Director, Strategic Programs & Business Operations

Company Description

It all started when engineer Fred Luddy wrote code that automated a tedious task for his coworker, Phyllis. She cried tears of joy. That moment inspired Fred to build a company that could do that for everyone—freeing people from busywork so they could focus on meaningful work. Today, ServiceNow is the AI control tower for business reinvention. Our ServiceNow AI platform brings together any AI, any data, and any workflow— helping 85% of the Fortune 500® work smarter, faster, and better. We're building an AI-native culture where technology and talent are unstoppable together. And we're just getting started.

Join us to put AI to work for people.

Job Description

Role Overview

You will drive HRSD's most critical cross-functional priorities and strategic initiatives, operating at the intersection of strategy and execution and setting the standard for how high-impact programs are designed, governed, and run at scale. You identify, prioritize, and accelerate programs of the highest complexity with quantifiable impact on revenue, market position, and competitive advantage. You operate as an AI-native program manager and strategic operator who thinks deeply but loves getting into details. This is an individual contributor role with full strategic authority and accountability for outcomes.

What You Get to Do in This Role

Strategic Program Ownership

• Drive large-scale, high-visibility cross-functional strategic initiatives for HRSD.
• Identify, prioritize, and accelerate programs of the highest complexity with quantifiable impact on revenue, market position, and competitive advantage.
• Translate business objectives into execution strategy both tactical and strategic and take full ownership of technical project planning and delivery from conception through transition to operations.

Strategic Planning & Program Design

• Organize complex, ambiguous problems into prioritized milestones, deliverables, dependencies, and success criteria.
• Design programs to deliver specific strategic outcomes and drive relentless accountability against them.
• Establish business rhythm and operating cadences (QBRs, monthly forums, weekly alignment) that connect strategy to execution.
• Set the standard for how high-impact programs are designed and governed at scale.

Governance & Leadership

• Establish governance frameworks and lead executive-level meetings and cross-functional events.
• Serve as the go-to source of leadership, transparency, and visibility, clearly communicating objectives, status, risks, and results while ensuring surgical execution and handoffs across workstreams.
• Ensure robust processes for managing risk, change, resources, and financials.

Cross-Functional Orchestration

• Develop trusted relationships with key stakeholders, technology leaders, and functional heads to drive focus on strategic program objectives and optimize program delivery.
• Facilitate strategic alignment across product, engineering, design, research, marketing, and GTM.
• Identify and resolve cross-functional dependencies before they become blockers.
• Hold resources accountable for their responsibilities within programs.

AI-Native Program Management

• Operate as an AI-native program manager.
• Use AI to synthesize intelligence across workstreams, surface risk signals early, ensure data informs decision-making, draft and tailor communications at speed, direct AI agents, and provide leadership with actionable, forward-looking intelligence.
• Develop software-based or AI-driven solutions to replace repeatable operational tasks.
• Foster an environment of autonomy, transparency, and continuous improvement.

Process & Capability Building

• Develop and implement scalable processes, templates, and training to ensure program delivery and process adoption.
• Oversee change management efforts, guiding teams through organizational transitions.
• Continuously assess organizational effectiveness and implement improvements that increase speed, clarity, and accountability.

Strategic Advisory

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the GM and executive leadership.
• Prepare analysis and recommendations on key business questions.
• Help leadership think clearly about strategic choices and tradeoffs.
• Provide data-driven insights that surface blind spots and unlock opportunities.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

Experience

• 12+ years of work experience in Technical Program Management, Product Management, Strategy, Operations, or related roles.
• Proven track record managing large-scale, complex, cross-functional initiatives with quantifiable business impact in high-growth or enterprise technology environments.
• Demonstrated success translating business strategy into execution plans and delivering on metrics.

Core Competencies

• High energy and disciplined execution skills. Willingness to do whatever it takes to deliver results. Ability to see the big picture while being execution-oriented and detail-focused. Strategic thinking and business acumen, comfortable with P&L, metrics, and business strategy. Ability to conceptualize, develop, drive, coordinate, and manage large, complex, cross-functional programs from ambiguity through delivery.
• Effective communicator, written and verbal, who uses AI tools to draft, refine, and tailor communications. Able to convey complex ideas clearly across executive and working-level audiences at speed. Comfortable directing AI agents and iterating on outputs in ambiguous, high-stakes environments.
• Strong collaboration, relationship-building, and influence skills. Masterful at bringing people together across functions, levels, and geographies without direct authority. Work independently and be highly productive with minimal oversight. Sound judgment and discretion with confidential information.
• Experience leveraging or critically thinking about how to integrate AI into work processes, decision-making, and problem-solving—including AI-powered tools, workflow automation, AI-driven insights, and exploring AI's potential impact on program management and organizational effectiveness.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a startup or rapidly growing company.
• Strong financial acumen and experience with budget management.
• Proficiency with data analysis and business intelligence tools.
• MBA or equivalent advanced degree.
• Experience designing and scaling operating models.
• Expertise in the enterprise software/SaaS industry.

How Success is Measured

• Strategic initiatives deliver on time, on budget, with measurable business impact on revenue, market position, and competitive advantage.
• Business rhythm is crisp and predictable. Meetings are efficient, decisions are clear, accountability is tracked. Organization operates at velocity.
• Cross-functional teams are aligned and coordinated. Dependencies are managed proactively. The organization moves as one.
• Leadership has visibility into program health, business metrics, and risks. Data and intelligence inform fast decision-making.
• HRSD organizational effectiveness, speed of execution, and market competitiveness improve measurably.

For positions in this location, we offer a base pay of $221,200 - $387,100, 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, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, gender identity,  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 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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