Head of Engineering Operations

Asana; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Asana is seeking a Head of Engineering Operations in San Francisco, California. This strategic role partners with the CTO to enhance the operational framework of the global R&D organization. You'll drive operational excellence, oversee financial governance, and empower the engineering team.

The ideal candidate has over 8 years of relevant experience, strong skills in communication, financial analysis, and organizational strategy. Join Asana to impact engineering operations at scale.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in engineering operations or related fields.
• Proven track record of driving complex initiatives.
• Exceptional organization and judgment.

Responsibilities

• Act as a leadership partner to the CTO and engineering team.
• Drive operational excellence and strategic initiatives.
• Hire and mentor a global team of engineering operations professionals.

Skills

AI tools and emerging technologies

Engineering operations

Technical program management

Financial and analytical fluency

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Job description

Requirements

• Demonstrates curiosity about AI tools and emerging technologies, with a willingness to learn and leverage them to enhance productivity, collaboration, or decision‑making
• Bring 8+ years of experience in engineering operations, technical program management, chief‑of‑staff, or strategy & operations roles, ideally supporting a large software engineering organization
• Possess a proven track record of driving complex, cross‑functional initiatives to successful completion within a fast‑paced environment
• Exhibit strong financial and analytical fluency, with comfort owning a budget, building headcount models, and transforming complex data into clear, actionable dashboards
• Demonstrate exceptional technical fluency with an understanding of the software development lifecycle and the ability to quickly master emerging tools and new domains
• Show outstanding written and verbal communication skills, capable of tailoring messaging seamlessly from executive summaries to deep operational reviews
• Operate with exceptional organization, strong judgment, and the independent drive necessary to navigate ambiguity successfully

What the job involves

• As the Head of Engineering Operations, you will be a key leadership partner to the CTO and the engineering leadership team, owning the operational backbone of our global R&D organization
• In this role, you will serve as a critical bridge to other cross‑functional groups, driving operational excellence, organizational effectiveness, and strategic initiatives
• We are looking for a strategic leader who can translate company strategy into actionable engineering plans while building lightweight operating models that accelerate velocity and maintain high quality
• You will empower our engineering organization to thrive and deliver exceptional impact at scale
• Translate overarching company strategy into actionable engineering and operating plans in close collaboration with cross‑functional partners
• Design and build lightweight operating models, frameworks, and processes to optimize engineering execution and delivery, integrating evolving AI agentic engineering workflows
• Hire, mentor, and lead a high‑performing, global team of engineering operations professionals and Technical Program Managers to steer complex horizontal programs
• Oversee financial and resource governance, including budget management, program spend, headcount strategy, and vendor/tooling allocations across public cloud and LLMs
• Define and own the engineering metrics program (KPIs covering delivery, quality, reliability, efficiency, and capacity) to deliver data‑driven insights to leadership
• Serve as a trusted proxy and connective tissue for the CTO and R&D leadership, driving clear engineering communication strategies, roadmap reviews, QBRs, and all‑hands forums
• Cultivate engineering enablement by overseeing robust onboarding programs, learning initiatives, and knowledge‑sharing opportunities