Principal, IT Strategy & Operations Manager

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

The Principal, IT Strategy & Operations Manager is a senior individual-contributor role that partners with Technology VPs, Finance, business leaders, and external partners to shape IT strategy, translate technology investments into business value, and drive disciplined execution. The role combines strategic planning with hands-on ownership of cloud program financial operations, budgeting, forecasting, governance, and executive reporting.

Location

This is a remote opportunity open to candidates located anywhere in the U.S.

The Main Responsibilities

• IT strategy and business value: Partner with VPs to define transformation priorities, future-state capabilities, roadmaps, and investment choices. Identify how IT can improve customer outcomes, operational performance, and top-line growth, and translate recommendations into clear business cases and measurable outcomes.
• AI and operational efficiency: Identify and advance practical AI, automation, analytics, and process-improvement opportunities that reduce manual effort, improve decision quality, and increase productivity across the organization.
• Financial planning and governance: Manage cloud-program budgets, forecasts, milestones, funding requests, business cases, and actuals. Maintain alignment with Lumen Transformation Office, Finance, corporate planning, and Long-Term Outlook requirements, and provide clear variance explanations and decision support.
• Professional services and forecasting: Coordinate professional-services funding requests and governance reviews, guide teams through procurement, maintain contract-level capital and expense forecasts, post monthly actuals, and prepare reporting for Cloud Program leadership.
• Executive & Organizational Operations: Maintain dashboards, scorecards, leadership decks, and portfolio reporting.
• Lead cross-functional follow-through on priorities, risks, dependencies, and actions while continuously improving financial controls and operating processes.
• Cloud budget management as needed by providing support on monthly accruals; reconcile cloud-management data, provider invoices, actuals, and minimum commitments; maintain commitment-attainment reporting; validate dashboards; and provide detailed cloud-spend analysis across AWS, Microsoft, and Google.

What We Look For in a Candidate

• 12+ years of progressive experience in IT strategy, technology finance, business operations, consulting, transformation, or related disciplines.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Technology, Engineering, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, accruals, variance analysis, business cases, capital and expense management, accounting, and investment governance.
• Strong knowledge of cloud economics, FinOps, cloud-provider billing, professional-services spend, procurement, invoicing, and commitment management.
• Ability to connect technology strategy to business outcomes, operational efficiency, customer value, and revenue impact.
• Experience influencing senior leaders and coordinating work across Technology, Finance, Procurement, Accounts Payable, vendors, and business teams.
• Strong analytical, communication, executive-presentation, and problem-solving skills; experience with dashboards, reporting, AI, and automation.

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

$152,066 - $202,755 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 $159,670 - $212,893 in these states: CO HI MI MN NC NH NV OR RI $167,273 - $223,031 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

Requisition #: 343964

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:

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:

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.