Copy of Director of Operations & Shared Services

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Operations Leadership

• Serve as the CEO’s thought partner on operations, infrastructure, and organizational effectiveness.
• Translate the organization’s mission and strategic plan into practical operational roadmaps, systems, and workflows.
• Design, launch, and refine the Operations Hub model as an internal shared-services “center of excellence.”
• Develop and track KPIs for operations (e.g., service levels, response times, system adoption, compliance, and user satisfaction).
• Provide operational insight to inform budgeting, strategic planning, and future CFAO-level decisions.

Shared Services Management (Operations Hub Leadership)

• Lead and coordinate the work across:
  • IT/Tech: systems support, user access, security best practices, troubleshooting processes.
  • Finance & Compliance: coordinate with Finance leadership/consultants on coding, approvals, audit readiness, grant compliance workflows, and documentation.
  • Marketing Operations: ensure tools, processes, and data are in place to support campaigns, events, student recruitment, and stakeholder communications.
  • Facilities: oversee or design processes for space usage, scheduling, safety practices, vendor coordination, and maintenance workflows.
  • HR/Admin Support: support staff onboarding/offboarding processes, tech access, documentation, and internal communication structures.
• Establish clear service-level expectations with internal “customers” (programs, workforce development, education, partnerships, etc.).
• In the part-time phase, prioritize building foundational systems and processes; in the full-time phase, deepen management and oversight of staff and vendors.

Systems, Tools & Process Innovation

• Lead the design and optimization of operations using a design-thinking approach: discovery, ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration.
• Own the organizational roadmap for key operational platforms, including but not limited to:
  • Salesforce (or similar CRM/data system)
  • Asana (or other project management platform)
  • Microsoft Teams (or similar internal communication platform)
  • Airtable
  • HubSpot (or similar marketing/engagement platform)
  • QuickBooks (QB) and related financial tools
• Evaluate where tools are underutilized and design strategies to evolve and strengthen their use (workflows, dashboards, automations, integrations).
• Partner with staff to map processes (e.g., student intake, grant reporting, stipend payments, facility rentals, vendor management) and redesign them for clarity, efficiency, and equity.
• Identify opportunities for automation, data integration, and “single source of truth” systems to reduce manual work and errors.

Culture, Collaboration & Communication

• Model and nurture a culture of collaboration, transparency, and shared problem-solving across departments.
• Facilitate cross-functional working sessions and operational “labs” where staff co-create solutions.
• Create simple, accessible documentation (playbooks, SOPs, FAQs) that help staff use tools and follow processes with confidence.
• Serve as a bridge, translator, and advocate between operations and program teams—ensuring tools and processes work for the people who actually use them.
• Communicate clearly and frequently about changes, timelines, and expectations to avoid surprises and build trust.

People Leadership & Talent Development

• Supervise Operations Hub staff and/or cross-functional leads as capacity allows, providing coaching, feedback, and development.
• Identify, nurture, and mentor emerging leaders within the operations and program teams.
• Create professional development pathways for staff to build operational, technical, and leadership skills.
• Empower team members to propose new ideas and lead pilot projects that improve the organization.

Compliance, Risk & Continuous Improvement

• Partner with Finance, HR, and Compliance leads to ensure that operational practices meet regulatory, grant, and audit requirements.
• Monitor risk areas (e.g., data security, financial controls, facility safety, documentation gaps) and propose practical mitigation strategies.
• Use data (qualitative and quantitative) to continuously refine systems and processes—always asking, “Is this still serving our mission and people well?”
• Establish feedback loops with staff and stakeholders to understand pain points and opportunities for improvement.

By the end of year one to 18 months, in this part-time Director role, the Director of Operations & Shared Serviceswill have:

• Designed and launched a clearly defined Operations Hub model with documented services, workflows, and points of contact.
• Implemented or improved core use of tools like Salesforce, Asana, Teams, Airtable, HubSpot, and QuickBooksso that staff are using them more consistently and confidently.
• Reduced operational friction for program and frontline teams (fewer bottlenecks, clearer processes, faster response times).
• Created and begun implementing a multi-year roadmap for strengthening organizational infrastructure and shared services.
• Built the foundation of an operations leadership bench—staff and emerging leaders who take ownership of systems and processes.
• Demonstrated at least a few “paradigm-shifting” changes in how we operate that are clearly felt by staff and the communities we serve.
• Positioned themselves, in partnership with the CEO and Board, on a clear trajectory toward full-time leadershipand, ultimately, the Chief Financial & Administrative Officer (CFAO) role.

Qualification & Requirements

Required

• 5–7+ years of progressive operations experience, with at least 3 years in a leadership/management role.
• Direct experience working in a nonprofit and educational setting (e.g., K–12, higher ed, youth development, workforce development, arts education).
• Demonstrated ability to design and/or significantly improve operations in a growing organization (not just maintain existing systems).
• Proven track record of leading and mentoring teams; ability to create leaders, not just manage staff.
• Comfort acting as a strategic thought partner to executives, especially the CEO, while also rolling up your sleeves to get work done within a lean, part-time structure.
• Hands-on experience with several of the following tools (or similar systems), and the ability to learn new ones quickly:
  • Salesforce (or similar CRM)
  • Asana (or similar project management platform)
  • Microsoft Teams / Office 365
  • Airtable
  • HubSpot or other marketing automation/CRM tools
  • QuickBooks and/or related financial systems
• Strong project management skills: planning, prioritization, timeline management, and follow-through—especially in a 30-hour workweek, with clear focus on high-impact priorities.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; able to explain complex systems in clear, accessible language.
• Demonstrated practice or familiarity with design thinking, human-centered design, or continuous improvement methodologies.
• Commitment to equity, community empowerment, and the mission of serving individuals with barriers.

Preferred

• Experience building or leading a shared services or operations hub model across multiple departments.
• Experience designing data dashboards or reporting systems to support leadership decision-making.
• Exposure to change management frameworks and leading organization-wide rollouts of new systems or tools.
• Experience in a small-to-mid-sized nonprofit where creativity and resourcefulness were required due to lean budgets.

Core Competencies & Mindsets

• Mission-Driven: Sees operations as an engine for equity, access, and impact—not just paperwork and process.
• Collaborative Team Player: Actively seeks input from staff across levels and roles; builds bridges, not silos.
• Innovative & Experimental: Comfortable testing, learning, and iterating; not content with “this is how we’ve always done it.”
• Design Thinker: Centers the user experience (staff, students, partners) in every system or process redesign.
• Systems Thinker: Sees the big picture and understands how changes in one part of the system affect the whole.
• Leader of Leaders: Invests in others’ growth, shares decision-making, and creates space for new voices.
• Operationally Creative: Able to achieve big outcomes within constrained resources through smart design and prioritization.
• Results-Oriented & Data-Informed: Uses metrics and evidence to drive decisions, without losing sight of people and relationships.

Benefits

No information available.