Director, IT Program Management & Compliance (San Mateo)

Company Description

Organizations everywhere struggle under the crushing costs and complexities of “solutions” that promise to simplify their lives. To create a better experience for their customers and employees. To help them grow. Software is a choice that can make or break a business. Create better or worse experiences. Propel or throttle growth. Business software has become a blocker instead of ways to get work done.

There’s another option. Freshworks. With a fresh vision for how the world works.

At Freshworks, we build uncomplicated service software that delivers exceptional customer and employee experiences. Our enterprise-grade solutions are powerful, yet easy to use, and quick to deliver results. Our people-first approach to AI eliminates friction, making employees more effective and organizations more productive. Over 72,000 companies, including Bridgestone, New Balance, Nucor, S&P Global, and Sony Music, trust Freshworks’ customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) software to fuel customer loyalty and service efficiency. And, over 4,500 Freshworks employees make this possible, all around the world.

Fresh vision. Real impact. Come build it with us.

Freshworks is looking for a Director of IT Program Management and Compliance to lead enterprise IT initiatives and ensure our programs meet internal policy, regulatory, and risk standards. This role sits at the intersection of technology, compliance, and strategy, partnering closely with executive leaders across IT, GTM, Finance, Engineering, and more to drive high-impact programs and safeguard organizational integrity.

What You'll Do:

IT Program Management

• Lead and mature the IT program management discipline across enterprise-level initiatives
• Drive the execution of strategic IT programs on time, on budget, and within scope
• Define and implement program governance best practices, resource allocation models, and vendor engagement strategies
• Manage cross-functional dependencies and ensure consistent communication across stakeholders
• Deliver executive-level dashboards and updates on program health and KPIs

IT Compliance, Risk & Audit

• Own and evolve the IT compliance framework, ensuring alignment with SOX, ISO 27001, GDPR, and internal policies
• Oversee risk assessments, control testing, policy development, and audit readiness for systems and vendors
• Partner with Internal Audit, Legal, InfoSec, and third-party auditors to support audits and remediation plans
• Maintain and manage IT risk registers; lead mitigation strategies for compliance and operational risk
• Track and improve compliance maturity metrics across the organization

Leadership & Collaboration

• Build and lead a high-performing team of program and compliance professionals
• Collaborate cross-functionally with internal stakeholders and external vendors, SaaS providers, and system integrators
• Champion a culture of accountability, transparency, urgency, and continuous improvement

Please note this is a hybrid role with onsite expectations of 3x/week (Tuesday - Thursday) from our San Mateo headquarters

• 15+ years of experience in IT program management, portfolio governance, and compliance leadership
• 10+ years of experience in SaaS or cloud-native environments
• 5+ years using project management tools like Smartsheet, Asana, Jira, etc.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Information Technology, Business, or related field

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience collaborating with executive teams across GTM, Finance, Engineering, and Professional Services
• Strong knowledge of project management methodologies (PMP, Agile/Scrum certifications a plus)
• Excellent communication, leadership, and strategic thinking skills
• Deep understanding of SaaS business models and regulatory frameworks (e.g., SOX)
  

This role is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the expected base salary range for this position is as shown below. The actual base pay is dependent upon a variety of job-related factors such as professional background, training, work experience, business needs, and market demand. Therefore, in some circumstances, the actual salary could fall outside of this expected range. This pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. This role is also eligible for a target bonus.

Compensation Package

The targeted annual base salary range for this position is $183,100 - $263,000 USD

At Freshworks, we are creating a global workplace that enables everyone to find their true potential, purpose, and passion irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion and ethnicity. We are committed to providing equal opportunity for all and believe that diversity in the workplace creates a more vibrant, richer work environment that advances the goals of our employees, communities and the business.