Senior Director, EPD Operations

1Password is growing. We’ve surpassed $400M in ARR and we’re continuing to accelerate, earning a spot on the Forbes Cloud 100 for four years in a row and teaming up with iconic partners like Oracle Red Bull Racing. About 1Password At 1Password, we’re building the foundation for a safe, productive digital future. Our mission is to unleash employee productivity without compromising security by ensuring every identity is authentic, every application sign-in is secure, and every device is trusted. We innovated the market-leading enterprise password manager and pioneered Unified Access Management, a new cybersecurity category built for the way people and AI agents work today. As one of the most loved brands in cybersecurity, we take a human-centric approach in everything from product strategy to user experience. Over 180,000 businesses, from Fortune 100 leaders to the world’s most innovative AI companies, trust 1Password to help their teams securely adopt the SaaS and AI tools they need to do their best work. If you're excited about the opportunity to contribute to the digital safety of millions, to work alongside a team of curious, driven individuals, and to solve hard problems in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, then we want to hear from you. Come join us and help shape a safer, simpler digital future. The Senior Director of Engineering, Product and Design Operations will report directly to the CTO and is responsible to continue to build and scale the operating system for our EPD organization. The Sr. Director sets the department’s strategic direction, oversees operations, drives delivery, and develops a high-performing team to achieve impactful results. This leader will unify Engineering Operations and Product Operations into a single, high-leverage function that drives delivery predictability, portfolio visibility, and execution excellence. How we’re using AI today Our Engineering, Product, and Design teams are thoughtfully integrating AI across the full software and product development lifecycle to move faster without sacrificing quality or security. In practice, that looks like engineers using AI-assisted coding tools to accelerate reviews and catch bugs earlier, product managers synthesizing user research at scale, and designers rapidly prototyping and iterating with AI-generated mockups. We approach AI the same way we approach security: with clear principles, human accountability at every consequential decision point, and rigorous evaluation before anything ships to customers. This is a remote opportunity within Canada and the US. What we're looking for: - Experience: 8+ years of experience in Engineering Operations, Product Operations, Technical Program Management, or similar leadership roles. At least 5 years in a leadership role, preferably within the SaaS or cybersecurity industry. Bonus points to candidates that have led a company through IPO as an Operations Leader. - Proven track record of delivering success enabling multi-team, complex, infrastructure-heavy delivery and building operational systems from scratch in a scaling company - Comfort operating amid ambiguity and designing clarity. - Data-driven with the ability to translate metrics into decisions. - Executive presence and ability to influence senior technical leaders. - Strong business acumen with expertise in AI, security infrastructure, developer platforms, or highly technical environments strongly preferred. - Demonstrated success enabling multi-team, complex, infrastructure-heavy delivery. - Exceptional analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to develop and execute strategic plans that drive measurable results. - Extensive experience in operational excellence, including process and system optimization, scalability, and the development and management of performance metrics. - Proven success in collaborating effectively cross-functionally with senior leaders (including C-Suite) and teams. - Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, with the proven ability to influence across the company, using expertise, executive presence, strategic insights, and diverse influence strategies. - Experience in successfully leading and sustaining transformational initiatives in fast-paced, complex, and dynamic environments. - Strong history of building, developing and scaling high-performing teams. What you can expect: - Strategic Leadership & Partnership: Partner with CTO, CIO/CISO and EPD leadership to develop and execute the department's vision and roadmap, aligning with company strategy. Analyze trends and translate strategy into operational plans, proactively addressing scaling bottlenecks. Support executive and board-level planning/reporting. - EPD Operating Model & Enablement: Update for scale and implement the end-to-end EPD operating model. Establish scalable planning frameworks (annual, quarterly, sprint), execution rhythms, and decision-making governance. Build cross-functional connectivity (Product, Engineering, Design, Marketing, and GTM). Improve delivery predictability, velocity, and quality via portfolio, capacity, and dependency management. Remove systemic execution friction. - Operational Excellence & Process Maturity: Assess and improve department structure, processes, and systems to boost scalability and operational excellence. Mature product lifecycle management and implement engineering effectiveness frameworks (DORA, flow metrics, reliability KPIs). Establish best practices for release, incident, and change management. Support technical planning for infrastructure/AI systems. - Visibility & Performance Metrics: Define and manage KPIs aligned with organizational objectives. Develop real-time visibility into roadmap progress, delivery health, risks, and outcomes. Implement KPI frameworks across product, engineering, and operations. Design clear, low-bureaucracy dashboards and reporting systems for leadership insight into trade-offs and resource allocation. Track performance and hold teams accountable for business outcomes. - Cross-functional Collaboration & Initiatives: Cultivate senior leader relationships to ensure strategic alignment, optimize resources, and drive collective outcomes. Lead key strategic growth and efficiency initiatives. Represent the department in senior leadership forums. - Scaling Systems & Change Management: Build processes and implement necessary tooling (PLM, roadmap, capacity models) that are scalable. Lead and sustain organizational change initiatives, transitioning from startup scrappiness to operational rigor. - Team Leadership & Talent Development: Lead a high-performing EPD Operations organization. Coach and mentor direct reports, evaluate talent, and implement development plans. Drive a high-performance culture reflecting company values, fostering psychological safety, ownership, and agility. Champion employee experience initiatives. - Financial Oversight: Partner with Finance to oversee the departmental budget, ensuring efficient resource allocation and cost control. Monitor financial performance and identify improvement opportunities. - Customer/Industry Relationships: Establish and maintain strong relationships with relevant external customers, partners, vendors, and industry contacts to achieve strategic goals. 30 / 60 / 90 DAY EXECUTIVE RAMP PLAN - First 30 Days: Diagnose & Align Theme: Understand before changing. Build trust before redesigning. - Objectives - Build strong relationships across Engineering, Product, Design, and cross-functional partners. - Assess the current operating model (planning, roadmapping, tooling, metrics). - Identify systemic delivery bottlenecks and visibility gaps. - Evaluate current EngOps and ProdOps capabilities. - Outputs - Clear current-state assessment. - Top 3–5 operational risks and friction points. - Prioritized 90-day action plan. - Initial org design direction for unified Ops function. - Days 31-60: Design & Activate Theme: Introduce structure without slowing momentum. - Objectives - Define and pilot a standardized quarterly planning and portfolio process. - Launch executive-level delivery visibility (dashboards, risk tracking). - Apply strong program management to 1–2 high-impact initiatives. - Clarify roles, ownership, and governance across EPD. - Outputs - Live portfolio-level reporting. - Documented planning and execution cadence. - Clear operating model for unified Eng/Product Ops. - Early wins in predictability and transparency. - Days 61-90: Institutionalize & Scale Theme: Move from reactive execution to predictable delivery. - Objectives - Roll out operating rhythm across all EPD teams. - Formalize dependency management and risk escalation. - Improve roadmap confidence and delivery predictability. - Align portfolio allocation tightly to company objectives. - Finalize org structure and hiring plan. - Outputs - Fully functioning EPD operating system. - Measurable improvement in delivery visibility and confidence. - Board-ready reporting framework. - 12-month operational maturity roadmap. - The Shift by Day 90 - From: - Fragmented visibility - Reactive coordination - Hero-driven delivery - To: - Transparent portfolio management - Predictable execution - System-driven scale USA-based roles only: The annual base salary for this role is between $272,000 USD and $408,000 USD, plus immediate participation in 1Password's benefits program (health, dental, 401k and many others), utilization of our generous paid time off, an equity grant and, where applicable, participation in our incentive programs. Canada-based roles only: The annual base salary for this role is between $254,000 CAD and $381,000 CAD, plus immediate participation in 1Password’s generous benefits program (health, dental, RRSP and many others), utilization of our generous paid time off, an equity grant and, where applicable, participation in our incentive programs. At 1Password, we approach each individual's compensation with a promise of fair market value and internal equity commensurate with experience and specific skill set. This posting is for an existing vacancy. Our culture At 1Password, we prioritize collaboration, clear and transparent communication, receptiveness to feedback, and alignment with our core values: keep it simple, lead with honesty, and put people first. You’ll be part of a team that challenges the status quo, and is excited to experiment and iterate in search of the best solution. That said, 1Password is not for everyone https://blog.1password.com/inside-the-culture-powering-1passwords-next-chapter/. Our work is demanding, we strive for excellence, and the pace is fast. We need people who are keen to take on challenging problems, who seek feedback to grow, and who are driven to make an impact. If you're looking for a place where you can settle into a comfortable routine, this might not be the right fit for you. We’re looking for individuals who are proven experts in their fields, as well as those who are highly adaptable, can thrive in ambiguity and through change, are curious, and above all deliver results. How we work with AI We are committed to leveraging cutting-edge technology—including AI—to achieve our mission. We also understand that thinking critically about AI in its current forms will help us create better solutions for our customers and ourselves with its future forms, which will help us continue to close the gap between security and privacy and achieve our mission. We want team members at all levels to take the approach of actively learning AI best practices, identifying opportunities to apply AI in meaningful ways, and driving innovative solutions in their daily work. Embracing the future of AI isn't just encouraged—it's an essential part of how we will be successful at 1Password. This approach extends to our hiring process—candidates are welcome to use AI tools responsibly and thoughtfully during the application process. Our approach to remote work We believe in the power of remote work, but recognize that in-person connection is important to help us achieve our mission. While we are a remote-first company, travel for in-person engagement is a part of almost all roles, and we require our employees to be ready and willing to take part. Frequency will depend on role and responsibilities, and may include, but is not limited to: annual department-wide offsites, team meetings, and customer/industry events. What we offer We believe in working hard, and rewarding that hard work through our benefits. While not an exhaustive list, here is a glance at what we currently offer: Health and wellbeing 👶 Maternity and parental leave top-up programs 🩺 Competitive health benefits 🏝 Generous PTO policy Growth and future 📈 RSU program for most employees 💸 Retirement matching program 🔑 Free 1Password account Community 🤝 Paid volunteer days 🏆 Peer-to-peer recognition through Bonusly 🌎 Remote-first work environment *Some roles in our GTM team are currently being hired for in-person hybrid work in Toronto and Austin. These roles will specify on the posting. You belong here. 1Password is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive, diverse and equitable workplace that is built on trust, support and respect. We welcome all individuals and do not discriminate on the basis of gender identity and expression, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, colour, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, marital status, pregnancy, sex, citizenship, education, languages spoken or veteran status. Be yourself, find your people and share the things you love. Accommodation is available upon request at any point during our recruitment process. If you require an accommodation, please speak to your talent acquisition partner or email us at nextbit@agilebits.com and we’ll work to meet your needs. Remote work is a part of our DNA. Given that our company was founded remotely in 2005, we can safely say we're experts at building remote culture. That said, remote work at 1Password does mean working from your home country. If you've got questions or concerns about this, your talent partner would be happy to address them with you. Successful applicants will be required to complete a background check that may consist of prior employment verification, reference checks, education confirmation, criminal background, publicly available social media, credit history, or other information, as permitted by local law. 1Password uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies, including natural language processing and predictive analytics, to assist in the initial screening of employment applications and improve our recruitment process. See here https://www.ashbyhq.com/downloadables/ashby-bias-audit-08-2024.pdf for the latest third party bias audit information. If you prefer not to have your application assessed using AI/ML features, you may opt out by completing this form https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/1password/automation-notice. For additional information see our Candidate Privacy Notice https://1password.com/files/candidate-privacy-notice.pdf.