Director, Transformation and Operations

Braven•Newark, NJ

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

Braven is seeking a Director, Transformation and Operations to join its newly formed Transformation team. This role is crucial for ensuring Braven is prepared for future strategic opportunities and will focus on turning key ideas into reality by leading the design and execution of transformation initiatives. The primary focus will be the operational build-out of an expanded partnership pilot with a higher education partner. This position requires the ability to influence and drive outcomes across teams without direct reports, thriving in ambiguity, systems thinking, and problem-solving. The role is execution-focused, emphasizing systems and project management, with the business case and senior external relationships managed by others. The Director will play a pivotal role in establishing and managing the operations of the pilot and shaping a repeatable model for future sites. This is a full-time role within the Office of the Chief Executive Officer, reporting to the Head of Transformation, and is ideal for someone who enjoys a startup environment with a culture of collaboration and shared credit, focused on student impact.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent
5+ years of strategic operations experience
Proven ability to manage complex projects
Proven ability to lead others to outcomes

Nice To Haves

Exceptional ability to collaborate and work in cross-functional teams, ideally in a matrixed, cross-functional environment or scaling consulting or mission-driven organization
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 or nonprofit sector, or in consulting
Comfort and fluency with AI tools (e.g., Claude) and a curiosity about how technology can drive mission-aligned work; ability to navigate myriad tech systems (e.g., Asana/Trello, Salesforce, Zoom)
Track record of operating in ambiguous environments and creating structure where little exists
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

Lead, Design, and Launch Special Initiatives (50%): Create strategic plans, including roadmaps, project plans, communication maps, and risk mitigation strategies. Synthesize insights for senior leaders. Manage cross-functional teams to execute initiatives, adapting strategies as needed. Initial projects include building out Braven’s expanded partnership pilot and preparing systems, staffing logic, and playbooks for future sites. Foster a culture of excellence, continuous learning, collaboration, and innovation. Build internal buy-in and serve as an internal resource for possibilities.
Operations Infrastructure & Project Management (30%): Own project plans for transformation initiatives, including timelines, milestones, and dependencies. Translate organizational priorities into actionable steps with owners and deadlines. Create operating systems (trackers, templates, check-in rhythms) for team visibility. Ensure integration with and simplification of organizational processes. Proactively identify risks and propose solutions. Develop high-quality memos, briefings, and presentations for executive decision-making and stakeholder engagement.
Data & Technology Connectivity (20%): Act as a liaison between transformation initiatives and Braven’s data and technology infrastructure. Advise stakeholders on data and technology choices for scalability. Translate technical trade-offs for non-technical stakeholders. Develop, launch, and maintain tools for the partnership pilot. Build a shared view of student, alumni, and outcomes data. Determine tool usage (existing, new prototypes, or handoffs). Document integration pathways with partner tools. Partner with Systems and Product teams on technology roadmap decisions. Track peer institution technology and data infrastructure for career outcomes and inform build-vs-buy decisions. Identify data and technology risks early.
Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Opportunities for salary growth over time
Fair compensation relative to one another, qualifications, and impact
Internal and external equity considered in compensation
Annual growth based on performance
Unlimited vacation time
Org-wide holidays
Week-long shutdowns in July and the end of the calendar year (minimum of 20 days per year)
$25,000 in lifetime Carrot benefits for fertility, family-building, and hormonal health
Match of 401K contribution up to 5% of base annual salary, starting first full month
Coverage of 85% of health insurance premium for employee and dependents
12 weeks of paid parental leave
One-month paid sabbatical after 4 years on staff