Director Engineering Operations

You’re a strategic operator who loves turning complex engineering organisations into high-performing, data-driven machines. In this role, you will shape the operating rhythm for an 800-person global engineering org in a high-growth SaaS environment, using metrics, portfolio visibility and AI-enabled tooling to drive predictable, high-quality delivery at scale. You’ll sit at the intersection of strategy, data, delivery and culture, giving senior leaders the insight and frameworks they need to make better decisions, faster. You’ll own engineering performance dashboards and success metrics, optimise workflows and tools (Jira, Confluence, GitHub, CI/CD), and lead cross-functional initiatives that span Product, Design, QA and Customer Success. You’ll also build and mentor a globally distributed team, influence senior stakeholders and embed continuous improvement across the organisation. If you’re excited by high visibility, broad scope and meaningful impact, keep reading. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll do Architect and own the engineering operating cadence (QBRs, monthly business reviews, strategic planning and org-wide communications) to drive clarity and alignment. Define and maintain engineering success metrics and performance dashboards, turning complex datasets into clear, actionable insights for senior leadership and the Board. Maintain a portfolio-level view of major engineering initiatives, flagging risks early and standardising delivery frameworks to improve predictability and quality. Optimise engineering tools, workflows and automation (including CI/CD and AI-driven tools) to increase velocity, reliability and decision quality. Lead horizontal, cross-functional programmes (for example cloud migrations, GRC frameworks, GenAI adoption) that require alignment across Engineering, Product and customer-facing teams. Build, mentor and develop a globally distributed Engineering Operations and Program Management team, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and data-driven decision making. These are the essentials you’ll need to get an interview 8–10+ years in Engineering Operations, software engineering leadership, Technical Program Management, transformation, strategy or business operations in a high-growth SaaS environment. Proven experience defining operational frameworks, delivery standards and KPI systems in a global organisation, with a focus on problem solving, programme scoping and execution. Strong understanding of SDLC, agile methodologies, CI/CD, DevOps and microservices architectures. Advanced analytical skills using tools such as Excel, Looker, Tableau or similar, with the ability to turn data into clear, executive-ready narratives and recommendations. Demonstrated experience driving AI-related innovation, from evaluating opportunities and implementing tools to influencing adoption and change at scale. Track record of improving engineering processes, delivery predictability and cross-functional alignment across distributed teams. Experience leading and developing teams, including managing 6+ FTEs across multiple geographies, with strong stakeholder management, executive presence and high EQ. It would be great if you had these too Experience working in a private equity–backed SaaS company and navigating associated performance expectations and governance. Hands-on experience with OKR frameworks and outcome-based planning in large product and engineering organisations. Relevant certifications (for example PMP, Agile, Lean) or equivalent practical experience in scaling operational excellence. U.S pay range $174,000 — $220,000 USD About Us Diligent is the AI leader in governance, risk and compliance (GRC) SaaS solutions, helping more than 1 million users and 700,000 board members to clarify risk and elevate governance. The Diligent One Platform gives practitioners, the C-Suite and the board a consolidated view of their entire GRC practice so they can more effectively manage risk, build greater resilience and make better decisions, faster. At Diligent, we're building the future with people who think boldly and move fast. Whether you're designing systems that leverage large language models or part of a team reimaging workflows with AI, you'll help us unlock entirely new ways of working and thinking. Curiosity is in our DNA, we look for individuals willing to ask the big questions and experiment fearlessly - those who embrace change not as a challenge, but as an opportunity. The futu