Sr. Principal Functional Operations Partner

At F5 we strive to bring a better digital world to life. Our teams empower organizations across the globe to create secure and run applications that enhance how we experience our evolving digital world. We are passionate about cybersecurity from protecting consumers from fraud to enabling companies to focus on innovation.

Everything we do centers around people. That means we obsess over how to make the lives of our customers and their customers better. And it means we prioritize a diverse F5 community where each individual can thrive.

The Sr. Principal Functional Operations Partner is a high-impact strategic operations leader who partners with the SVP Product Management to drive planning operating cadence and cross-functional execution across the product organization.

F5s Product Management organization defines and delivers product strategy across security networking and application services. This role helps convert strategy into clear priorities measurable outcomes and an effective operating rhythmworking closely with Portfolio Operations (the team that runs product lifecycle processes and program execution) and partnering with leaders across Engineering Architecture and Design.

You will keep leadership focused on the highest-value decisions remove friction that slows execution and raise the organizations clarity speed and alignment.

We are seeking a dynamic results-oriented Sr. Principal Functional Operations Partner to partner closely with the Product Management leadership this pivotal role you will drive strategic planning strengthen the operating rhythm and translate priorities into clear plans metrics and measurable outcomes.

The ideal candidate is an analytical highly organized operator who thrives in complex ambiguous environments and can influence across functions without formal authority. They communicate crisply exercise strong judgment and lead initiatives end-to-endfrom framing the problem to driving execution and change adoption.

This is a behind-the-scenes leadership role for someone who values outcomes over credit and is trusted with sensitive context.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead quarterly and annual planning aligning long-term strategy to near-term execution priorities.
• Run the operating rhythm for the Product Management organization (e.g. leadership team cadence quarterly business reviews roadmap and portfolio reviews offsites).
• Partner closely with Portfolio Operations to align on lifecycle processes execution insights and improvements to the product system.
• Translate strategy into actionable plans decision-ready narratives and clear success measures (OKRs/KPIs) including executive-ready materials and pre-reads.
• Track progress against strategic goals and initiatives; surface risks trade-offs and required decisions to maintain momentum.
• Serve as a trusted advisor and thought partner to the SVP and product leadership team helping frame decisions and drive follow-through.
• Navigate governance and change initiatives (org process strategy) ensuring alignment clear ownership and effective communication.
• Connect Product Management priorities to cross-functional partners (Engineering Design GTM Technology Services HR Finance) preventing misalignment and ensuring commitments are understood and delivered.
• Improve planning execution reporting and decision-making by driving adoption of fit-for-purpose tools systems and processes.

Other Responsibilities

• Anticipate on behalf of the SVP: prepare decision briefs and meeting materials surface relevant context early and ensure key discussions land with clarity and preparation.
• Elevate executive communications: ensure the PM organization shows up crisply and consistently through high-quality narratives briefings and leadership communications.
• Act as an integration layer across leaders and teams: resolve ambiguity clarify ownership and address cross-functional friction before it escalates.
• Represent the SVP when delegated: engage with full context align stakeholders and make commitments the organization can rely on.
• Monitor organizational health (goals capacity talent) and partner with Finance and HR on budget and headcount planning; proactively identify and address gaps and inefficiencies.
• Support PM leadership effectiveness and development by identifying role clarity gaps operating frictions and opportunities to strengthen the leadership team.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Proven track record leading strategic planning operating rhythms and cross-functional programs in fast-paced environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; strong proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint for executive and board-ready materials.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills (qualitative and quantitative) including proficiency with Excel and complex data sets.
• Ability to collaborate and drive alignment across all levels of the organization with limited formal authority.
• Proficient with SharePoint (or similar) for document storage collaboration and organization.

Qualifications

• 7 years of experience in product management strategy or business operations including partnership with senior product and/or engineering leaders
• Bachelors degree in business finance information technology or related field (or equivalent experience)
• Exceptional executive communication skills; produces polished accurate audience-appropriate decks briefs and strategic narratives independently.
• Strong analytical skills; comfortable with complex data and able to translate insights into clear recommendations and decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to influence without authority and build trust across Engineering Finance GTM and Design.
• Highly proactive and organized; anticipates needs creates clarity in ambiguity and ensures commitments do not fall through the cracks.
• Kind direct radically transparent. Uses both logic and empathy to drive clarity and action.

What This Role Is Not

This role is not a program manager for individual roadmap initiatives and it is not an administrative support position. It also does not solely own the end-to-end product operating model; instead you will partner closely with Portfolio Operations and cross-functional leaders to help the organization plan align and execute effectively. The work is highly strategic and requires independent judgment proactive leadership and strong cross-functional influence.

In this role youll help Product Management leadership move faster improve organizational effectiveness and strengthen trust and alignment across the broader product organization.

The Job Description is intended to be a general representation of the responsibilities and requirements of the job. However the description may not be all-inclusive and responsibilities and requirements are subject to change.

F5 maintains broad salary ranges for its roles in order to account for variations in knowledge skills experience geographic locations and market conditions as well as to reflect F5s differing products industries and lines of business. The pay range referenced is as of the time of the job posting and is subject to change.

You may also be offered incentive compensation bonus restricted stock units and benefits. More details about F5s benefits can be found at the following link: F5 reserves the right to change or terminate any benefit plan without notice.

Please note that F5 only contacts candidates through F5 email address (ending with @) or auto email notification from Workday (ending with or @).

Equal Employment Opportunity

It is the policy of F5 to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to unlawful considerations of race religion color national origin sex sexual orientation gender identity or expression age sensory physical or mental disability marital status veteran or military status genetic information or any other classification protected by applicable local state or federal laws. This policy applies to all aspects of employment including but not limited to hiring job assignment compensation promotion benefits training discipline and termination. F5 offers a variety of reasonable accommodations for candidates. Requesting an accommodation is completely voluntary. F5 will assess the need for accommodations in the application process separately from those that may be needed to perform the job. Request by contacting .