Senior Director - People Data Science & Insights

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

Freshworks is seeking a visionary Senior Director, People Data Science & Insights to lead our next phase of analytics transformation—moving beyond dashboards to deep, predictive, and actionable insights that shape workforce strategy and executive decision-making. 

This role sits at the intersection of data science, storytelling, and strategy—designed for a leader who can turn data into influence, analytics into foresight, and insights into measurable business outcomes. 

You’ll be responsible for evolving our People Analytics organization from foundational reporting to advanced modeling, workforce intelligence, and AI-powered insights that drive business and cultural impact globally. 

Key Responsibilities 

Strategic Leadership 

• Define and execute the People Data Science & Insights strategy, establishing Freshworks as a benchmark for data-driven HR decision-making. 
• Partner with the CHRO, CEO, and executive team to translate workforce data into strategic insights that shape company performance, talent density, and culture. 
• Build a scalable operating model that connects data science, people analytics, and business outcomes across global teams. 

Advanced Analytics & Data Science 

• Design and deploy advanced predictive and propensity models to forecast attrition, engagement, productivity, and workforce risk. 
• Apply AI/ML and data science techniques to optimize workforce planning, performance, and employee experience. 
• Partner with HR, Finance, and IT to ensure analytics initiatives are strategic, automated, and seamlessly integrated into enterprise systems. 

Insight Storytelling & Visualization 

• Transform complex analytics into compelling data narratives that drive executive decisions and organizational action. 
• Build executive-ready dashboards and visualizations using tools such as Tableau, Power BI, and Workday Prism. 
• Champion a culture of data storytelling within HR—helping leaders connect insights to outcomes. 

Data Governance & Trust 

• Ensure accuracy, compliance, and integrity of employee data across global systems, aligning with GDPR, CCPA, and other regional regulations. 
• Drive shared definitions, unified metrics, and transparent governance to establish a single source of truth. 
• Strengthen data literacy across HR personas—from HRBPs to Operations—enabling true “insight to action.” 

Leadership & Collaboration 

• Lead and mentor a high-performing global team of data scientists, analysts, and people scientists. 
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and a growth mindset, encouraging experimentation and continuous learning. 
• Partner cross-functionally with HR, Finance, and Product leaders to identify emerging analytics opportunities that accelerate strategic impact.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive experience in People Analytics, Data Science, or Workforce Insights, including 5+ years in senior leadership. 
• Proven track record of driving executive decision-making through data-backed insights and influence. 
• Expertise in predictive modeling, segmentation, and propensity modeling within HR or workforce domains. 
• Strong experience with data visualization and storytelling for senior audiences. 
• Proficiency with AI/ML and analytics tools such as Python, R, SQL, Tableau, Power BI, Workday Prism, and Databricks. 
• Deep understanding