Director - IT Operations

Role Overview

We are seeking a strategic and highly motivated IT Operations Director to join our team. This role will serve as the operational backbone of the IT department. You will join the IT leadership team partnering directly with them and cross-functional stakeholders to drive organizational transformation, manage financial performance, and ensure IT strategies align with broader Five9 business objectives.

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker with a hands-on approach to problem-solving, possessing deep expertise in IT financial management, governance, and operational continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Financial & Budget Oversight: Take ownership of the global IT budget. Monitor spend, optimize costs, and ensure financial predictability and alignment with corporate targets.
• OKR Strategy & Tracking: Lead the development, alignment, and rigorous tracking of IT Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). Ensure department goals map directly to Five9’s overarching business priorities.
• "IT for IT" Program Leadership: Champion and manage the "IT for IT" program, focusing on advancing our internal IT capabilities, tooling, and operational maturity to make the IT organization a model of efficiency.
• Business Alignment & QBRs: Facilitate and lead Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) for the IT organization. Surface key metrics, operational health, and strategic roadmap progress to executive leadership.
• Organizational Transformation & Continuous Improvement: Drive change management and continuous improvement initiatives within IT. Identify operational bottlenecks and implement scalable frameworks that foster agility and high performance.
• Policy Management & Governance: Establish, maintain, and oversee IT policies, standards, and governance frameworks to ensure compliance, mitigate risk, and maintain operational integrity.
• Department Updates & Communications: Act as the primary liaison for communicating IT department updates, wins, and operational changes to the broader Five9 business.

Qualifications & Experience

• Experience: Minimum 8 years of progressive experience in IT Operations, IT Strategy, or IT Business Management, preferably within a SaaS, Cloud, or high-growth technology environment.
• Proven track record of successfully managing complex IT budgets, forecasting, and vendor financial relationships.
• Solid use of AI to build skills, agents and apps to bring efficiency to the IT business.
• Deep understanding of OKR methodologies, ITIL, agile frameworks, and continuous improvement practices.
• Exceptional executive presence and storytelling capability. Ability to translate complex technical and operational concepts into clear, actionable business insights.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence, drive cross-functional alignment, and execute strategic initiatives without direct reporting lines.