Director, Operations - Shared Services

Alma•Angle, MN

4d•Remote

About The Position

The Director of Operations - Shared Services is a critical leader within the Operations organization, responsible for the infrastructure that enables our Insurance Operations and CX teams (your internal customers) to deliver high-quality service at scale. Reporting to the COO, you will oversee the domains responsible for workforce planning, training and enablement, vendor/BPO management, and the foundation of our future Operations PMO. You are someone who finds excitement in the "how" of scaling—designing the systems, staffing models, and training frameworks that empower others to do their best work. You will be a critical partner to leadership across the company, ensuring that as Alma grows, our operational engine remains efficient, predictable, and high-performing.

Requirements

A Strong Operator and People Leader: You are a versatile leader who can move seamlessly across distinct domains. You have experience managing managers and leading diverse, multi-layered teams through periods of significant change or growth.
An Analytical Thinker: You have a strong grasp of operational data and workforce management principles. You are comfortable defining the "why" and "how" behind staffing plans for large-scale operations and can spot inconsistencies in performance data.
A Strategic Builder: You aren't just looking for a playbook to execute; you want to write it. You have the vision to design a Shared Services function from the ground up, moving from "scrappy/manual" to "scalable/automated."
A Player-Coach: You enjoy leading teams, but you aren't afraid to get your hands dirty. You are willing to dive into a spreadsheet, draft a process map, or jump into a vendor meeting to get things moving.
Experienced in High-Growth, Regulated Environments: You have worked in high-volume, tech-enabled service organizations (e.g., Health tech, Fintech, or Marketplace platforms) and understand the specific complexities of scaling in a regulated environment.
Forward-Looking on Technology: You are curious about how AI and automation can augment workforce performance and improve information accessibility, and you enjoy thinking through the practical application of these tools in an Ops environment.
Clear and Robust Communicator: You avoid jargon and buzzwords. You can explain complex operational trade-offs to stakeholders in a way that is clear, grounded, and actionable.
A Relationship Builder: You excel at navigating cross-functional trade-offs and can build trust with leaders across different parts of the organization to ensure shared services are meeting their needs.

Responsibilities

Lead the Blended Workforce Strategy: Oversee the resource planning and daily management for our internal staff and BPO partners, ensuring we have the right coverage to meet service level agreements (SLAs) across all Insurance Ops and CX queues while building the elasticity to handle seasonal volume spikes.
Oversee Vendor Relationships: Act as the primary point of accountability for our BPO partners. You will manage the performance of these vendors (inclusive of regular reporting, formal business reviews, and relationship management), ensuring they meet quality standards and operational protocols while managing the overall cost to serve.
Optimize Labor Efficiency: Monitor performance trends to identify opportunities for improved labor utilization, ensuring that we are balancing team productivity with a high-quality customer experience.
Own the Learning Domain: Lead the teams responsible for training and content development. You will ensure that our staff—both internal and outsourced—have the knowledge they need to be successful on day one and beyond.
Drive an "AI-Ready" Knowledge Strategy: Oversee the maintenance of our internal and external knowledge bases. Ensure content is not only accurate and easy to navigate but also structured to be "AI-ready," powering future internal and external automation and self-service tools.
Improve Performance through Training: Look beyond basic onboarding to drive ongoing excellence. You will partner with frontline leaders to identify knowledge gaps and deploy training that directly improves quality and efficiency.
Establish clear goals and KPIs for Operations Shared Services, with a strong focus on business- and department-impacting results. Lead the creation of formal Shared Services internal SLAs and commitments to the frontline teams.
Direct Ownership of Shared Services Spend: Manage the budget for BPO contracts, software, and operational tools, ensuring we are optimizing spend and getting maximum value and ROI from our investments.
Manage Contractual Lifecycles: Partner with Legal, Finance, and IT/InfoSec to lead the negotiation and management of vendor contracts, ensuring our agreements can scale with the company's needs.
Build the Operations PMO (V1): Establish the foundation for a centralized project management function. Define how we intake and prioritize departmental projects to ensure operational readiness for every new launch.

Benefits

Health insurance plans through Aetna (medical and dental) and MetLife (vision), including FSA and HSA plans
401K plan (ADP)
Lifestyle Spending Account for health, wellness, and family care
Monthly co-working space membership stipend
Monthly work-from-home stipend
Financial wellness benefits through Northstar
Pet discount program through United Pet Care
Financial perks and rewards through PerkSpot
EAP access through Aetna
One-time home office stipend to set up your home office
Inclusive family and medical leave plans
12 paid holidays and 1 Alma Give Back Day
Flexible PTO