Position: The Sr. Director of Business Applications

Location: Hybrid in San Jose, CA

Duration: Fulltime/Contract to Hire

Job Description:

Sr. Director of Business Applications will serve as the strategic leader for the company’s enterprise software ecosystem, overseeing NetSuite (ERP), ServiceNow (IT Service Management, IT Asset Management, HR Service Delivery, Customer Service Management), Salesforce (CRM, Marketing, Legal solutions), as well as shared services platforms like Workato (integration/automation) and Power BI (business intelligence and reporting). This role is responsible for aligning all these platforms with the company’s strategic objectives, driving digital transformation, and ensuring business processes are efficient and data driven. The ideal candidate is a visionary leader who can collaborate closely with C-level executives on strategy while also possessing deep technical expertise to guide and mentor a growing, early-career team of IT professionals.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership: Define and drive a comprehensive enterprise application strategy encompassing ERP, ServiceNow, Salesforce, integration (Workato), and analytics (Power BI). Ensure technology investments and roadmaps for all platforms align with business goals and growth objectives. Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, communicating how IT solutions (from back-office systems to customer-facing platforms) enable business value and competitive advantage. Champion innovation by evaluating emerging technologies (e.g. AI, automation, advanced analytics) that could enhance our ERP, service management, integration, or CRM capabilities.

• Executive Collaboration and Vision: Partner with C-level and business unit leaders to understand strategic objectives and translate them into technology initiatives. Provide thought leadership on how integrated applications and data (financial systems, service management, customer engagement, etc.) can drive new business opportunities, operational efficiencies, and improved customer and employee experiences. Balance long-term vision with actionable roadmaps, gaining buy-in from top executives and stakeholders.

• Team Leadership & Coaching: Build, develop, and inspire a high-performing team of application managers, developers, and analysts across NetSuite, ServiceNow, Salesforce, Workato, and Power BI domains. Serve not only as a leader but also as a mentor and technical coach – guiding a talented, early-career team to strengthen their skills in enterprise architecture, integration techniques, and data analytics. Foster a collaborative, inclusive culture that encourages innovation, continuous learning, and accountability. Ensure the team is equipped to troubleshoot complex technical issues and implement best practices across all platforms.

• Enterprise Platform Implementation & Management: Oversee the implementation, day-to-day management, and continuous improvement of NetSuite ERP and other critical platforms including ServiceNow (ITSM, ITAM, HRSD, CSM modules), Salesforce (CRM, Marketing, Legal solutions), as well as Workato for integration workflows and Power BI for reporting. Ensure each system is configured and customized to meet business requirements and that they are effectively integrated with one another. Maintain high performance, security, and reliability across all systems, proactively addressing issues and minimizing downtime to support uninterrupted business operations.

• Enterprise Application Portfolio Management: Take ownership of the entire portfolio of enterprise applications and shared services. Regularly evaluate and optimize the use of ERP, service management, CRM, integration, and analytics tools to avoid redundancy and ensure scalability. Maintain a holistic view of how systems (NetSuite, ServiceNow, Salesforce, etc.) and integration layers (Workato) work together, making decisions on investments, upgrades, and decommissioning with an eye toward simplification, interoperability, and cost-effectiveness. Ensure that Power BI and other reporting/analytics tools are effectively aggregating data from various systems to provide a single source of truth for decision-making.

• Digital Transformation: Lead digital transformation initiatives that leverage the capabilities of our enterprise platforms and integration tools. Use ServiceNow to digitize and automate IT support, HR services, and customer service processes, enhancing user experiences and efficiency. Leverage Salesforce to transform customer engagement, sales and marketing automation, and legal case management, ensuring these customer-facing transformations are connected to back-end systems. Employ Workato and other integration services to connect disparate systems and automate cross-platform workflows (for example, linking CRM data to ERP processes, or syncing service tickets with customer records). Utilize Power BI and advanced analytics to transform organizational data into actionable insights, supporting data-driven strategy and continuous improvement.

• Business Process Optimization: Collaborate with functional leaders across departments (Finance, IT, HR, Customer Support, Sales, Marketing, Legal) to streamline and re-engineer business processes using enterprise applications. Identify opportunities where automation or system enhancements (such as a new ServiceNow workflow, a Workato integration, or a customized Salesforce solution) can eliminate inefficiencies, reduce manual work, and improve productivity. Ensure that process improvements in one area (e.g., a new customer support process in ServiceNow CSM or a marketing automation in Salesforce) are seamlessly integrated with other systems and processes (like NetSuite financials or data warehouses feeding Power BI) to create end-to-end optimization and visibility.

• Budgeting and Resource Management: Develop and manage the annual budget for Business Applications and Shared Services platforms. Make data-driven decisions on where to invest in platform enhancements, integration projects, and analytics capabilities to maximize ROI. Optimize licensing and vendor relationships for NetSuite, ServiceNow, Salesforce, Workato, and Power BI, ensuring cost-effective use of cloud resources and subscriptions. Balance resource allocation between strategic initiatives (long-term innovations) and operational needs (maintenance and support).

• Performance Monitoring and Reporting: Establish clear KPIs and success metricsfor all managed platforms and services. Implement robust monitoring of system performance (uptime, response times, transaction volumes) and track service delivery metrics (e.g., incident resolution times in ServiceNow, sales funnel metrics in Salesforce, user adoption rates of new features, etc.). Use Power BI dashboards to consolidate and report on these metrics, providing transparent visibility to executive leadership. Regularly report on the health of the application ecosystem and the business impact of technology initiatives, using data and insights to recommend adjustments or new strategies.

Qualifications:

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Systems, Business Administration, or a related field.

15+ years of experience in enterprise/business applications management and at least 10 years in leadership roles overseeing large-scale software implementations or digital transformation initiatives. An MBA or relevant advanced degree is a plus.

• Enterprise Systems Expertise: Proven experience deploying and managing NetSuite or similar ERP in a complex organization. Strong hands-on knowledge of ServiceNow (including ITSM, IT Asset Management, HR Service Delivery, and Customer Service Management modules) and Salesforce (CRM, Marketing Automation, and ideally integration with legal processes). Experience with integration platforms (e.g., Workato or similar iPaaS tools) and business intelligence/reporting solutions (e.g., Power BI) is highly desirable.

• Strategic & Business Acumen: Demonstrated ability to align technology plans with business strategy and to articulate the business value of complex IT initiatives. Capable of engaging with C-suite and senior executives as a credible partner, influencing decision-making, and setting a clear vision for how enterprise applications and data can drive competitive advantage.

• Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Deep technical acumen in enterprise application architecture and integration best practices, enabling you to delve into technical details when necessary. Experience guiding technical teams through challenging problems, code reviews, and system design decisions. Proven ability to coach and mentor a growing team, developing their skills and fostering an environment of continuous improvement and innovation.

• Change Management & Execution Skills: Strong project management skills with a track record of delivering complex projects on time and within budget. Experience leading digital transformation or process re-engineering initiatives. Ability to manage change across the organization, working closely with stakeholders to ensure successful adoption of new systems and processes.

• Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills. Ability to convey complex technical concepts in business terms, write and speak to executive and board-level audiences, and facilitate collaboration across diverse teams. A leadership style that is both visionary and approachable, with the gravitas to influence senior leaders and the humility and hands-on approach to earn the respect of technical teams.

Buxton Consulting

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