Director, Office of the Chief of Program Operations

PCORI•Washington, DC

2d•$185,000 - $210,000

About The Position

The Program Operations division is one of four major divisions within PCORI’s Patient-Centered Research Programs (PCRP) >200-member department, which is responsible for advancing PCORI’s mission through research and research-related funding. The Program Operations division, which comprises five staffing units (Award Lifecycle Management, Merit Review, Contract Management, Peer Review, and the Office of the Chief) of approximately 70 employees and contractors, enables the success of PCORI funding initiatives by providing leadership, expertise, collaboration, facilitation, management, and support across the full award process lifecycle, spurring innovation and optimization and accelerating progress toward achieving PCORI’s overarching mission for health. The Office of the Chief, Program Operations (OCPO) serves as the central hub of the Program Operations division, coordinating across the workforce and the full complement of business operations and facilitating communication within and outside of the division. The Director, OCPO (“Director”), drives the overarching business operations for the Program Operations division, ensuring execution, coordination, and alignment to strategic objectives. In this “Chief of Staff”-like leadership role, the Director works closely with the Chief Officer, Program Operations (“Chief”) to provide leadership for key division and unit management activities, planning, and execution, including cross-divisional operations across the PCRP department and, in some cases, cross-department activities across PCORI as a whole. The Director serves as a key member of the Program Operations leadership team, enabling attention and resources to priority matters, and supports and advances strategic division goals in partnership with the Chief, providing critical thought-partnership and counsel. Importantly, aligned with “Chief of Staff”-like responsibilities, the Director will possess exceptional skills in relationship-building across multiple, diverse stakeholders and exercising influence, credibility, and diplomacy; be able to process and clearly translate complex data into actionable perspectives that facilitate chief decision-making; be experienced in navigating a frequently changing environment with adaptability and resilience; and demonstrate strong capabilities in effectively and regularly transitioning between strategic thinking and tactical execution, including project management as needed.

Requirements

Experience managing business (or administrative) operations with a high level of independence. Exceptional oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
Strong project management skills to develop, drive, and lead to conclusion complex initiatives with only occasional input.
Ability to think strategically and creatively, exercise independent judgement to adjust to changing circumstances and maintain attention to real time priorities, organize time, remain attentive to details, and identify resources for projects.
Demonstrated ability to build relationships among individuals and organizations with a range of interests and perspectives. Strong emotional intelligence and chief-of-staff-level discernment, diplomacy, and adaptability.
Willingness to learn in depth about the goals, priorities, and ongoing work of units within the Program Operations division, developing the overarching understanding needed to effectively bring attention for deeper analysis across units.
Model and provide leadership that engenders respect and trust, partnering with the Chief in enabling a culture where all voices are part of how work is done.
Effectively engage, motivate, and mobilize colleagues at all levels to deliver against shared objectives. Well-honed ability to demonstrate maturity and exhibit good judgment, exemplified by consistent professionalism in working with individuals at all levels, both internally and externally. Ability to maintain confidentiality in all work products and discussions.
Flexibility to deal with ambiguity or unexpected events while driving the work forward.
Ability to influence groups to maintain attention to business needs.
Ability to learn new skills/domains quickly.
Bachelor’s degree required with at least 10 years of experience, or master’s degree with at least seven years of experience. Relevant fields of study include business administration, health or public policy, planning, public health administration, research funding administration, or other related fields.
Previous direct supervisory experience required, including experience overseeing performance management processes for direct reports and providing career development advice and counsel.
Sound understanding of business operations including, but not limited to, human resources, finance, procurement, facilities management, and administrative services preferably in a non-profit setting.
Proficient in MS Office Suite (i.e., Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Teams) and SharePoint.

Nice To Haves

While not a requirement per se, experience in project management platforms (e.g., Asana) and other business intelligence applications (e.g., Visio, PowerBI, DOMO) a plus.

Responsibilities

Work closely with the Chief to develop and manage the strategic planning process for Program Operations including supporting the compilation of information, communication, and gauging divisional milestones and outputs to enable Program Operations to reach its strategic objectives. Engage Program Operations leadership, and other strategic leads within the Patient-Centered Research Programs (PCRP) department and across PCORI departments.
In collaboration with the Office of the Chief team and across Program Operations leaders, develop and manage systems and methods for measuring and regularly evaluating Program Operations’ impact and progress against strategic objectives.
Plan, facilitate, and co-lead Chief-led Program Operations leadership and staff meetings and communications to ensure effective information sharing and discussions as needed.
Partner with the Chief in achieving workplace culture goals both within and external to the division. Provide leadership for initiatives aimed at enhancing staff engagement, creating an environment where effective inclusion is central to how we do business. Develop and promote approaches that enable staff at all levels to feel valued, motivated, and committed to success.
Process and clearly translate complex data into actionable perspectives that facilitate chief decision-making. Prepare, review, research and analyze processes, projects, reports, and data including executive summaries to the Chief, division, department, and organization leadership as relevant.
Provide thought-partnership and counsel to the Chief, as well as to Program Operations leadership members (e.g., unit directors) on a variety of topics such as current and alternate strategies for ongoing and emerging lines of work to achieve Program Operations’ goals and objectives.
On behalf of the Chief and Program Operations stakeholders in general, foster relationships across multiple, diverse leaders and staff, exercising influence, credibility, and diplomacy. Represent and serve as a liaison for the Chief and office, as appropriate and warranted, at meetings.
In partnership with the Chief, provide leadership for the collaboration, coordination, and harmonization of communications, special projects, and initiatives driven by the PCRP department leadership.
Serve as lead and connector with the Office of the Deputy Executive Director, PCRP and other division “Offices Of” partners and key members of PCORI’s CCS (Coordination, Collaboration, and Solutions) group.
Serve as an OCPO front-door to colleagues throughout PCORI. Develop collaborative relationships to ensure coordination in cross-departmental initiatives and foster employee engagement and effectiveness.
Represent and serve as a liaison for the Chief and OCPO, as appropriate and warranted in meetings.
Provide leadership and advisement for the diversity and complexity of division-wide staffing needs, serving as a key collaborator and interpreter for interactions between People Strategy & Services (PS&S) and Program Operations units, while facilitating gains in independent unit/PS&S interactions where appropriate, and ensuring Chief awareness where needed.
Provide leadership and coordination across unit budget and procurement owners for annual budget and procurement development, approvals, monitoring, and adjustments as needed. Lead development of the OCPO unit annual budget and procurement activities as applicable, facilitating review by the Chief and Deputy Executive Director.
Provide guidance, support, and general oversight and coordination across the small group of administrative support personnel across Program Operations, focusing on best practices, effective support, back-up coverage, and professional development among the administrative staff across the division.
Provide leadership for Program Operations space allocation, as well as monitoring and adjustments in use, where needed. Manage OCPO workspace and resource needs.
Serve as direct supervisor and guide the work, as needed, of one or more members of the Office of the Chief team (e.g., Executive Assistant to the Chief).
Support the Chief in tracking, prioritizing, sequencing, and executing where applicable, OCPO-led projects and workstreams, including multi-disciplinary projects across units. Translate strategies and priorities into concrete plans for the Chief and monitor progress. Ensure project priorities are clear, communicated throughout the project, and assigned to responsible staff. Ensure Chief is apprised of progress and engaged as needed.
Stand up and lead internal work groups, cross-unit deliberations, and issues exploration.

Benefits

eligible employees may participate in PCORI-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance plans for the employee and the employee’s eligible dependents.

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