Manager - Professional Services Operations & Strategy

Company Description

Organizations everywhere struggle under the crushing costs and complexities of "solutions" that promise to simplify their lives. To create a better experience for their customers and employees. To help them grow. Software is a choice that can make or break a business. Create better or worse experiences. Propel or throttle growth. Business software has become a blocker instead of ways to get work done.

There's another option. Freshworks. With a fresh vision for how the world works.

At Freshworks, we build uncomplicated service software that delivers exceptional customer and employee experiences. Our enterprise-grade solutions are powerful, yet easy to use, and quick to deliver results. Our people-first approach to AI eliminates friction, making employees more effective and organizations more productive. Over 72,000 companies, including Bridgestone, New Balance, Nucor, S&P Global, and Sony Music, trust Freshworks' customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) software to fuel customer loyalty and service efficiency. And, over 4,500 Freshworks employees make this possible, all around the world.

Fresh vision. Real impact. Come build it with us.

Job Description

The Manager, Professional Services Operations & Strategy is the primary business and operational owner for the global Professional Services organization. This role serves as the Director’s right hand for all PS-specific operations, commercial health, and performance management—ensuring predictable delivery, strong margin performance, and scalable growth.

In addition to owning forecasting, capacity planning, governance, and reporting, this role is accountable for Professional Services margin health through ownership of pricing strategy, packaging and SKU management, and services-specific terms and conditions. The Manager partners closely with Sales, RevOps, Finance, and regional PS leaders to ensure pricing discipline, commercial clarity, and operational execution are tightly aligned.

This role works in close collaboration with an India-based PS Operations Manager, who oversees Deal Desk execution, process governance, and PSA administration.

Please note: This is a hybrid role that will be based in Boston, MA and requires an in-office presence three days per week (Tuesday - Thursday). 

Professional Services Business Ownership

• Act as the primary operational and commercial owner of the global PS business.

• Serve as a trusted advisor and proxy for the Director on PS operational and margin-related matters.

• Translate Services and company strategy into actionable PS operating plans, targets, and execution priorities.

Financial Performance, Margin & Forecasting

• Own PS financial performance across bookings, revenue, cost, and margin.

• Lead global PS forecasting, pacing, and variance analysis in partnership with FP&A.

• Drive margin improvement through pricing discipline, delivery mix optimization, utilization management, and partner strategy.

• Provide executive-level insights, risks, and recommendations through clear, data-driven reporting.

Pricing, Packaging, SKUs & Commercial Governance

• Own Professional Services pricing frameworks, including list rates, discount guardrails, and margin thresholds.

• Define and maintain PS packages and SKU structure, ensuring offerings are:

  • Easy to sell

  • Operationally executable

  • Margin-protective at scale

• Partner with Sales and RevOps on pricing exception policies, escalation criteria, and approval thresholds.

• Own PS-specific terms and conditions, including scope boundaries, delivery assumptions, overage models, and change-control constructs.

• Monitor and report on rate realization, discount leakage, and package-level margin performance.

Capacity Planning & Delivery Mix Strategy

• Own global PS capacity modeling and headcount planning in support of AOP and in-year reforecasting.

• Partner with regional PS leaders to align staffing plans with demand, utilization targets, and margin goals.

• Define internal vs. partner delivery mix strategies aligned to skills, cost structure, and margin outcomes.

Governance, Operating Cadence & Risk Management

• Own PS delivery governance frameworks, including project health, risk tracking, quality controls, and escalation paths.

• Lead PS operating cadence: weekly delivery and forecast reviews, MBRs, QBRs, and quarterly planning.

• Ensure compliance with time tracking, project setup, margin checks, partner sourcing, and PMO standards.

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