Irina Zbuzhinskaya
McLean
Summary
Accomplished technology leader with 15+ years of experience driving enterprise platform strategy, architecture, and operations. Expert in Salesforce, SmartSimple, SharePoint, and integrated web systems, with a track record of delivering secure, scalable, and innovative technology solutions. Adept at leading cross-functional teams, modernizing systems, and aligning technology with organizational priorities to advance mission-critical initiatives.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Associate Director, Technology Infrastructure
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
04.2022 - Current
- Set and execute enterprise technology strategy across programmatic, executive, and operational functions.
- Lead design, development, and lifecycle management of platforms, including Salesforce, SmartSimple, SharePoint, and integrated web systems.
- Provide solution architecture leadership, translating complex business requirements into secure, scalable technical platforms and integration pipelines.
- Drive system modernization initiatives, adopting cloud-based platforms and next-generation tools to improve efficiency and scalability.
- Oversee system integration strategy with middleware solutions to ensure seamless interoperability and reduce point-to-point dependencies.
- Manage release planning, deployments, and risk mitigation for production transitions.
- Establish and enforce governance, security, and compliance standards in collaboration with Information Security.
- Promoted AI literacy across teams and leadership by translating AI concepts into practical business applications, identifying opportunities for responsible adoption, and leveraging AI-driven tools to enhance efficiency, governance, and decision-making.
- Lead QA and testing operations to ensure performance SLAs and compliance requirements are met.
- Provide oversight for customer support and enterprise platform operations, including capacity planning, performance monitoring, and recurring maintenance.
- Act as a strategic partner to business stakeholders, shaping digital transformation initiatives and innovation pilots.
- Manage vendor selection, RFPs, and contract negotiations, evaluating technical alignment and cost-effectiveness.
- Build and lead a cross-functional team of 8 direct and 10+ indirect reports, including developers, QA engineers, architects, Scrum Masters, and DevOps managers.
- Coach and develop staff, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous learning.
- Represent DIGITAL leadership in executive forums, bridging organizational and technology priorities.
- Oversee website operations, including code management, deployments, backups, and vendor coordination.
- Support enterprise initiatives including Data Lake enhancements, Master Data Management, and Enterprise Architecture.
- Ensure Agile alignment, guiding iterative planning, delivery, and continuous improvement.
Senior Project & Operations Manager
Salesforce
09.2014 - 06.2022
- Partnered with IT Director to align Salesforce and integrated systems with organizational priorities.
- Defined and executed the Salesforce technology roadmap, incorporating AppExchange solutions and integrations to enhance functionality.
- Collaborated with architects, vendors, and stakeholders to deliver scalable platform capabilities.
- Established best practices for architecture, project execution, and team training.
- Directed Salesforce developers, administrators, and project teams within an Agile framework across multiple concurrent projects.
- Managed full lifecycle of Salesforce implementations: design, configuration, testing, training, deployment, optimization, and post-go-live support.
- Engaged stakeholders with transparent communication, mitigating risks and articulating project value.
- Oversaw vendor relationships, contracts, procurement, and invoice approvals.
- Implemented system security best practices and ensured compliance with governance and regulatory requirements.
- Maintained data quality, asset classification, and information governance policies.
- Established structured intake, incident tracking, and issue resolution processes to improve service reliability.
- Led, coached, and mentored Salesforce staff, managing workloads, priorities, and resource allocation.
Education
MBA - Economics & Financial Management
Moscow State University
01.2010
BS - Electronics & Automation
Moscow Institute of Radio Engineering
01.2007
Skills
- Strategic Leadership
- AI Literacy & Application
- Enterprise Technology Strategy
- System Integration & Architecture
- Agile Project Management
- Data Governance & Compliance
- Coaching & Mentoring
Certification
- Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy – MIT Sloan Executive Education, Aug 2025 (ID: 159023097)
- Breakthrough Customer Experience (CX) Strategy – MIT Sloan Executive Education, Oct 2023
- Cybersecurity for Managers: A Playbook – MIT Sloan Executive Education, Dec 2022 (ID: 64015223)
- Persuasive Communication – The Johns Hopkins University, Aug 2021
- Moving from an Operational Manager to a Strategic Leader – American Management Association, Oct 2020 (ID: PDCS#21-VA3G7)
- Jira Server Administration – Atlassian, Nov 2019
- Leadership in Action – Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Nov 2019
- Project Management Professional (PMP) – Georgetown University, Jun 2019
- Intacct Development Integration – Marcum Technology, Apr 2019
- ITIL Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management – ACQUIROS, Inc., (ID: 1001085256)
Timeline
Associate Director, Technology Infrastructure
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
04.2022 - Current
Senior Project & Operations Manager
Salesforce
09.2014 - 06.2022
BS - Electronics & Automation
Moscow Institute of Radio Engineering
MBA - Economics & Financial Management
Moscow State University