Associate Director of Program Operations & Strategy

About the role

We're seeking an Associate Director, Program Operations & Strategy—a role where operational excellence directly enables educational impact. You'll be the operational leader that senior program directors depend on to translate ambitious vision into flawless execution. This isn't a behind-the-scenes administrative role; you'll be a strategic thought partner who anticipates needs, surfaces risks early, and makes sound decisions independently. Your work keeps our national initiatives running smoothly, our partners confident in our reliability, and our teams focused on what matters most.

You'll manage multiple complex programs simultaneously within our centralized shared services model, each with its own stakeholders, timelines, and success metrics. From planning virtual and in-person programming to managing data collection processes, coordinating logistics, and synthesizing insights for leadership—you'll own the full operational lifecycle. You'll translate scopes of work into detailed plans, manage dependencies, resolve issues proactively, and deliver the kind of reliable support that builds trust with internal and external partners alike.

You'll also shape how we operate at scale. By designing smarter systems, embedding AI-enabled workflows, and stewarding our knowledge infrastructure, you'll help reduce operational burden across the organization and enable us to deliver consistent excellence with greater efficiency. This is an opportunity to build something meaningful—to be part of a team reimagining what's possible in education while bringing rigor, intention, and operational excellence to everything we do.

Responsibilities

• Translate high-level direction into detailed operational plans for multiple complex programs
• Manage program operations within a centralized shared services model, including planning virtual and in-person programming, data collection processes, logistics coordination, and insight synthesis for leadership
• Own the full operational lifecycle: translate scopes of work into plans, manage dependencies, resolve issues proactively, and deliver reliable support to build trust with partners
• Design smarter systems, embed AI-enabled workflows, and steward knowledge infrastructure to reduce operational burden and improve efficiency
• Build trust-based partnerships with senior leaders and cross-functional teams by anticipating needs, clarifying expectations, and proposing solutions
• Work in dynamic environments with shifting priorities and ambiguity, making sound decisions independently
• Manage budget tracking, financial reconciliation, and forecasting in partnership with finance teams
• Coordinate event planning and logistics, including venue management, AV setup, materials preparation, run-of-show planning, and real-time problem-solving
• Design data collection processes, build dashboards, and synthesize insights into clear presentations for stakeholders and leadership

Requirements

• 5–7+ years of experience in program operations, project management, or complex operational roles
• Proven ability to translate high-level direction into detailed operational plans
• Strong experience with event planning, logistics, and coordination
• Demonstrated skill in managing multiple projects simultaneously
• Proficiency in project management tools like Asana
• Experience in data collection, analysis, and reporting
• Comfort working independently in dynamic, ambiguous environments
• Interest in leveraging AI and technology to improve operational efficiency
• Background in education, nonprofit, or mission-driven sectors preferred
• Practitioner-level AI fluency, with the ability to identify and implement AI-enabled workflow improvements

Schedule

This is a remote position that requires moderate travel:

• National travel for org retreats, programming, job-related travel, or professional development
• Work from a home office located anywhere within the U.S.

Benefits

• Compensation: Base salary range of $89,686 to $114,146 annually. New hires typically enter at $101,916, with potential to start higher based on experience (up to $107,158 for candidates with more than 7 years of relevant experience).
• Health Benefits: 100% paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for individual employees. 60% premium coverage for partners and dependents on medical, dental, and vision plans.
• Retirement: 4% matching 401k plan.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Available for medical, childcare, and commuter expenses.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Included.
• Time Off: 22 days of paid time off annually for the first three years, increasing by 5 days after the third and sixth year of employment. 16 additional paid days off for holidays, including three floating holidays.

About Us

At Leading Educators (LE), we know that excellent teaching is the most important driver of student success. The moment a student steps foot in the classroom, their opportunity to learn depends on how prepared their teacher is to translate complex content knowledge, standards, and their knowledge of that student into lessons that help them learn deeply and apply their thinking to the real world.

As a national nonprofit, we partner with school systems to overcome persistent instructional challenges, foster intentional collaboration and adult learning by design, and ignite new possibilities through systemic solutions at the intersection of teaching, talent, and technology. We work shoulder-to-shoulder with educators at every level of the education system to strengthen their instructional and leadership practices, bring a vision for excellent instruction to life with consistency, and ensure every student reaches their full potential.

Through direct support, strategic advising, innovation pilots, and best-in-class research, we help educators work toward a future where every student is ready to thrive.

Mission & Values

Mission: Leading Educators partners with school systems to sustain the teaching, leadership, and conditions for every student to succeed in school and in life.

• Build on strengths: We affirm and begin with the unique and collective talents, experiences, and wisdom of ourselves and others.
• Continuously learn: We develop ourselves and others. We apply new learning and deepened self-awareness to our relationships and practices.
• Prioritize people: We build trust and reflect on the impact of different perspectives and experiences.
• Champion success for all: We re-imagine structures, habits, and mindsets to ensure every learner has access to evidence-based learning opportunities.