Sr. Manager, R&D Operations

6sense; United States; On-site; USD 163,000 - 239,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401K matching

Stock options

Paid holidays

Self-care days

PTO

Parental leave

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Job summary

6sense is seeking a Senior Manager, R&D Operations to design, operate, and continuously improve the R&D Operating System across Product and Engineering. You will own processes, governance, metrics, tooling strategy, and organizational practices that enable scalable, data-driven decisions and consistent execution.

You will partner with Product, Engineering, Data, and Executive leadership to drive operational excellence, build executive visibility through dashboards, and drive adoption of new

Qualifications

• 8+ years in Engineering, Product and Technology Operations.
• 3+ years leading teams or operating functions.
• Proven experience designing and scaling operating models, governance frameworks, and organizational processes.
• Strong analytical skills with experience building metrics, dashboards, and executive reporting.
• Experience driving organizational change and process adoption across large cross-functional organizations.
• Familiarity with modern Product and Engineering tooling, data platforms, AI-enabled workflows, and operational analytics.
• Excellent executive communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Define and evolve the operating model, governance mechanisms, standards, and operating rhythms used across Product and Engineering.
• Establish clear decision frameworks, accountability models, and execution standards.
• Drive continuous improvement of how teams plan, collaborate, and operate.
• Own the R&D measurement framework and operational health metrics.
• Develop executive dashboards, scorecards, and reporting that provide visibility into organizational effectiveness, delivery health, dependency risk, operational readiness, and adoption of key practices.
• Partner with Data and Systems teams to improve data quality, automation, and AI-enabled insights.
• Lead initiatives that improve planning discipline, operating consistency, and execution effectiveness across Product and Engineering.
• Establish mechanisms to measure compliance, adoption, and business impact of operating model changes.
• Identify operational friction and implement scalable solutions that improve organizational performance.
• Define governance and operating standards for R&D systems and workflows.
• Evaluate opportunities to leverage AI and automation to improve productivity and visibility.
• Build trusted relationships with Product and Engineering leaders.
• Facilitate alignment on operating principles, governance decisions, and organizational priorities.
• Surface risks proactively and drive resolution through data, influence, and structured decision making.

Skills

Leadership

Analytics

Stakeholder management

AI-enabled workflows

Operational analytics

Change management

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Our Mission

6sense's mission is to multiply what matters: growth, retention, and efficiency. We envision a future where companies, teams and people reach their full potential.

Our People

People are the heart and soul of 6sense. We serve with passion and purpose. We live by our Being 6sense values of Win as One Team, Stay Curious, Do The Right Thing, Own the Outcome, and Create Belonging. Every 6sensor plays a part in defining the future of our industry-leading technology. 6sense is a place where difference-makers roll up their sleeves, take risks, act with integrity, and measure success by the value we create for our customers. We want 6sense to be the best chapter of your career.

Senior Manager, R&D Operations

Position Summary

The Senior Manager, R&D Operations is responsible for designing, operating, and continuously improving the R&D Operating System across Product and Engineering. This role owns the processes, governance mechanisms, operational metrics, tooling strategy, and organizational practices that enable teams to scale effectively, make better decisions, and execute with greater consistency and predictability. The role partners closely with Product, Engineering, Data, and Executive leadership to drive operational excellence through systems thinking, data, and continuous improvement.

Own the R&D Operating System

• Define and evolve the operating model, governance mechanisms, standards, and operating rhythms used across Product and Engineering.
• Establish clear decision frameworks, accountability models, and execution standards.
• Drive continuous improvement of how teams plan, collaborate, and operate.

Build Executive Visibility Through Data

• Own the R&D measurement framework and operational health metrics.
• Develop executive dashboards, scorecards, and reporting that provide visibility into organizational effectiveness, delivery health, dependency risk, operational readiness, and adoption of key practices.
• Partner with Data and Systems teams to improve data quality, automation, and AI-enabled insights.

Drive Operational Excellence and Adoption

• Lead initiatives that improve planning discipline, operating consistency, and execution effectiveness across Product and Engineering.
• Establish mechanisms to measure compliance, adoption, and business impact of operating model changes.
• Identify operational friction and implement scalable solutions that improve organizational performance.
• Define governance and operating standards for R&D systems and workflows.
• Evaluate opportunities to leverage AI and automation to improve productivity and visibility.

Influence Through Leadership and Partnership

• Build trusted relationships with Product and Engineering leaders.
• Facilitate alignment on operating principles, governance decisions, and organizational priorities.
• Surface risks proactively and drive resolution through data, influence, and structured decision making.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in Engineering, Product and Technology Operations, or a similar function.
• 3+ years leading teams or operating functions.
• Proven experience designing and scaling operating models, governance frameworks, and organizational processes.
• Strong analytical skills with experience building metrics, dashboards, and executive reporting.
• Experience driving organizational change and process adoption across large cross-functional organizations.
• Familiarity with modern Product and Engineering tooling, data platforms, AI-enabled workflows, and operational analytics.
• Excellent executive communication and stakeholder management skills.

Success Measures

• Improved adoption of R&D operating standards and governance practices.
• Increased executive visibility into organizational health and effectiveness.
• Higher quality operational data and reporting.
• Reduced operational friction and dependency-related delays.
• Improved consistency, accountability, and execution across Product and Engineering.
• Measurable business impact from operating model and process improvements.

Base Salary Range

Base Salary Range: $162,821.25 - $238,804.50. The base salary range represents the anticipated low and high end of the base salary range for this position. Actual salaries may vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors, including but not limited to work location and experience. The base salary is one component of 6sense’s total compensation package for this position. Other compensation may include a bonus program or commission plan, and stock options if approved by 6sense’s board. In addition, 6sense provides a variety of benefits, including generous health insurance coverage, life, and disability insurance, a 401K employer matching program, paid holidays, self-care days, and paid time off (PTO).

Our Benefits

• health coverage
• paid parental leave
• generous paid time-off and holidays
• quarterly self-care days off
• stock options
• a bonus program or commission plan
• stock options if approved by 6sense’s board
• generous health insurance coverage
• life
• disability insurance
• a 401K employer matching program
• paid holidays
• self-care days
• paid time off (PTO)

We’ll make sure you have the equipment and support you need to work and connect with your teams, at home or in one of our offices.

Equal Opportunity Employer

6sense is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Aff… Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to [e-mail].

We are aware of recruiting impersonation attempts that are not affiliated with 6sense in any way. All email communications from 6sense will originate from the @6sense.com domain. We will not initially contact you via text message and will never request payments. If you are uncertain whether you have been contacted by an official 6sense employee, reach out to [e-mail]