Associate Director, Strategic Operations

Team: Insights & Strategic Planning
Location: Hybrid in Chicago (IL) strongly preferred, Atlanta (GA), Newark (NJ), or New York (NYC)
Employment Type: Full-time
FLSA Classification: Exempt
Start Date: ASAP

About Braven

Braven is a national nonprofit dedicated to preparing promising college students for strong career opportunities post-graduation through a comprehensive program. We partner with higher education institutions and employers to deliver a transformative experience, starting with a semester-long course and continuing with ongoing support through graduation. Our ambition is to contribute to rebuilding the middle class and revitalizing the American Dream.

About the Role

To achieve its ambitious vision of serving 80,000-100,000 Fellows over the next decade, Braven is seeking an Associate Director, Strategic Operations. This role will act as the operational core for the Insights & Strategy team, leading the process for reporting on organizational priorities and goals. You will own the Braven-wide cadence and content for communicating progress to staff, leaders, and national/regional boards. You will play a key part in strengthening cross-functional coordination and partnership within the Insights & Strategy team and driving its internal operational rhythm. This position requires a designer of processes, an expert on our priorities, and a trusted voice on our progress.

This role is best suited for individuals who excel in communication and writing, excel at creating and owning high-quality operations and processes, and thrive in cross-functional collaboration. You possess strong contextual awareness, are comfortable navigating ambiguity, exercise utmost discretion, and proactively take initiative.

This role is part of the Insights & Strategy team and reports directly to the Head of Insights & Strategy.

What You’ll Do

Organizational Progress Monitoring & Reporting (40%)

• Design, own, and continuously improve the infrastructure for preparing progress updates for stakeholders. Regular deliverables include:
• Project management and packaging of quarterly progress-to-goal (PTG) memos for Braven’s national board, leadership, and staff.
• Drafting region-specific progress updates on priorities for regional board meetings.
• Preparing regular updates for Braven leadership and staff on organizational priorities and goals.
• Independently pulling, analyzing, and/or visualizing data to support progress monitoring.
• Building relationships with relevant partners for this work (e.g., executive owners of priorities).
• Establishing expertise and serving as a thought partner on questions and situations related to organization-wide progress monitoring.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Coordination (30%)

• Act as a trusted liaison to the leaders of the Product, Systems, and External Affairs teams to evolve the operating model for their collaboration.
• Design and help execute a regular central team <=> regional team feedback structure at the Alignment Team level (Braven’s leadership team).
• Support the Head of Insights & Strategy in leading two internal councils (Data Governance Council and AI Advisory Council) and one external council (Labor Market & Economic Advisory Council).

Insights & Strategy Team Operations and Coordination (30%)

• Own the coordinated operational rhythm of the two halves of the team (Insights and Strategy), encompassing annual planning and goal-setting, quarterly alignment, and weekly coordination.
• Design and plan team stepbacks and other meetings to support the Head of Insights & Strategy and the Senior Director of Insights, managing the process from agenda creation through post-meeting follow-up.
• Own knowledge management for the Strategy half of the team, maintaining shared, organized documentation and ensuring process clarity.
• Lead or support capacity-building and systems/process-building projects, primarily for the Strategy half of the team.

Note: For all responsibilities, utilize AI in responsible, smart, and human-valuing ways to continuously enhance effectiveness and efficiency.

Minimum Requirements

• BA/BS in a quantitative field or equivalent work experience demonstrating expertise in quantitative analysis.
• At least 3 years of relevant experience.
• Extensive experience writing and presenting compelling, data-driven narratives for both internal and external audiences.
• Proficiency in Excel/Google Sheets and SQL.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience effectively and responsibly using AI to achieve tangible outcomes.
• Proficiency in SQL.
• Experience designing and building dashboards and visualizations (Tableau preferred).
• Strong strategic thinking skills, with a proven ability to bring clarity to ambiguous solutions.
• Ability to proactively solve challenges and seize opportunities; capacity to simplify complex tasks by applying clear logic and processes.
• Excellent time management and prioritization skills, enabling effective self-management and seeking assistance when needed to complete multiple projects successfully and on time.
• Demonstrated attention to detail, with a reputation for thoroughly checking work.
• A learner’s mindset, applied to mastering new tools, software, and ways of working.
• Strong collaboration skills, focused on understanding others' challenges and jointly solving problems.
• Technical Skills and Knowledge:
• Proficiency in Google Suite, Slack, and Jira.
• Proficiency in Salesforce.
• Proficiency in Python or R.
• Experiences that align with Braven’s mission and prepare you to work with Braven's student Fellow population.

Please note: Not everyone meets 100% of preferred qualifications. If this description resonates with you, we encourage you to apply.

Work Demands

• Ability to work in-person in Atlanta (GA), Chicago (IL), Newark (NJ), or New York City (NYC).
• Travel approximately 5 times per year for team convenings and regional visits.

Additional Requirements

• Authorized to work in the U.S.
• Braven does not offer employment visa sponsorship.

Application & Interview Process

The interview process may vary slightly but will generally include:

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

Compensation and Benefits

Braven offers competitive base salaries benchmarked against the midpoint of the market for non-profit organizations of similar size, with opportunities for salary growth. We are committed to fair compensation based on internal equity, qualifications, and impact, and do not negotiate salary offers. Each offer is carefully determined using external and internal benchmarking.

Starting salaries are determined by role scope and qualifications, with new hires typically starting at the lower end to allow for performance-based growth. Braven bases compensation on role scope and qualifications, not individual candidate salary expectations, to maintain internal equity.

Salary ranges by geographic market:

• Atlanta, GA: $87,200 - $108,900
• Chicago, IL: $92,000 - $114,900
• Newark, NJ & New York City, NY: $101,200 - $126,400

This is based on a 50-hour work week at an hourly rate. This is a full-time, regular, exempt, and benefits-eligible position requiring 100% capacity.

Braven provides comprehensive benefits, recognition, and career development. Current benefits include:

• Unlimited vacation time, in addition to organizational holidays and week-long shutdowns in July and year-end (minimum 19 days annually).
• $25,000 in lifetime Carrot benefits for fertility, family-building, and hormonal health.
• 401K match up to 5% of your base annual salary, starting your first full month.
• Coverage of 85% of health insurance premiums for employees and dependents.
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
• A one-month paid sabbatical after 4 years of service.

Location

We operate on a hybrid model, gathering in the office three days a week (Tuesday-Thursday) and working remotely two days a week (Monday-Friday). This role requires employees to live within commuting distance of one of our hubs: Atlanta, Chicago, Newark, or New York City. We value the connection and collaboration fostered by in-person work while offering flexibility for focused work and personal balance.