Principal Preferred Strategy & Operations
About The Position
About the team The Zillow Preferred team is at the center of building Zillow’s next chapter of partner-led growth, designing how high-performing real estate teams deliver a more connected experience for our shared customers. Within this organization, the Emerging segment oversees the majority of our partner network and acts as the primary engine for scaling new and growing teams into tomorrow’s top performers. The team is made up of program managers and frontline advisors who roll up their sleeves with partners every day, translating strategy into clear playbooks, experiments, and coaching that move real business metrics. We work hand-in-hand with Product, Operations, and Marketing to test, launch, and scale initiatives that improve partner performance and customer outcomes. About the role Zillow is evolving how we serve and grow our “Emerging” segment partners at scale. This role will lead the strategy, operating model, and execution for the SMB segment of our Preferred business, which we expect to grow 2x in 2026. We’re looking for a leader who loves tackling complex problems, shaping systems from the ground up, and seeing their ideas come to life in the market. As Principal Preferred Strategy & Operations, you will own the SMB go-to-market motion end to end, setting direction, building scalable systems, and ensuring frontline execution delivers durable business outcomes. This is a leadership role for a strategic operator who can define “what good looks like,” mobilize cross-functional teams, and translate complexity into clarity. You partner closely with Product and senior GTM leaders, and play a central role in shaping the future of Zillow’s SMB growth engine.
Requirements
- 10+ years of experience in strategy, operations, GTM, consulting, or related roles, with demonstrated impact at scale.
- Experience owning strategy and operating outcomes for a complex business or customer segment, especially in marketplace companies
- Proven ability to lead through ambiguity and drive alignment across senior stakeholders.
- Strong analytical foundation; able to synthesize data into clear insights and decisions.
- Exceptional communicator, comfortable influencing at the executive level.
- Builder mindset: energized by creating durable systems, not just shipping one-off projects.
- Comfortable balancing long-term vision with near-term execution.
- Experience with analytical toolsets (e.g Tableau, SQL) required, and sales tooling (e.g. Salesforce, Gong) preferred.
Nice To Haves
- MBA or advanced degree are a plus
Responsibilities
- Define and execute on the GTM strategy for the Emerging segment, including partner journeys, service tiers by partner type, and capacity models.
- Translate strategic goals into multi-quarter roadmaps, success metrics, and operating plans to drive account acquisition, retention, and growth.
- Influence product roadmaps by grounding prioritization in customer needs, operational realities, and revenue impact, to shape partner experiences that scale (e.g. onboarding flows, in-product guidance, and self-serve capabilities)
- Identify opportunities to optimize cost-to-serve while improving partner experience through automation and tooling.
- Use data to identify growth opportunities, diagnose issues, and guide strategic tradeoffs.
- Communicate insights and recommendations clearly to senior leaders, driving alignment and action.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Principal
Education Level
No Education Listed
Number of Employees
251-500 employees
