Lumen is the trusted network for the AI‑powered world, connecting people, data, and applications through our expansive fiber network and connected ecosystem. We enable secure, high‑performance connectivity across cloud, edge, and AI workloads for enterprises, governments, and communities.

At Lumen, you’ll work on infrastructure customers rely on today and build for what’s next, where performance, security, and resilience matter.

This is a high accountability environment where bold ideas drive real innovation for our customers, partners, and industry. The work is challenging, expectations are clear, and trust is built into how we operate. If you’re ready to take ownership, deliver meaningful impact, and help shape the future of AI‑ready connectivity, join us today.

The Role

We are seeking a highly driven and results-oriented leader to manage VPN Service Delivery while also owning the strategy, ideation, and execution of AI, chat, and automation initiatives across the organization. This role is responsible for overseeing end-to-end VPN order delivery, ensuring first-time-right performance, and driving operational excellence through data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.

In addition to core service delivery responsibilities, this leader will spearhead digital transformation efforts by developing and scaling automation and AI-driven solutions, supported by disciplined delivery governance and operational analysis. The role requires a balance of hands-on execution and strategic leadership, including building and developing a high-performing team. Success will be measured by improvements in cycle time, cost efficiency, service quality, and adherence to Responsible AI and data governance standards within a fast-paced telecommunications environment.

Location

This is a remote, work-from-home position. Candidates must reside in the United States.

The Main Responsibilities

Lead Service Delivery Operations

• Manage day-to-day VPN order delivery across multiple regions and customer segments
• Ensure timely, accurate provisioning aligned with customer SLAs and business goals
• Drive performance against key metrics including FTR (First Time Right), cycle time, and backlog health

Drive Process Improvement & Automation

• Identify process gaps and lead initiatives to improve efficiency, quality, and scalability
• Champion automation and simplification efforts to reduce manual work and errors
• Partner with cross-functional teams to implement sustainable solutions

Performance Management & Reporting

• Establish clear performance expectations and track team productivity and quality
• Analyze operational data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities
• Deliver executive-level reporting with actionable insights and recommendations
• Cross-Functional Leadership
• Collaborate closely with Design/TDG, Field Operations, Offnet/Build, and Customer Experience teams
• Act as a point of escalation for complex orders and customer-impacting issues
• Drive alignment across teams to ensure seamless order flow and issue resolution

Continued...

AI & Chat Strategy, Ideation & Value Realization

• Build and maintain a prioritized AI/automation roadmap tied to business objectives (defect removal, cycle time, cost out, revenue enablement).
• Run structured ideation (workshops, office hours, intake) to capture high‑value chat use cases across business functions.
• Establish “value by design”: define hypotheses, baselines, and target benefits for each use case (e.g., hours saved, cost avoided, NPS impact), and ensure every release has measurable outcomes.
• Translate ideas into clear user stories, success criteria, and risk/controls; create business cases with ROI, effort, and dependencies.
• Rapidly prototype chat/agent flows (prompts, intents, orchestrations) and lead pilot experiments; document reusable patterns and standards.
• Partner with Security, Compliance, and Data Governance to meet responsible AI standards (privacy, fairness, transparency) and regulatory obligations.

Resource & Budget Management

• Build dashboards and operational scorecards (adoption, time saved, quality, compliance) to guide decisions and show value.
• Identify automation opportunities and policy/role changes needed to unlock impact; partner to implement and measure improvements.

Innovation, Cost Reduction & Efficiency

• Lead cross‑functional Kaizen/Lean sprints to remove waste (handoffs, rework, queue time) and instrument processes for observability.
• Industrialize wins: standardize playbooks, reusable components, and reference architectures (e.g., agents, copilots, RPA, Power Platform).
• Achieve 18,000+ hours of efficiency improvement across the organization.

Continued...

Delivery Excellence & Governance

• Operate a tight release cadence (backlog hygiene, Definition of Ready/Done, change management) with clear entry/exit criteria.
• Enforce quality gates (testing, security reviews, data quality) and manage operational readiness (runbooks, SLAs, on‑call).
• Publish executive‑ready updates (milestones, benefits realized vs. target, risks/mitigations) and maintain audit‑ready documentation.

Change Management & Enablement

• Create lightweight enablement (playbooks, prompt libraries, short demos) that make chat solutions stick.
• Evangelize best practices; host “art of the possible” sessions and help teams become data guardians of their content for AI use.
• Coordinate with Security/Legal on responsible AI standards, access controls, and data classification.

Stakeholder Leadership & Partnership

• Work closely with Operations leaders, Product owners, Engineering, Security, HR, and Finance to align roadmaps, budgets, and controls.
• Translate business priorities into technical work; resolve trade‑offs quickly with a bias to action and customer impact.
• Provide executive‑ready updates and evidence of impact; resolve blockers quickly and transparently.

People, Culture & Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop an inclusive, high‑performance team to achieve individual and organizational goals.
• Set clear expectations, priorities, and performance standards aligned to business objectives.
• Conduct regular 1:1s, performance reviews, and development planning.
• Provide regular feedback, recognition, and career development support
• Identify skill gaps and enable training, mentoring, and career growth opportunities.
• Monitor workload, capacity, and team health to ensure sustainable performance.
• Cultivate a culture of experimentation with guardrails—failing fast, learning fast, scaling what works.
• Foster a culture of accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement; recognize and reward strong performance and contributions.

What Success Looks Like

• Drive significant (defined by department goals) reduction in delivery cycle time.
• Drive annualized cost reduction and avoidance.
• 100% adherence to Responsible AI and data governance controls.

What We Look For in a Candidate

• Minimum: Bachelor’s Degree and 3+ years of related business operations management experience.
• Strong discipline in maintaining a use‑case backlog and governance process from intake → triage → discovery → pilot → production, including readiness across security, privacy, and data access.
• Skilled at translating ideas into clear user stories with success criteria, risk/controls, ROI modeling, and dependency mapping.
• Promotes a culture of accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
• Excellent collaboration and effective listening skills.
• Strong attention to detail and superior organizational skills.
• Proven ability to present information to various levels in organizations.
• Understanding of project management.

Compensation

This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. Individual pay is based on skills, experience and other relevant factors.

Location Based Pay Ranges

$105,786 - $141,047 in these states: AL AR AZ FL GA IA ID IN KS KY LA ME MO MS MT ND NE NM OH OK PA SC SD TN UT VT WI WV WY $111,074 - $148,099 in these states: CO HI MI MN NC NH NV OR RI $116,364 - $155,152 in these states: AK CA CT DC DE IL MA MD NJ NY TX VA WA

Lumen offers a comprehensive package featuring a broad range of Health, Life, Voluntary Lifestyle benefits and other perks that enhance your physical, mental, emotional and financial wellbeing. We're able to answer any additional questions you may have about our bonus structure (short-term incentives, long-term incentives and/or sales compensation) as you move through the selection process.

Learn more about Lumen's:

• Benefits
• Bonus Structure

#LI-Remote

Requisition #: 341911

Life at Lumen

Life at Lumen is human and connected, even in a fast moving, AI‑focused organization. We set clear expectations and trust people to meet them. With real support and shared accountability, teams collaborate better, move faster, and deliver meaningful outcomes.

Our Lumen 8 behaviors guide how we interact, make decisions, and work together, shaping a culture built to perform and win.

To learn more about Life at Lumen and how we live the Lumen 8, please visit: https://jobs.lumen.com/global/en/life-at-lumen

Background Screening

If you are selected for a position, there will be a background screen, which may include checks for criminal records and/or motor vehicle reports and/or drug screening, depending on the position requirements. For more information on these checks, please refer to the Post Offer section of our FAQ page. Job-related concerns identified during the background screening may disqualify you from the new position or your current role. Background results will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Equal Employment Opportunities

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons regardless of race, color, ancestry, citizenship, national origin, religion, veteran status, disability, genetic characteristic or information, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, family status, pregnancy, or other legally protected status (collectively, “protected statuses”). We do not tolerate unlawful discrimination in any employment decisions, including recruiting, hiring, compensation, promotion, benefits, discipline, termination, job assignments or training.

Privacy Notice

Lumen is committed to protecting the privacy and security of personal information collected during the recruitment and hiring process. Our Applicant Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect applicant information, as well as how individuals may request access to or deletion of their personal data.

To review Lumen’s Global Employment Applicant and Talent Community Privacy Notice, please visit: https://jobs.lumen.com/global/en/privacy-notice

Disclaimer

The job responsibilities described above indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to include a comprehensive inventory of all duties and responsibilities for this job. Job duties and responsibilities are subject to change based on evolving business needs and conditions.

In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

Please be advised that Lumen does not require any form of payment from job applicants during the recruitment process. All legitimate job openings will be posted on our official website or communicated through official company email addresses. If you encounter any job offers that request payment in exchange for employment at Lumen, they are not for employment with us, but may relate to another company with a similar name.

Lumen is the trusted network for the AI-powered world, connecting people, data, and applications through one of the world’s most expansive fiber networks. We enable secure, high-performance connectivity across cloud, edge, and AI workloads for enterprises, governments, and communities.

Everything we do at Lumen takes advantage of our network strength. From metro connectivity to long-haul data transport to our edge cloud, security, and managed service capabilities, we meet our customers’ needs today and as they build the future.