About Us

At Cloudflare, we are on a mission to help build a better Internet. Today the company runs one of the world’s largest networks that powers millions of websites and other Internet properties for customers ranging from individual bloggers to SMBs to Fortune 500 companies. Cloudflare protects and accelerates any Internet application online without adding hardware, installing software, or changing a line of code. Internet properties powered by Cloudflare all have web traffic routed through its intelligent global network, which gets smarter with every request. As a result, they see significant improvement in performance and a decrease in spam and other attacks. Cloudflare was named to Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Company Cultures list and ranked among the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company. 

We realize people do not fit into neat boxes. We are looking for curious and empathetic individuals who are committed to developing themselves and learning new skills, and we are ready to help you do that. We cannot complete our mission without building a diverse and inclusive team. We hire the best people based on an evaluation of their potential and support them throughout their time at Cloudflare. Come join us! 

Available Locations: Austin Texas

About the Role

Cloudflare is seeking a Lead Principal of SaaS Strategy & Optimization to lead our company-wide SaaS application portfolio with a focus on cost efficiency, scalability, and strategic business value. This role will drive visibility, governance, and performance across all SaaS tools, ensuring Cloudflare’s software ecosystem is secure, well-managed, and delivering maximum return on investment.

Reporting to the VP of Enterprise Operations & IT, this role will be responsible for aligning SaaS investments with organizational needs and priorities, eliminating inefficiencies, and creating repeatable, scalable practices that support sustainable growth. The ideal candidate will partner with leadership up to CIO, CAO and others to align SAM initiatives with business objectives, ensure regulatory adherence, and deliver measurable value through efficient resource utilization.

Responsibilities

SaaS Portfolio Leadership

• Define and implement the enterprise SaaS strategy, ensuring alignment with business priorities and compliance requirements.
• Establish and enforce governance frameworks, intake processes, and standards for SaaS procurement, deployment, and offboarding.
• Partner with the VP of Enterprise Operations, as well as key cross functional partners, to integrate SAM into broader IT and operational strategies.

Cost Efficiency & Value Realization

• Identify and execute cost-saving opportunities through license optimization, vendor consolidation, and rationalization of redundant tools.
• Develop reporting frameworks and dashboards to monitor usage trends, renewal timelines, and software ROI across departments.
• Identify and resolve compliance gaps, including over/under-licensing issues.

Operational Excellence

• Build and maintain processes that ensure the right tools are in place, fully utilized, and aligned with team workflows.
• Partner with internal teams to improve onboarding and offboarding practices, helping reduce shadow IT and security risk.
• Mitigate audit risks by maintaining accurate license inventories, usage reports, and entitlement tracking.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with Procurement, IT, Security, Legal, and Finance teams to align SaaS policies and practices across the organization.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to business leaders on software decisions and performance management.

Vendor Engagement

• Support vendor relationship management and contract strategy, ensuring favorable terms, visibility into usage, and scalability for future needs.
• Coordinate with Procurement to drive informed negotiation and renewal activities.
• Ensure compliance with software licensing agreements, vendor contracts, and regulatory requirements
• Oversee SAM tools to automate inventory tracking and reporting.

Team Leadership

• Build and manage a small, high-performing team focused on SaaS operations, governance, and analysis.
• Promote a data-informed, outcome-driven culture around software decision-making.
• Standardize SAM processes across global teams, ensuring scalability and efficiency.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in SaaS portfolio management, IT strategy, vendor governance, or enterprise procurement
• Strong understanding of SaaS licensing model