Director, Transformation and Operations

Location: In-person strong preference for Chicago (IL), also possible: Atlanta (GA), Newark (NJ), or New York City (NY). Full-time, exempt position.

About Braven

Braven is a national nonprofit that prepares promising college students to secure a strong first opportunity after college graduation through a career-accelerating program. We work with higher education and employer partners to offer a life-changing experience that begins with a semester-long course for college students, followed by support that lasts through graduation. Together, our ambition is to help rebuild the middle class and revitalize the American Dream. Learn more in Braven's Jobs Report.

About The Role

To achieve its ambition of serving 80,000-100,000 Fellows over the next decade, Braven is hiring a Director, Transformation and Operations, to join the newly formed Transformation team. This team ensures we see around corners and maximize strategic opportunities. Your role is to take the ideas that matter most and make them real by leading the design and execution of key transformation initiatives—currently AI adoption, market intelligence, and process innovation for quality at scale.

While you don’t manage anyone directly, you will work across many internal stakeholders, moving people toward shared outcomes without direct authority. You thrive in ambiguity, think in systems, and enjoy bringing structure to complex problems. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys a startup environment where job descriptions are starting points, not ceilings, and is willing to roll up their sleeves for the mission. The role reports directly to the Head of Transformation within the Office of the Chief Executive Officer.

Responsibilities

• Lead, Design, and Launch Special Initiatives (50%)
  • Create strategic plans that translate vision into execution for Transformation team initiatives (multi-year roadmaps, short-term project plans, stakeholder communications, risk mitigation, market intelligence learnings, etc.).
  • Synthesize insights and recommendations for senior leaders to guide ongoing strategy.
  • Manage execution across teammates, adapting strategies and frameworks as needed.
  • Initial projects include ensuring enterprise-wide quality systems as we scale and enabling our holistic approach to AI.
  • Build internal buy-in for evolving, cross-cutting projects, making the unfamiliar feel approachable.
  • Serve as an internal resource for "what's possible," translating data and ideas into practical, mission-aligned use cases.
  • Lead and influence cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment to bring initiatives to life, fostering excellence, learning, collaboration, and innovation.
• Operations Infrastructure & Project Management (30%)
  • Create and own project plans for transformation initiatives, including timelines, milestones, dependencies, and cross-functional coordination.
  • Turn big-picture priorities into specific, sequenced actions with clear owners and deadlines, following up without oversight.
  • Build and improve operating infrastructures, increasing process efficiency and training others.
  • Develop lightweight but durable operating systems (trackers, templates, check-in rhythms) for visibility into moving parts.
  • Ensure systems integrate with and simplify organizational processes, avoiding additional complexity.
  • Flag risks and blockers early, proposing solutions rather than just problems.
  • Coordinate internal and external collaborators toward shared goals without relying on formal authority.
  • Develop high-quality memos, briefings, and presentation materials for executive decision-making and stakeholder engagement.
• Research and Analysis (Market Intelligence) (20%)
  • Develop and maintain systems for gathering and organizing strategic market intelligence, ensuring accuracy and accessibility.
  • Incorporate diverse internal and external voices, especially those often overlooked.
  • Monitor and analyze trends, regulatory changes, and technological advancements (e.g., workforce development, AI in higher education, employer expectations) to identify opportunities and threats.
  • Track peer organizations, edtech, university career centers, and employers to identify white space for Braven to lead.
  • Synthesize findings from articles, podcasts, research, newsletters, conferences, and partner conversations into actionable briefings.
  • Connect macro trends (e.g., AI in recruiting, shifting employer expectations, changing student needs) to near-term decisions.
  • Lead efforts to evaluate and integrate AI tools and partnerships from a market intelligence and positioning lens.
  • Translate complex data into clear, actionable insights for senior leadership, delivering concise reports and presentations.
  • Serve as a trusted advisor on competitive positioning, offering evidence-based recommendations.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Minimum Requirements
  • Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent.
  • 5+ years of strategic operations experience with a proven ability to manage complex projects and lead others to outcomes.
• Preferred Qualifications
  • Exceptional ability to collaborate in cross-functional, matrixed environments (e.g., scaling consulting or mission-driven organizations).
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to draft clear, audience-appropriate communications quickly.
  • Ability to synthesize information, identify key threads, 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 curiosity about technology’s mission-aligned potential.
  • Ability to navigate 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, welcoming cultures that develop others.
  • Exemplification of Braven’s core values.
  • Experience that aligns with Braven’s mission and prepares you to work with our student Fellow population.
• Please note: No one meets 100% of preferred qualifications. If much of this describes you, we encourage you to apply.

Work Demands

• Ability to work in-person in Atlanta (GA), Chicago (IL), Newark (NJ), or New York City (NY).
• Travel 15-20% of the time.
• Additional Requirements:
  • Authorized to work in the U.S.
  • Braven does not offer employment visa sponsorship.

Pay

Braven offers competitive base salaries based on the midpoint of the market among not-for-profit organizations of similar size, with opportunities for growth. Salary ranges by geographic market for this role:

• Atlanta: $87,200–$108,900
• Chicago: $92,000–$114,900
• New York City and Newark: $101,200–$126,400

This is a full-time, regular, non-exempt, benefits-eligible position based on a 50-hour work week at an hourly rate. Starting salary is determined by role scope and qualifications, with new hires typically starting at the lower end to allow for growth with performance.

Benefits

• Unlimited vacation time in addition to org-wide holidays and week-long shutdowns in July and December (minimum 19 days per year).
• $25,000 lifetime Carrot benefits for fertility, family-building, and hormonal health.
• 401K match up to 5% of 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.
• One-month paid sabbatical after 4 years on staff.

Schedule

Hybrid schedule: In-office 3 days a week (Tuesday through Thursday) and remote 2 days a week (Monday and Friday). Requires living within commuting distance of Atlanta, Chicago, New York, or Newark.