Director, Strategic Operations

Job Title: Director, Strategic Operations

Team: People & Operations

Location: In-Person in Atlanta (GA)

Employment Type: Full-time

FLSA Classification: Exempt 

Start Date: ASAP

About Braven

Braven is a national nonprofit that prepares promising college students to secure a strong first opportunity after college graduation through a career-accelerating program.

We work with higher education and employer partners to offer a life-changing experience that begins with a semester-long course for college students, followed by support that lasts through graduation.  

Together, our ambition is to help rebuild the middle class and revitalize the American Dream.

To learn more, take a look at Braven’s Jobs Report.

About the Role

In order to achieve its ambition of serving 80,000-100,000 Fellows over the next decade, Braven is hiring a Director, Strategic Operations, who will serve as the operational engine of the People & Operations function. 

The People & Operations (P&O) team spans four verticals: People & Culture, Legal, Finance, and Facilities & Operations. Each vertical is led by a subject matter expert. What connects them and what keeps the CFAO and those leads focused on their highest-impact work is this role. You will own the internal rhythm of the P&O department, drive cross-functional coordination, and ensure that strategy translates into execution without things falling through the cracks.

This is not a role for someone who waits to be told what to do next. You will be in the room when decisions are made, hear the direction, and move. You read context well, operate comfortably in ambiguity, and understand that the most effective support is often invisible, and it happens before anyone has to ask.

You bring a proactive, judgment-driven approach to your work. You anticipate what the team needs, surface the right information at the right time, and execute with a level of ownership that reflects your understanding of what is at stake across the P&O portfolio.

This role is on the People & Operations team and reports directly to the Chief Finance & Admin Officer.

What You’ll Do

P&O Department Operations & Coordination (40%)

• Own the internal operational rhythm of the P&O team, including planning cycles, goal-setting processes, quarterly alignment, and weekly coordination structures
• Maintain a shared view of the P&O roadmap across all four verticals, tracking key milestones, surfacing dependencies, and flagging risks before they escalate
• Develop and distribute team communications, planning guides, and process documents proactively — without waiting for direction from the CFAO
• Support the CFAO in preparing for Alignment Team, CEO, and Board-level engagements related to P&O functions, including drafting materials, preparing pre-reads, and ensuring follow-through on action items
• Design and lead P&O team meetings, stepbacks, and retreats, including agenda development, pre-work, and post-meeting follow-through
• Serve as the knowledge management lead for P&O, maintaining shared documentation and ensuring process clarity across the department
• Track and report on key performance indicators across the P&O function, gathering and presenting data on operational health, project milestones, and initiative progress

Cross-Functional Project Management (35%)

• Lead projects that span multiple P&O functions, serving as the project manager for complex, cross-vertical initiatives such as ERP implementations, office transitions, and org-wide compliance efforts
• Act as the central liaison between P&O and the broader organization, translating priorities across teams and ensuring P&O commitments are visible and on track
• Identify and resolve dependencies and resource conflicts across P&O verticals in partnership with function leads, resolving what you can and escalating only what requires CFAO judgment
• Design and execute cyclical reporting on P&O operations for central leaders and the broader organization

Cross-Organizational Representation & Coordination (20%)

• Serve as the primary P&O liaison to other organizational teams, representing P&O priorities in cross-functional meetings and ensuring follow-through on commitments made outside the department
• Attend meetings on behalf of the CFAO when appropriate, synthesizing key takeaways and surfacing decisions or action items that require CFAO attention
• Manage pre-work, agendas, and follow-up for cross-functional engagements that involve P&O, ensuring that alignment reached in those settings translates into action
• Coordinate P&O team onboarding for new hires across verticals, partnering with the People & Culture team to ensure a seamless experience

Ad Hoc & Strategic Support (5%)

• Support the CFAO with unplanned, time-sensitive requests arising from the dynamic nature of a growing organization, including drafting communications, preparing materials for urgent stakeholder engagements, and executing on organizational priorities as they emerge.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
• At least 5 years of experience in a senior operations, strategic program management, or organizational effectiveness role
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder workstreams with a high degree of autonomy
• Track record of operating in ambiguous environments and creating structure where little exists
• Fluency in Google Suite (Docs, Sheets, Slides) and project management tools

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience supporting a C-suite leader or senior executive in an operational capacity
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to draft clear, audience-appropriate communications quickly and with minimal direction
• Exceptional ability to synthesize information, identify the most important thread, and move forward without needing every detail resolved
• Experience in the education, government, or nonprofit sector
• Demonstrated commitment to building strong and welcoming cultures that help to develop others.
• Exemplification of Braven’s core values.
• Experience that has informed your belief in Braven’s mission and has prepared you to work with, or for, Braven’s student Fellow population.

Please know that no one ever meets 100% of the preferred qualifications. If much of this describes you, we encourage you to apply.

Work Demands

• Ability to work in-person in Atlanta (GA) at least 3 days per week
• Travel is required approximately three to four times per year.

Additional Requirements

• Authorized to work in the U.S.
• Braven doesn’t offer employment visa sponsorship

Application & Interview Process

While the interview process may vary slightly, the general process will be:

• Phone screen with Talent Team member
• Performance Task
• Interview with Hiring Manager
• Panel Interview with Key Partners
• Reference Checks

Compensation and Benefits

Braven offers competitive base salaries based on the midpoint of the market among not-for-profit organizations of similar size, with opportunities for salary growth over time. We believe in compensating staff members fairly in relation to each other, their qualifications, and their impact on behalf of the organization, and take internal and external equity seriously. Given our commitment to equity, Braven does not negotiate salary offers; instead, each salary offer is determined carefully using external and internal benchmarking.

Starting salary within the range is determined by role scope and qualifications, with new hires starting at the lower end to allow for growth with performance. Braven does not base compensation on individual candidate salary expectations and is committed to maintaining internal equity. The salary ranges, by geographic market, for this role are set forth as $87,200 - $108,900 in Atlanta. This is a full-time, exempt, and benefits eligible position where you will be working at 100% capacity.  

Braven also provides competitive, comprehensive benefits, recognition, and career development. While Braven reserves the right to change benefits at any time, current benefits include: 

• Unlimited vacation time in addition to org-wide holidays and week-long shutdowns in July and the end of the calendar year (this is a minimum of 19 days per year)
• Braven supports your path to parenthood and beyond with $25,000 in lifetime Carrot benefits for fertility, family-building, and hormonal health
• Match of your 401K contribution up to 5% of your base annual salary, starting your first full month
• Coverage of 85% of health insurance premium for employee and dependents
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• A one-month paid sabbatical after 4 years on staff

Please note that Braven is firm in its compensation philosophy; therefore, only candidates who believe our total rewards package aligns with what they are looking for in their next opportunity are encouraged to apply. 

Location

We gather in the office 3 days a week (Tuesday through Thursday) and work remotely 2 days a week (Monday and Friday). Therefore, this role requires teammates to live within commuting distance of one of our hubs: Atlanta. We believe in the magic, connection, and collaboration that happens when people work together face-to-face, and we believe in giving people flexibility to focus, balance personal priorities, and save themselves two commutes per week.

Braven is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected factor.  We encourage talented individuals of all backgrounds to apply.