Director, Software Engineering Operations

We are seeking a results-driven and collaborative Director of Software Engineering Operations to lead the successful execution of complex, cross-functional programs across our engineering and product organizations. This role is responsible for overseeing strategic initiatives, managing program managers and project managers, aligning delivery with business goals, and driving operational efficiency across teams.

The ideal candidate brings strong leadership, executional rigor, and experience managing large-scale software programs in agile, cloud-native environments. You will partner with engineering, product, security, compliance, and business stakeholders to ensure our programs are delivered on time, within scope, and with measurable business impact.

Key Responsibilities:

Program Execution & Delivery Oversight (25%)

• Lead end-to-end execution of complex programs across multiple product and engineering teams.

• Ensure alignment of program scope, milestones, dependencies, and resources with strategic business goals.

• Monitor and report on program health using meaningful KPIs (e.g., velocity, risk, delivery timelines).

• Own resolution of program risks, blockers, and delivery challenges in partnership with functional leads.

Team Leadership & People Management (25%)

• Manage, mentor, and grow a team of program managers and project managers.

• Foster a high-performing, accountable culture focused on transparency, collaboration, and results.

• Define and evolve roles, responsibilities, and development plans for the program management team.

Agile Process Leadership & Operational Support (20%)

• Drive adoption of agile best practices (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe) across engineering programs.

• Standardize and continuously improve processes for roadmap alignment, planning, and execution.

• Collaborate with engineering operations, DevOps, and QA teams to streamline delivery pipelines.

Stakeholder Communication & Alignment (15%)

• Serve as the primary point of contact for cross-functional program communication and executive updates.

• Deliver weekly status reports to division leadership, summarizing progress, risks, and resource needs.

• Organize and facilitate town hall meetings, departmental updates, and other internal communications to ensure alignment and transparency across engineering and business units.

• Develop clear dashboards and reporting mechanisms to provide real-time visibility into program status.

• Facilitate cross-functional alignment sessions to support prioritization and strategic planning.

Strategic Planning & Continuous Improvement (15%)

• Partner with product, engineering, and business leaders to shape long-term planning and resource allocation including annual strategy development and budget.

• Identify and implement opportunities to improve tooling, delivery predictability, and cross-team collaboration.

• Serve on the division operations committee to address cross-functional projects and issues and meet growing organizational needs.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Business, Engineering, or a related field.

• 7+ years of experience in program or project management within technology organizations, including 3+ years in a people management capacity.

• Proven success leading large, cross-functional software development programs.

• Experience with agile frameworks (Scrum, Kanban) and familiarity with agile tools (primarily Azure DevOps but also JIRA, Confluence).

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence and align stakeholders across multiple functions.

• Strong organizational skills, including attention to detail and ability to manage multiple programs simultaneously.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in regulated industries (e.g., healthcare, finance, pharmaceuticals).

• PMP, PMI-ACP, or equivalent project/program management certifications.

• Strong understanding of software development lifecycles and DevOps principles.