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
We are seeking a highly driven and results-oriented leader to manage VPN Service Delivery while also owning the strategy, ideation, and execution of AI, chat, and automation initiatives across the organization. This role is responsible for overseeing end-to-end VPN order delivery, ensuring first-time-right performance, and driving operational excellence through data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.
In addition to core service delivery responsibilities, this leader will spearhead digital transformation efforts by developing and scaling automation and AI-driven solutions, supported by disciplined delivery governance and operational analysis. The role requires a balance of hands-on execution and strategic leadership, including building and developing a high-performing team. Success will be measured by improvements in cycle time, cost efficiency, service quality, and adherence to Responsible AI and data governance standards within a fast-paced telecommunications environment.
Location
This is a remote, work-from-home position. Candidates must reside in the United States.
The Main Responsibilities
Lead Service Delivery Operations
Manage day-to-day VPN order delivery across multiple regions and customer segments
Ensure timely, accurate provisioning aligned with customer SLAs and business goals
Drive performance against key metrics including FTR (First Time Right), cycle time, and backlog health
Drive Process Improvement & Automation
Identify process gaps and lead initiatives to improve efficiency, quality, and scalability
Champion automation and simplification efforts to reduce manual work and errors
Partner with cross-functional teams to implement sustainable solutions
Performance Management & Reporting
Establish clear performance expectations and track team productivity and quality
Analyze operational data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities
Deliver executive-level reporting with actionable insights and recommendations
Cross-Functional Leadership
Collaborate closely with Design/TDG, Field Operations, Offnet/Build, and Customer Experience teams
Act as a point of escalation for complex orders and customer-impacting issues
Drive alignment across teams to ensure seamless order flow and issue resolution
Continued...
AI & Chat Strategy, Ideation & Value Realization
Build and maintain a prioritized AI/automation roadmap tied to business objectives (defect removal, cycle time, cost out, revenue enablement).
Run structured ideation (workshops, office hours, intake) to capture high-value chat use cases across business functions.
Establish "value by design": define hypotheses, baselines, and target benefits for each use case (e.g., hours saved, cost avoided, NPS impact), and ensure every release has measurable outcomes.
Translate ideas into clear user stories, success criteria, and risk/controls; create business cases with ROI, effort, and dependencies.
Rapidly prototype chat/agent flows (prompts, intents, orchestrations) and lead pilot experiments; document reusable patterns and standards.
Partner with Security, Compliance, and Data Governance to meet responsible AI standards (privacy, fairness, transparency) and regulatory obligations.
Resource & Budget Management
Build dashboards and operational scorecards (adoption, time saved, quality, compliance) to guide decisions and show value.
Identify automation opportunities and policy/role changes needed to unlock impact; partner to implement and measure improvements.
Innovation, Cost Reduction & Efficiency
Lead cross-functional Kaizen/Lean sprints to remove waste (handoffs, rework, queue time) and instrument processes for observability.
Industrialize wins: standardize playbooks, reusable components, and reference architectures (e.g., agents, copilots, RPA, Power Platform).
Achieve 18,000+ hours of efficiency improvement across the organization.
Continued...
Delivery Excellence & Governance
Operate a tight release cadence (backlog hygiene, Definition of Ready/Done, change management) with clear entry/exit criteria.
Enforce quality gates (testing, security reviews, data quality) and manage operational readiness (runbooks, SLAs, on-call).
Publish executive-ready updates (milestones, benefits realized vs. target, risks/mitigations) and maintain audit-ready documentation.
Change Management & Enablement
Create lightweight enablement (playbooks, prompt libraries, short demos) that make chat solutions stick.
Evangelize best practices; host "art of the possible" sessions and help teams become data guardians of their content for AI use.
Coordinate with Security/Legal on responsible AI standards, access controls, and data classification.
Stakeholder Leadership & Partnership
Work closely with Operations leaders, Product owners, Engineering, Security, HR, and Finance to align roadmaps, budgets, and controls.
Translate business priorities into technical work; resolve trade-offs quickly with a bias to action and customer impact.
Provide executive-ready updates and evidence of impact; resolve blockers quickly and transparently.
People, Culture & Leadership
Lead, coach, and develop an inclusive, high-performance team to achieve individual and organizational goals.
Set clear expectations, priorities, and performance standards aligned to business objectives.
Conduct regular 1:1s, performance reviews, and development planning.
Provide regular feedback, recognition, and career development support
Identify skill gaps and enable training, mentoring, and career growth opportunities.
Monitor workload, capacity, and team health to ensure sustainable performance.
Cultivate a culture of experimentation with guardrails-failing fast, learning fast, scaling what works.
Foster a culture of accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement; recognize and reward strong performance and contributions.
What Success Looks Like
Drive significant (defined by department goals) reduction in delivery cycle time.
Drive annualized cost reduction and avoidance.
100% adherence to Responsible AI and data governance controls.
What We Look For in a Candidate
Minimum: Bachelor's Degree and 3+ years of related business operations management experience.
Strong discipline in maintaining a use-case backlog and governance process from intake ? triage ? discovery ? pilot ? production, including readiness across security, privacy, and data access.
Skilled at translating ideas into clear user stories with success criteria, risk/controls, ROI modeling, and dependency mapping.
Promotes a culture of accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
Excellent collaboration and effective listening skills.
Strong attention to detail and superior organizational skills.
Proven ability to present information to various levels in organizations.
Understanding of project management.
Compensation
This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary b
