Director, Strategic Operations

Braven • Atlanta, GA

20h • $87,200 - $108,900 • Onsite

About The Position

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.

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

Nice To Haves

• 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Benefits

• 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

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees