ELAYARAJA PONNUSWAMY
San Jose
Summary
Strategic Senior Director with expertise in operational governance and planning. Skilled in vendor management and data analysis, leading initiatives that optimize spend governance and enhance cross-functional collaboration. Experienced in culture transformation and change management, driving efficiency and accountability across global teams.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Director, HCM Strategy & Operations
SAP SuccessFactors
Palo Alto
04.2026 - Current
- Lead business operations strategy for global Product, Engineering, and Cloud Operations organizations, supporting 2700+ employees across multiple regions
- Partner with executive leadership to drive strategic planning, operational execution, and organizational alignment
- Owned end-to-end spend governance, optimizing vendor strategy, workforce investments, and software procurement to enhance fiscal responsibility
- Drove executive-level insights through KPI frameworks and dashboards, enabling data-driven decision support for leadership
- Led cross-functional strategic programs, improving operational efficiency, scalability, and delivery outcomes across the organization
- Strengthen governance, compliance, and audit readiness across business operations
- Coach and mentor senior leaders and teams to improve execution, accountability, and performance
Director of Operations – Office of the COO
SAP SuccessFactors
04.2021 - 03.2026
- Delivered executive reporting and insights, facilitating informed leadership decision-making across SAP SuccessFactors
- Led vendor lifecycle management, overseeing RFPs, negotiations, contracts, and ensuring audit compliance
- Designed and implemented standardized spend management framework, improving governance, compliance, and cost optimization
- Managed strategic programs across Product, Engineering, and Cloud Operations organizations
- Established KPI frameworks and dashboards, enabling tracking of organizational performance and outcomes
- Led cross-functional alignment across engineering, product, and operations teams
- Identified risks proactively and drove mitigation strategies across programs
- Mentored teams on process adoption, tools, and operational excellence
Senior Program Manager – Office of the COO
SAP SuccessFactors
01.2018 - 01.2021
- Drove leadership alignment on product development and release management to ensure strategic goals were met
- Led Change Management Council to drive cross-functional collaboration across Product, Engineering, and Cloud Operations
- Defined and delivered KPI frameworks for executive dashboards
- Owned engineering process governance, including customer support processes in ServiceNow
- Led triage and operational processes for engineering teams
- Co-managed vendor engagements and software licensing strategy
- Represented Product & Engineering in customer success initiatives to enhance client satisfaction and engagement
Senior Program Manager – Onboarding
SAP Labs India – SAP SuccessFactors
01.2014 - 01.2018
- Led program operations and process standardization for onboarding product
- Coordinated product, engineering, QA, and operations for successful release execution
- Managed cross-project dependencies and planned releases to ensure alignment across initiatives
- Led stakeholder communication and executive reporting
- Improved Agile adoption and delivery efficiency across teams
- Managed contingent workforce (40+ contractors) across multiple product lines
- Oversaw budget planning and engagement initiatives for 450+ employees to enhance team morale
Business Analyst
TELETECH HOLDINGS, INC.
Englewood
01.2010 - 01.2014
- Led Oracle R12 upgrade initiatives across global teams and vendors
- Oversaw HRIS systems, including Oracle EBS, payroll, and enterprise tools, ensuring alignment with organizational needs
- Managed $1.5M vendor portfolio, tracking SLAs and implementing optimization strategies for enhanced service delivery
- Collaborated with ADP on tax and compliance systems to ensure regulatory adherence and operational efficiency
- Built process improvements, QA frameworks, and support models
Business Analyst
TELETECH HOLDINGS, INC.
01.2008 - 01.2009
- Gathered and defined business requirements for HR systems and integrations to ensure alignment with stakeholder needs
- Acted as liaison between business stakeholders and technical teams
- Developed test strategies and business cases, creating functional documentation to guide project execution
- Supported successful system implementations for Oracle, Taleo, and Kronos, facilitating smooth transitions
Education
Master of Business Administration -
Colorado State University
Pueblo, COMaster of International Management - Finance
Pondicherry University
Bachelor of Commerce -
Pondicherry University
Skills
- Business strategy
- Strategic planning
- Organizational development
- Change management
- Operational governance
- Vendor management
- Contract negotiation
- Regulatory adherence
- KPI development
- Data analysis
- Process optimization
- Cross-functional collaboration
Work Preference
Job Search Status
Networking onlyWork Type
Full TimeLocation Preference
On-SiteSalary Range
$450000/yr - $550000/yrTimeline
Senior Director, HCM Strategy & Operations
SAP SuccessFactors
04.2026 - Current
Director of Operations – Office of the COO
SAP SuccessFactors
04.2021 - 03.2026
Senior Program Manager – Office of the COO
SAP SuccessFactors
01.2018 - 01.2021
Senior Program Manager – Onboarding
SAP Labs India – SAP SuccessFactors
01.2014 - 01.2018
Business Analyst
TELETECH HOLDINGS, INC.
01.2010 - 01.2014
Business Analyst
TELETECH HOLDINGS, INC.
01.2008 - 01.2009
Master of Business Administration -
Colorado State University
Master of International Management - Finance
Pondicherry University
Bachelor of Commerce -
Pondicherry University