Senior Director, Strategic Program Management , Santa Clara

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

What you get to do in this role:

ServiceNow’s APEX (AI, Product, Engineering, and Experience) org is the largest organization in the company, comprised of all Products and Platform teams, along with our world class Design teams. We are leveraging the unlimited potential of our platform across every industry, geography, solutions, and personas to consistently deliver product and platform experiences our customers love.

We are seeking a Sr. Director, Technical Program Management to join our APEX Strategic Programs organization. In this role, you will lead a team delivering Strategic Innovations for the Product and Technology organization, together with other strategic business programs that are focused on ensuring we deliver on ServiceNow’s most critical priorities.
The successful candidate will operate as an AI-native leader, using AI tools to accelerate program delivery, synthesize intelligence across workstreams and model the ways of working we expect to scale across APEX.  In addition, the candidate is a self-starter with extensive competence and experience in the technical Program Management space. This candidate thinks strategically, but loves getting into the detail and possesses a strong ability to conceptualize, develop, drive, coordinate and manage a large program in addition to managing a delivery team. This person is effective at building relationships, collaborating, and influencing others; they must also be highly experienced working with senior executives across various geographies and functions.
Strategic Program Management Responsibilities:
Lead the delivery of complex programs that that drive growth and operational excellence for APEX portfolio, in partnership with stakeholders at all levels
Responsible for the APEX Strategic Initiative function: identifies, prioritizes, and accelerates goal-oriented product development projects with measurable impact on revenue, market position, and competitive advantage — operating with speed and focus to deliver innovation at scale.
Ensure programs are designed to deliver specific strategic outcomes – with metrics, milestones, and program structure to ensure successful execution
Develop trusted relationships with key customers, technology, functional leaders and stakeholders to drive focus on the strategic program objectives and optimize program delivery. This includes establishing regular cadences and holding resources accountable for their responsibilities within the program.
Establish governance frameworks and communication strategies to keep all stakeholders informed and engaged
Clearly communicate objectives, status, risks, and results to all stakeholders while collaborating with workstreams to resolve blockers
Ensure that each program aligns with the broader business objectives and contributes to the overall success of the organization
Identify, assess, prioritize, and mitigate risks to meet program objectives
Collaborate with cross-functional teams (e.g., Product, Sales, Finance, Marketing etc.) to identify opportunities, unlock productivity, and accelerate execution
Lead consensus-building across teams and ensure surgical execution and handoffs to relevant stakeholders

Qualifications

To be successful in this role you have:

12+ years of work experience, preferably in Operations / Program Management, Product Management, Management Consulting, or Strategy roles
High energy, disciplined execution skills, and willingness to do whatever it takes to deliver results
Work independently and be highly productive with minimal oversight
Ability to see the big picture while also being execution-oriented to improve operational excellence
Effective communicator (both verbally and in writing) who uses AI tools to draft, refine, and tailor communications — able to convey complex ideas clearly across executive and working-level audiences at speed
Experience in building trusting relationships and influencing others
Champion AI-native ways of working across the APEX Strategic Programs team — evaluating, adopting, and scaling AI tools that increase team throughput, reduce coordination overhead, and surface insights faster across complex program portfolios
Team player and self-starter who uses AI to stay ahead of complexity — comfortable directing AI agents, iterating on outputs, and operating with speed in ambiguous, high-stakes environments
Expertise in the enterprise software/ SaaS industry
Education: Bachelor’s Degree required; MBA or other Graduate degree preferred

JV20

For positions in this location, we offer a base pay of $254,500 - $445,400, 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, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or nationality, ancestry, age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, 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 [email protected] 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.