The Community you will join:The Lead Program Manager, Workplace Operations is responsible for leading and scaling programs that span the Workplace Operations organization. This role operates across functions and geographies, owning programs end-to-end while building the structure, processes, and tools that enable the broader team to operate consistently and at scale.
Currently, the Workplace Operations team is made up of multiple teams delivering at a high bar across a global office footprint, each with its own processes, tools, vendors, and rhythms. This role exists to look across all of it: to understand how the work actually gets done today, find where effort is duplicated or handoffs break down, and design a more connected and automated way of operating. It is equal parts program delivery and operational modernization.
The difference you will make:This is a cross-functional role that requires strong program management fundamentals, independent judgment, and the ability to influence stakeholders without direct authority. You will build a clear picture of how Workplace Ops teams work today, surface the gaps and opportunities that get in the way of efficiency and alignment, and turn that into a strategic and scalable roadmap: what we should build in-house, what is better delivered through vendors, and most importantly what can be automated with AI.
The ideal candidate is comfortable working in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment, skilled at building clarity and alignment, curious about how emerging technology changes operational work, and motivated by improving how teams operate and deliver for employees globally.
A typical day:- Own and manage a portfolio of cross-functional programs with global scope, driving delivery from inception through ongoing operation and continuous improvement
- Develop and maintain program-level policies, processes, playbooks, and operating standards that enable the Workplace Ops team to deliver consistently across regions and functions
- Lead cross-functional workstreams in partnership with teams across the organization, ensuring Workplace Ops priorities are clearly represented, aligned, and delivered
- Identify gaps in current program offerings and proactively develop solutions, often without an established playbook
- Build and scale operational tooling, workflows, and internal resources that improve team effectiveness and the consistency of the employee-facing experience
- Develop measurement frameworks and synthesize data and feedback to assess program performance, identify improvement opportunities, and inform strategic decisions
- Support the team's internal operating model by contributing to goal-setting, roadmap development, and team ways of working
- Manage vendor relationships and provide direction where relevant to program delivery, ensuring alignment to Airbnb standards
- Serve as a thought partner to Workplace Ops leadership on organizational priorities, team capacity, and program strategy
- Communicate effectively across all levels of the organization, translating complex operational topics into clear guidance and actionable recommendations
Driving efficiency, alignment, and digital transformation:A core pillar of this role is improving how Workplace Ops teams work, not only delivering the programs they run today. In this part of the job, you will:
- Map how Workplace Ops teams operate today - processes, tools, systems, vendors, and handoffs - and build a shared, evidence-based view of the current state across functions and regions
- Identify gaps, duplication, manual effort, and friction points where teams could run more efficiently, and size the opportunity so investment decisions are grounded in data
- Create alignment and synergy across teams that operate independently today, consolidating overlapping workflows and standardizing where standardization helps, while preserving local flexibility where it matters
- Develop clear build / buy / automate recommendations: what capability we should build in house, what is better delivered through vendors and managed service partners, and what should be automated
- Lead the identification and adoption of AI-enabled workflows - from intake, triage, and routing to reporting, knowledge management, and employee self-service - and turn promising ideas into scoped, measurable pilots
- Partner with IT, Technology, Procurement, Finance, Legal, Privacy, and Security to evaluate tools and platforms, define requirements, and ensure new solutions meet Airbnb standards for data handling, security, and responsible AI use
- Build the business case for change, including cost, effort, risk, and expected efficiency gains, and present recommendations to Workplace Ops and cross-functional leadership
- Lead change management and enablement for new processes and tools - training, documentation, and adoption tracking - so improvements stick and teams feel supported through the transition
- Define success metrics for transformation work (cycle time, cost per transaction, manual hours saved, employee satisfaction) and report on realized impact over time
Your expertise:- 12-15+ years of experience in program management, workplace operations, or a closely related field
- Practical experience applying AI and automation to operational work - identifying high-value use cases, scoping pilots, and scaling what works
- Demonstrated track record of independently owning and delivering multiple complex, cross-functional programs simultaneously
- Previous people management experience preferred
- Experience managing programs with global reach, including stakeholder alignment across functions, regions, and seniority levels
- Experience assessing how existing teams operate and translating that assessment into an actionable roadmap of process, tooling, and automation improvements
- Strong systems-thinking and process-design skills; ability to build structure and clarity in fast-moving, ambiguous environments
- Experience making and defending build / buy / outsource decisions, including vendor evaluation, scoping, and ongoing performance management
- Proven ability to influence without direct authority across teams and organizational levels
- Experience developing policies, playbooks, and operational tooling for distributed teams
- Experience leading change management for new ways of working, including enablement and adoption
- Strong analytical skills; comfortable using data to measure program performance, build a business case, and drive decisions
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to tailor messaging to diverse audiences
- Proficiency with program and project management tools (e.g., Airtable, JIRA, or equivalent), and comfort with workflow automation and integration platforms
- Customer service orientation and a commitment to delivering a high-quality employee experience
- Comfortable operating with autonomy in a high-visibility environment with senior stakeholders
Your Location:This position needs to be based in the San Francisco office as required by the business needs for the role.
How We'll Take Care of You:Our job titles may span more than one career level. The actual base pay is dependent upon many factors, such as: training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs and market demands. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. This role may also be eligible for bonus, equity, benefits, and Employee Travel Credits.
Pay Range
$156,000-$193,000 USD
