ServiceNow Delivery Lead

Local candidates only – hybrid roles in Walnut Creek, CA or Tempe, AZ. W2 contract-to-hire; 5-month initial term. No C2C, 1099, or sponsorship.

About the Role

We are seeking a ServiceNow Delivery Lead to drive execution, structure, and maturity across the ServiceNow platform. This role combines Agile leadership, delivery management, and demand governance, focusing on enabling a small, high-impact team to balance operational support (KTLO) and strategic initiatives. The individual will manage the work (not direct reports) for a team of fewer than 15 resources (FTE and vendor), bringing clarity to priorities, improving delivery predictability, and advancing the organization toward structured program delivery.

Responsibilities

• Delivery Leadership & Execution
  • Lead end-to-end delivery across KTLO, enhancements, and strategic initiatives
  • Drive work to completion by managing priorities, dependencies, and team focus
  • Balance interrupt-driven operational work with planned delivery
  • Support initiative scoping and discovery to enable larger program execution
• Agile Leadership (Practical Application)
  • Facilitate Agile ceremonies (daily standups, sprint planning, retrospectives)
  • Monitor and actively manage story progression through the sprint lifecycle
  • Adapt Agile practices to support a small, operations-heavy team
  • Identify and remove blockers, ensuring timely and high-quality delivery
• ServiceNow SPM & Governance
  • Manage and mature usage of ServiceNow SPM modules: Portfolio, Program, Project, Demand, Stories, and Dashboards
  • Establish and reinforce governance across:
    • Demand intake and prioritization
    • Idea/Demand/Project lifecycle
    • Backlog structure and data quality
  • Improve delivery visibility through structured workflows and reporting
• Demand Management (As Assigned)
  • Act as Demand Manager for assigned initiatives:
    • Validate intake quality and business value
    • Align requests to platform roadmap and strategic priorities
    • Drive demand through evaluation and prioritization processes
  • Interface with stakeholders up to Director level
• Reporting & Stakeholder Communication
  • Deliver weekly status reporting leveraging ServiceNow dashboards:
    • Delivery progress and trends
    • Team throughput and capacity
    • Risks, blockers, and dependencies
  • Translate operational activity into clear, executive-level insights
• Roadmap & Strategic Planning
  • Partner with the Platform Owner to:
    • Support product roadmap development and prioritization
    • Align delivery capacity with business priorities
    • Help transition the team from reactive execution to structured program delivery
• Coaching & Team Enablement
  • Coach team members on Agile practices and delivery expectations
  • Improve accountability, ownership, and communication
  • Introduce scalable processes appropriate for team size and maturity
• Hands-On Contribution
  • Build and refine ServiceNow reports and dashboards
  • Support backlog management and workflow alignment within ServiceNow
  • Provide guidance on ServiceNow platform capabilities: ITSM, ITOM, CMDB/CSDM

Requirements

• 8–12+ years of experience in Agile delivery, project, or program management
• 3–5+ years of ServiceNow experience, including exposure to SPM
• Experience leading delivery in mixed operational (KTLO) and project environments
• Proven ability to bring structure to immature or evolving processes
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with experience engaging up to Director level
• Ability to operate in a hands-on, hybrid role (strategy + execution)

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP (Project Management Professional)
• Certified Scrum Master (CSM) or equivalent
• ServiceNow Certified System Administrator (CSA)
• ServiceNow ITSM Implementation Specialist
• ServiceNow SPM Implementation Specialist
• Prior ServiceNow platform administration or configuration experience

Work Environment & Scope

• Supports a single ServiceNow platform team (<15 resources) across FTE and vendor contributors
• Responsible for managing work, not direct people management
• Operates in a developing Agile environment with opportunity to shape delivery practices
• Plays a key role in advancing SPM maturity and governance

What Success Looks Like

• Improved delivery predictability and throughput
• Successful transition from reactive work to structured delivery
• Increased ability to scope and execute larger initiatives
• Clear, consistent visibility into team performance and outcomes
• Adoption of practical, scalable governance within ServiceNow SPM

Pay

USD $65.00–$75.00 per hour (W2 only).