Lead - Product Operations

Job Description

Overview of the Role

At Freshworks, building world-class SaaS products requires more than just great code—it requires seamless execution, strategic alignment, and frictionless operations. As the Lead for Product Operations, you will be the critical connective tissue that binds our Product, Engineering, and Go-To-Market (GTM) teams together.

Operating as a strategic partner to BU leadership, you will untangle complex workflows, drive operational cadences, and foster a heavily metrics-driven culture. If you have a high empathy quotient, thrive in ambiguity, and love leading cross-functional teams to operational excellence even without direct authority, you belong here.

The Impact You Will Create

• Driving Strategic Execution: You will translate high-level leadership vision into ground-level execution. By championing the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) framework and orchestrating rigorous quarterly reviews, you ensure the entire business unit rows in the exact same direction.
• Frictionless Product Development: You will act as the ultimate unblocker. By streamlining day-to-day operations—from staffing and budget tracking to software investments—you will remove administrative friction so our Product Managers and Engineers can focus entirely on building.
• Bridging Product & the Customer: You will close the loop between what we build and how the customer experiences it. By partnering with GTM and Customer Experience (CXG) teams, you will ensure customer feedback seamlessly informs product development, and product rollouts smoothly reach the frontline.
• Cultivating a High-Performance Culture: You will be the cultural heartbeat of the business unit. Through the strategic organization of events, all-hands meetings, and celebrations, you will foster team spirit, transparency, and collaboration across global locations.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Operational Cadence Management: Manage and run strategic leadership cadences, including Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), monthly operational check-ins, and BU-wide All Hands meetings.
• Metrics & OKR Champion: Foster a deeply metrics-driven culture. Guide cross-functional teams in setting, tracking, and achieving OKRs, and build transparent reporting mechanisms for Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Resource & Budget Oversight: Oversee the day-to-day operational health of the BU, tracking staffing/hiring pipelines, managing budget allocations, and optimizing software/tooling investments.
• Strategic Project Management: Own and drive short, time-boxed strategic projects designed to solve specific bottlenecks or capitalize on new opportunities within product development operations.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Utilize exceptional influencing skills to navigate, align, and drive results across globally distributed, cross-functional teams—often leading without direct authority.
• GTM & CXG Collaboration: Partner deeply with Go-to-Market and Customer Support operations to improve the overall customer experience as it ties back into product development.
• Event & Culture Leadership: Conceptualize, organize, and execute large and small events across the BU to bring teams together, align on targeted outcomes, and celebrate wins.

Qualifications

Qualifications

• Experience: 8+ years of overall professional experience, with at least 3+ years specifically in a Product Operations, Business Operations (BizOps), Chief of Staff, or Technical Program Management role.
• Industry Background: Proven experience working within a fast-paced SaaS, enterprise software, or heavily product-led tech company.
• Domain Knowledge: A strong foundational background in technology or product management. You must understand how software is built, shipped, and supported.
• Navigating Ambiguity: Demonstrated ability to thrive in a complex, ambiguous environment, consistently producing solid outcomes when the path forward isn't clearly defined.

Skill Inventory

Core Operational Skills

• Strategic Planning & OKR Management
• Resource & Capacity Planning (Staffing, Budgets)
• Cross-Functional Program Management
• Data Tracking & KPI Reporting

Soft Skills & Leadership

• High EQ & Empathy: An extroverted, relationship-first approach to building trust across engineering and business teams.
• Leading Without Authority: Exceptional ability to influence and align stakeholders at all levels.
• Adaptability: A high tolerance for ambiguity and rapid change.

Tools & Technology

• Collaboration & Documentation: Expert-level grasp of Confluence and Google Workspace (Slides, Sheets, Docs).
• Product Management Ecosystem: Familiarity with tools like Jira, Productboard, or similar agile development platforms.

Additional Information

At Freshworks, we have fostered an environment that enables everyone to find their true potential, purpose, and passion, welcoming colleagues of all backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations, religions, and ethnicities. We are committed to providing equal opportunity and believe that diversity in the workplace creates a more vibrant, richer environment that boosts the goals of our employees, communities, and business. Fresh vision. Real impact. Come build it with us.