Business Operations & Strategy Associate

About the role

The Business Operations & Strategy Associate plays a pivotal role in shaping the company's strategies and executing critical tasks. This position requires a blend of analytical skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence decision-making processes.

Responsibilities

• Operate as an internal consultant within a core function, helping shape priorities and bring clarity to complex decisions
• Partner with senior leadership to develop and execute business unit strategies
• Build business cases to support investment decisions and key strategic initiatives
• Conduct in-depth quantitative and qualitative analyses to identify trends, risks, and growth opportunities
• Analyze customer behavior and business performance to generate actionable insights
• Define, track, and report on key business metrics and KPIs aligned to strategic goals
• Manage project timelines and milestones ensuring accountability across stakeholders
• Help streamline processes and improve how work gets done across the organization
• Build relationships across teams and act as a thought partner to business leaders
• Prepare executive-facing materials, including MBRs, QBRs, and strategic updates
• Communicate insights and recommendations clearly to drive decision-making
• Scale and maintain the AI repository (tools, use cases, best practices) to drive consistent adoption across the business
• Automate high-impact workflows to improve efficiency, reduce manual effort, and enhance decision-making
• Champion AI adoption by partnering with stakeholders to embed AI into core processes

Requirements

• 2–4 years of relevant experience in strategy consulting, corporate strategy, business operations, business intelligence, or similar roles
• High ownership, strong work ethic, with a bias toward action and execution
• Ability to operate independently and manage multiple workstreams
• Structured problem-solving skills; able to break down ambiguous problems into clear components
• Ability to synthesize complex data into clear insights and recommendations
• Experience in PMO / project management, managing cross-functional workstream
• Strong prioritization skills across multiple competing demands
• Advanced Excel / Google Sheets (modeling, pivots, lookups, scenario analysis)
• Experience with SQL and data visualization tools (Looker, Tableau, etc.) preferred; Python a plus
• Clear and concise written and verbal communication
• Strong PowerPoint / presentation skills to executive stakeholders
• Ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders across functions
• Experience defining, tracking, and improving key business metrics (e.g., acquisition, conversion, retention)
• Familiarity with growth funnels, experimentation, or performance optimization

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or a related field
• Proven track record of successful project management and strategic planning
• Experience working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines

Skills

• Strategic thinking and problem-solving
• Data analysis and interpretation
• Project management and organizational skills
• Effective communication and presentation skills
• Leadership and team collaboration

Benefits

• Generous PTO
• 7 Paid Holidays Annually + 5 Conditional Holidays Annually
• 1 Service Day Annually
• 401k with 3.5% Company Match
• Paid Parental Bonding Leave
• Health, Vision, Dental Coverage
• Life and Disability Insurance Covered 100% by NinjaTrader

Pay

The salary range for this role is $100,000.00 - $120,000.00 USD. In addition, this position will also receive an annual target bonus of 8%. Bonus pay at NinjaTrader is based on individual performance (50%) as well as company/team performance (50%).

Schedule

This role is based in Chicago, IL. We are not open to remote candidates for this role. Hybrid: For Chicago-based employees, we follow a hybrid work schedule: In-office Tuesday through Thursday, with remote work on Mondays and Fridays. In addition to these weekly remote days, we offer:

• 20 additional flex remote days annually
• 5 Company Wide Office-Optional weeks tied to major holidays