About the Opportunity

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified. 

JOB SUMMARY

The Salesforce Enterprise Product Lead will lead our organization’s Salesforce strategy design and execution, ensuring it effectively supports business processes and objectives. The role involves the execution of strategic planning, leading implementation initiatives and continuous improvement of Salesforce solutions to optimize data integrity, operational efficiency and business outcome delivery. The position requires a strong technical background in Salesforce applications, project/program management, and an ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams to align Salesforce applications with business needs, manage vendor relationships and lead support teams that will help the organization achieve and maintain a stable and responsive portfolio of applications. It is expected that this leader will help our organization keep up with the latest trends in the Salesforce market, including (but not limited to) the use of modern approaches such as cloud Salesforce, platform-as-a-service capabilities and embedded AI capabilities. The Salesforce-focused EPL will need to help manage costs and prioritize initiatives with business stakeholders, driving measurable value from the early to the late stages of such initiatives 

This role is critical to ensuring that our business technology solutions align with our university strategy, enhance operational efficiencies and provide competitive advantage. As a key member of the senior IT management team, the EPL will collaborate closely with other leaders in IT and business units to spearhead digital transformation initiatives, optimize application value, and ensure the security and compliance of our application landscape. 

This role requires occasional availability outside of traditional working hours to address urgent business needs as they arise, including, but not limited to, responding to security incidents, supporting software deployments, resolving software issues or system breaks, and addressing other critical operational requirements. The ideal candidate must be proactive and adaptable, ensuring minimal disruption to business operations by promptly addressing any issues, regardless of time or day. Flexibility and a strong sense of urgency are essential for success in this position. 

This role is hybrid and in the office a minimum of three days a week to facilitate collaboration and teamwork. In-office presence is an essential part of our on-campus culture and allows for engaging directly with staff and students, sharing ideas, and contributing to a dynamic work environment. Being on-site allows for stronger connections, more effective problem-solving, and enhanced team synergy, all of which are key to achieving our collective goals and driving success. 

This role requires flexibility in performing duties outside of the primary responsibilities to support evolving business needs. The ideal candidate must be adaptable and willing to take on additional tasks or projects as required, ensuring smooth operations across the organization. This may include stepping in to assist with cross-functional teams, handling unexpected challenges, or contributing to initiatives that support business growth and success. A proactive mindset and the ability to pivot quickly are essential for thriving in this dynamic environment. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in IT, with at least five years in a leadership role managing enterprise applications supporting multiple business units, including the management of security, business process, reporting, and integration resources. 

• Proven track record of leading digital transformation initiatives and implementing large-scale IT projects.

• Extensive experience with Salesforce, preferably in an environment that deployed 3+ modules.  

• Demonstrated success in vendor and stakeholder management. 

• In-depth knowledge of enterprise application platforms, cloud computing, immersion technologies, and general IT architecture for security and integrations. Ability to use strategic planning to translate business goals into technology solutions. At least one of the following certifications required: Salesforce Salescloud, Marketingcloud, Agentforce 

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to collaborate simultaneously with multiple executives from different parts of the organization, stakeholders and teams across the organization, and to influence people to achieve common goals. Experience partnering with Fundraising or Higher Education desired 

• Strong project management skills, including experience with agile methodologies and change management. 

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities; proficiency in data analysis and performance metrics. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES & ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Strategic leadership: Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for enterprise applications that supports our organization’s business goals and objectives. In collaboration with the software engineering team, carry out buy-build-customize analyses and develop plans to operationalize the results. Own, maintain and promote awareness of the application strategic roadmap.

• Leadership of digital transformation efforts: Identify opportunities for innovation and improvement, while overseeing ongoing implementation of multiple, overlapping large application initiatives.

• Team leadership and development: Lead, mentor and develop a high-performance team of IT professionals. Foster a culture of innovation, excellence and ongoing improvement.

• Business engagement: Develop productive relationships with business leaders across our organization to influence how applications can enable new sources of value. Conduct regular surveys of stakeholders’ satisfaction with applications, publish the results and, where necessary, implement action plans to improve satisfaction.

• Portfolio management: Oversee the management of our enterprise applications portfolio, ensuring it meets current and future business requirements. Evaluate and prioritize objects based on strategic alignment, return on investment and risk. Perform ongoing buy-build-customization analyses for current and future components of the portfolio. Identify opportunities for system modernization, integration, automation and rationalization.

• Operational excellence: Safeguard the reliability, availability and performance of our enterprise applications. Implement best practices for application life cycle management, including development, deployment, maintenance and support. Manage master data across applications.

• Vendor management: Establish and maintain strong relationships with key vendors and partners. Develop a nuanced understanding of strategic vendors’ roadmaps and how these will support the company’s business objectives. Collaborate with IT sourcing and vendor management teams to strengthen the company’s position when negotiating with software and service vendors.

• Risk management and compliance: Work with our internal governance team to ensure enterprise applications comply with all relevant laws, regulations and industry standards. Oversee risk management processes to identify, assess and mitigate risks associated with applications and database systems.

• Budget management: Develop and manage the budget for enterprise applications, ensuring optimal allocation of resources and cost-effectiveness.

Competencies & Key Behaviors

• Technical expertise: In-depth knowledge of enterprise application platforms, cloud computing and immersion technologies. Ability to use strategic planning to translate business goals into technology solutions. At least one of the following certifications required: Salesforce SalesCloud, CommerceCloud, Ascend, ExperienceCloud, MarketingCloud
• Communication and collaboration: Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to collaborate simultaneously with multiple executives from different parts of the organization, stakeholders and teams across the organization, and to influence people to achieve common goals. Experience partnering with Fundraising or Higher Education desired
• Project management: Strong project management skills, including experience with agile methodologies and change management.

• Analytical skills: Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities; proficiency in data analysis and performance metrics.

Position Type

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.  

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Compensation Grade/Pay Type:

Expected Hiring Range:

With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.