The Manager of Business Operations Strategy & Support leads one of Apple's most mission-critical operational capabilities - ensuring the systems, processes, and people that underpin Apple's global operations are ready, resilient, and continuously improving. This leader will own the end-to-end systems readiness strategy for New Product Introductions (NPIs) - among Apple's highest-stakes operational events - while stewarding the day-to-day health of enterprise business systems at global scale. You will sit at the intersection of strategy and execution, partnering with Engineering, Supply Chain, and IS&T leaders to build a Center of Excellence that raises the bar for how Apple approaches operational quality. This is not a steady-state support management role. You will define strategy in a space Apple is actively investing in: applying AI/ML to operations resilience, scaling systems for next-generation product launches, and building the organizational model for how operational excellence is practiced globally. NPI Systems Strategy & Launch Readiness: - Define and deliver a multi-year NPI Systems Execution Strategy that enables Apple's operations systems to scale with evolving business needs, emerging technologies, and increasing launch complexity - Drive peak event readiness through rigorous scale testing, systems Plan of Record (POR) governance, and cross-functional Change Control Board (CCB) processes - Partner with IS&T, supply chain, finance, and business teams to ensure zero-disruption systems execution at each launch event - every time, at global scale - Establish pre-launch and post-launch review frameworks that systematically convert NPI insights into lasting quality improvements - Serve as the Leadership voice on systems readiness, communicating clearly with senior execs and stakeholders when risk arises Production Support & Systems Resilience: - Lead a comprehensive production support model covering L1/L2 support for IS&T and non-IS&T platforms across Incident Management, Downtime Management, and Quarter-End Operations - Develop a prevention-first support philosophy - building proactive monitoring, escalation frameworks, and resilience playbooks that get ahead of disruption rather than react to it - Own the support model during Apple's highest-risk operational windows, including NPI launches and fiscal quarter close - Define and track leading and lagging KPIs that connect support health to business outcomes, presenting insights to senior leadership with clarity and confidence Continuous Improvement & Innovation: - Champion a culture of learning across the team - converting post-ops insights from NPI events and support incidents into systemic process and quality improvements - Establish cross-functional review cadences (monthly and quarterly) to drive continuous improvement at both the application and process level - Leverage AI/ML to identify operational patterns, predict risk before it becomes incident, and build data-driven roadmaps that reduce toil and increase resilience - Incubate and scale new technologies, automation, and operational processes - piloting concepts with rapid feedback loops and scaling what works - Build and maintain a Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) practice that keeps Apple's operational capabilities ahead of business demand People Leadership & Organizational Development: - Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing team of full-time employees and contract resources spanning operations, program management, and systems expertise - Create personalized development plans aligned to both team strategy and individual growth aspirations - championing each person's long-term career - Build a team culture of psychological safety, curiosity, and accountability where every voice is heard and every contribution is valued - Manage professional services budget with fiscal discipline and strategic intentionality, aligning vendor resources to the highest-priority organizational needs - Actively recruit for diversity of experience, background, and perspective - building a team that reflects the global community Apple serves Bachelors degree in in Engineering, Computer Science, Supply Chain, or related field 10+ years of progressive experience in supply chain operations, enterprise systems, or business operations 5+ years in a people leadership role with demonstrated success managing global, cross-functional teams Deep experience with enterprise application support environments and core operations business processes (Order-to-Cash, Procure-to-Pay, or equivalent) Proven ability to build and execute multi-year operational strategy in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment Demonstrated success influencing without authority across technical and business organizations at the senior level Strong analytical mindset with the ability to translate data and operational signals into confident business decisions Clear, compelling communicator - comfortable presenting complex topics to executive audiences Executive presence and a track record of elevating cross-functional team performance through vision and trust Customer obsession - proven history of improving partner and end-user experience through operational decisions Hands-on experience applying AI/ML or automation to operations, analytics, or predictive support models Proficiency with SAP ECC, S/4HANA, or equivalent enterprise ERP platforms Background in NPI or large-scale product launch readiness in a global company Master's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Supply Chain, or related field; MBA a plus PMP, Six Sigma, or equivalent program / quality management certification