Fast Facts

The Senior Director of Strategic Operations will lead high-level strategic thinking and operational initiatives at American Student Assistance, focusing on enhancing organizational effectiveness and promoting developmental growth in career-readiness programs for students.

Responsibilities: Key responsibilities include partnering with leadership to drive operational initiatives, overseeing internal communications and facilities' efficacy, tracking performance metrics, and facilitating cross-departmental collaboration.

Skills: Required skills include strong strategic execution, cross-functional collaboration, project management excellence, process improvement, and effective internal communication capabilities.

Qualifications: Preferred qualifications include 10-12 years of experience in strategic operations, familiarity with non-profit or educational sectors, and advanced analysis skills applied to operational effectiveness.

Location: This position is based in Boston, Massachusetts, with a hybrid work schedule allowing for two days of working from home.

Compensation: Not provided by employer. Typical compensation ranges for this position are between $150,000 - $200,000.

THE ROLE: Senior Director, Strategic Operations

American Student Assistance™ (ASA) is national nonprofit that is changing the way kids learn about careers and prepare for their futures through access to career-readiness information and experiences.

ASA fulfills its mission through free digital-first direct experiences, philanthropy, advocacy, thought leadership, groundbreaking research, and impact investing. We believe that exploring career possibilities, as early as middle school, and providing access to education-to-career pathways aligned with one’s passions and goals will result in greater confidence and long-term success for all students.

We are looking for a Senior Director, Strategic Operations to conduct high-level strategic thinking and operational excellence with the ability to roll up sleeves and get things done. This position will play a critical role in driving cultural transformation by supporting organizational effectiveness, shaping internal communications, and reinforcing values-driven practices across ASA.

The Sr. Director will also help steward the COO/CPO’s vision to evolve ASA’s operational model, including the development of a business partnership model for shared services, and the implementation of foundational SOPs and KPIs to enhance enterprise readiness and cohesion.

Ideal candidates will bring a deep commitment to mission and culture, a talent for navigating ambiguity, and a strong orientation toward operational excellence, execution, communication, and collaboration.

What You’ll Do:

Strategic Operations & Organizational Effectiveness

• Partner with the COO/CPO to ensure key operational and people-related initiatives are structured, executed, and monitored effectively across ASA.
• Establish and maintain enterprise-wide planning and performance rhythms (e.g., quarterly planning, KPI tracking, initiative reporting)
• Identify and resolve operational bottlenecks, streamline processes, and promote scalable practices across functions.
• Support the COO/CPO in defining and documenting baseline service delivery metrics and core SOPs for Internal Communications, Facilities, Finance, Legal, People & Culture, and Technology.
• Coordinate the implementation of cultural transformation priorities emerging from employee engagement and equity and belonging assessments.

Functional Oversight

• Support functional oversight of Internal Communications and Facilities, ensuring that both areas are aligned with enterprise priorities and operating with clarity, efficiency, and responsiveness.
• Support team leads in scoping annual goals, tracking progress, and delivering cross-functional initiatives that strengthen ASA’s internal operations and culture.

Enterprise Coordination & Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as a central point of coordination for cross-functional workstreams, ensuring alignment of timelines, goals, and dependencies.
• Facilitate collaboration and information flow across departments—especially among People, Technology, Strategy, Programs, Finance, Legal, and Internal Comms—to support efficient decision-making and execution.
• Represent the COO/CPO in internal forums and partner with senior leaders to ensure initiatives are moving forward with clarity and momentum.
• Help build trust and transparency across leadership through structured meeting facilitation, shared planning tools, and regular communication touchpoints.

Execution, Project Management & Performance Monitoring

• Lead or support enterprise-level projects on behalf of the COO/CPO, ensuring scope, timelines, and outcomes are met.
• Track key performance indicators (KPIs) for core operational and people initiatives; proactively escalate risks or misalignments and propose solutions.
• Support creation of executive-level dashboards, status updates, and internal communications related to strategic and cultural priorities.
• Provide strategic and tactical project management support to the PMO function, aligning with enterprise priorities and increasing delivery discipline across the organization.

Internal Communications & Change Enablement

• Develop briefings, presentations, and written communications that convey complex initiatives in a clear, compelling manner.
• Partner with key functions (e.g., People & Culture, Finance, Strategy, Programs, Technology, Internal Comms) to align messaging and rollout plans for major initiatives.
• Support and coordinate efforts to embed ASA’s values in operations and communication and advance the organization’s culture transformation agenda.
• Facilitate meeting design and follow-through for leadership meetings, offsites, and retreats led by the COO/CPO.
• Support the COO/CPO in preparing for board and executive leadership meetings, including scenario planning, messaging, and documentation of decisions and outcomes.

About You:

Strategic Execution & Operations Experience:

• Minimum of 10–12 years of professional experience in strategic operations, enterprise project management, or organizational planning. Experience working in technical environments (finance or digital) is preferred. Experience in nonprofits, education, or mission-driven sectors is a strong plus.
• Analytical Acumen:
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex financial, legal, and operational data to interpret information, synthesize findings, and make well-reasoned, evidence-based recommendations/decisions. A proven track record of using data-driven insights to identify opportunities, mitigate risks, and enhance organizational effectiveness and strategic outcomes is essential.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
• Proven ability to partner with senior leaders and departments—including People & Culture, Finance, Technology, Strategy, and Programs—to drive alignment and accelerate execution.
• Project Management Excellence:
• Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional initiatives. Strong planning, organization, and follow-through skills. Familiarity with project management methodologies and tools (e.g., Monday.com, Asana) required.
• Process Improvement & Operational Efficiency:
• Experience improving internal systems, introducing scalable practices, and creating clarity and consistency in how work gets done.
• Performance Tracking & Data Fluency:
• Skilled in monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs), creating dashboards, and translating data into insights that drive decision-making.
• Internal Communications & Executive Support:
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to prepare executive-level content and facilitate internal messaging that drives clarity and alignment.
• Influence & Emotional Intelligence:
• High EQ and the ability to build trust across functions and levels of the organization. Skilled at influencing outcomes without formal authority.
• Digital & Technical Proficiency:
• Comfortable with cloud-based collaboration, reporting, and productivity tools. Experience with platforms like Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, or similar systems.
• Adaptability & Mission Focus:
• Flexible and resourceful in a fast-paced, evolving environment. Deep commitment to ASA’s mission and a collaborative, can-do mindset.

Why ASA?

ASA offers a wide range of perks and benefits to Team Members, including comprehensive medical, dental, and vision healthcare plans, a retirement plan (plus match), weekly lunches, commuter benefits, and tuition reimbursement.

We also heavily prioritize a healthy work/life balance, which is why we offer all full-time Team Members generous PTO options, Summer Fridays (every Friday off between Memorial Day and Labor Day), and a company holiday break between December 25th and January 1st.

ASA works in a Hybrid schedule (2) two days a week in our Boston HQ. We prioritize strategic thinkers, collaborators, and work/life pros who are looking to help make a difference in kid's education and career goals.

#LI-Hybrid