that are assigned to ServiceNow employees depending on the nature of their work and their assigned work location. Learn more here . To determine eligibility for a work persona, ServiceNow may confirm the distance between your primary residence and the closest ServiceNow office using a third-party service.
Equal Opportunity Employer
ServiceNow is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or nationality, ancestry, age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other category protected by law. In addition, all qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with legal requirements.
Accommodations
We strive to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, or are unable to use this online application and need an alternative method to apply, please contact [email protected] for assistance.
Export Control Regulations
For positions requiring access to controlled technology subject to export control regulations, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR), ServiceNow may be required to obtain export control approval from government authorities for certain individuals. All employment is contingent upon ServiceNow obtaining any export license or other approval that may be required by relevant export control authorities.
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