Head of Enterprise API Governance & Enablement

Lumen; Olympia (WA); Remote; USD 167,000 - 223,000; Full time

Job summary

Lumen seeks a seasoned Director, API Governance & Enablement to lead the Enterprise API Office and set governance, standards, and an operating model for reusable, discoverable APIs.

You will partner with Product, Engineering, Enterprise Architecture, Data Governance, Sales, and Marketing to translate priorities into scalable enterprise capabilities, guiding planning, development, and lifecycle management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 10 years of API management, platform strategy, enterprise architecture, product enablement, or related.
• 5 years of leadership experience managing teams and enterprise‑wide initiatives.
• Experience establishing governance frameworks and centers of excellence.
• Ability to influence Product, Engineering, Architecture, and business leaders.
• Strong executive communication and change leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Establish and lead Lumen’s Enterprise API Office, including its governance model, decision forums, operating cadence, and performance measures.
• Build and maintain the enterprise API roadmap in partnership with Product, Engineering, Enterprise Architecture, and Connected Ecosystem leaders.
• Define and operationalize API standards, lifecycle controls, intake processes, and launch-readiness criteria.
• Create a consistent engagement model between Product and Engineering for planning, designing, delivering, and managing APIs.
• Ensure APIs are reusable, discoverable, documented, supported, and built on trusted data from foundational domains such as Customer, Account, Contract, Order, and Billing.
• Partner with Engineering and Enterprise Architecture to embed API standards and automated controls into development practices.
• Coordinate with Sales, Marketing, AGT, Partner Channel, and Connected Ecosystem teams to communicate available capabilities, planned releases, and launch readiness.
• Lead API training, enablement, and communities of practice to increase adoption, reuse, and consistent execution.
• Establish metrics and executive reporting for API maturity, adoption, reuse, readiness, and value realization.
• Build and lead a high‑performing team while driving accountability and collaboration across a highly matrixed organization.

Skills

API governance

Leadership

Executive communication

Stakeholder management

Change leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

API management platforms

OpenAPI specifications

REST standards

Job description

Lumen seeks a seasoned Director, API Governance & Enablement to lead the Enterprise API Office and set governance, standards, and an operating model for reusable, discoverable APIs.

You will partner with Product, Engineering, Enterprise Architecture, Data Governance, Sales, and Marketing to translate priorities into scalable enterprise capabilities, guiding planning, development, and lifecycle management.