Senior Operations Strategist at Carnegie Foundation

Stanford, California, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

24 Dec, 25

Salary

156000.0

Posted On

25 Sep, 25

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Strategic Planning, Operations Management, Project Management, Cross-Functional Coordination, Performance Management, Data Analysis, Communication Skills, Relationship Building, Budget Management, Scheduling, Team Collaboration, Continuous Improvement, Organizational Skills, Executive Support, Problem Solving, Decision Making

Industry

Education Administration Programs

Description

Position Purpose The Senior Operations Strategist (“the Strategist”) provides strategic and operational support to the Innovation & Impact team, ensuring effective cross-functional coordination, performance management, and alignment with organizational priorities. Reporting to the Managing Director, this role serves as a key partner in driving operational excellence, coordinating with Finance and other core teams, and ensuring the Senior Vice President, Innovation & Impact (SVP) and executive team have the insights, systems, and reporting needed to make sound decisions. While primarily focused on strategic planning and operations, this role is also responsible for scheduling and calendaring support for the SVP, ensuring that executive time is aligned with organizational priorities and allowing the Strategist to stay closely connected to the rhythms of cross-functional coordination and decision-making. This role is designed for a strong operator who thrives at the intersection of strategy and execution, able to manage complex projects, foster strong collaboration across functions, and ensure high-quality systems for tracking progress and accountability. Essential Responsibilities Executive & Scheduling Support (30%) Manages and prioritizes day-to-day scheduling and coordination for the SVP, ensuring time is aligned with strategic priorities and organizational needs. Anticipates scheduling needs related to board, executive, and cross-functional planning cycles. Cross-Functional Program Coordination (25%) Partners closely with cross-functional leaders to ensure clear coordination across initiatives, timelines, and shared deliverables. Maintains project trackers and dashboards to surface dependencies, progress, and risks. Serves as a liaison for cross-departmental communications and process alignment. Team Performance & Operations (25%) Partners with the Managing Director to manage team goal-setting, reporting, and performance tracking. Manages the cadence and logistics of team meetings, including agenda design, facilitation support, and follow-up on action items. Monitors and analyzes operational data to support continuous improvement and accountability. Executive Progress Dashboard, Grant and Insight Reporting (10%) Leads the coordination of monthly executive reports, gathering inputs across teams and ensuring timely, accurate submissions. Leads the tracking of grant reporting and coordination on deadlines Packages data and insights into clear, actionable reports for executive and board-level audiences. Finance, Contracts and Budget Liaison (5%) Ensures all program budget issues are surfaced to the finance team to ensure alignment with program priorities; flags risks and opportunities proactively. Supports quarterly and annual planning processes Non-Essential Responsibilities Assists in external partner management; contributes to the facilitation of workshop and event execution (5%) Required Education & Experience Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience 7 years of progressive experience in operations, strategic planning, or organizational management. Demonstrated success leading cross-functional coordination, performance systems, and budget/finance liaison work. Experience supporting senior executives and boards with reporting, dashboards, and decision-useful data. Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Thorough knowledge of operational strategy and organizational effectiveness, with familiarity across related functions Strong strategic thinking with a bias for execution and continuous improvement. Excellent project management and organizational skills; proven ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives. Program design and execution acumen; ability to partner cross functionally with program, finance, communications teams to execute against program objectives Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; able to distill complexity into clarity. Relationship builder with strong interpersonal skills and ability to influence without authority. High proficiency with project management tools, collaboration platforms, and data tracking/reporting systems. (e.g., Google productivity suite, MS Teams, Excel, Smartsheet, or similar project management and collaboration platforms) Demonstrated experience creating and maintaining team workflows, calendars, project trackers, and shared systems to support team collaboration, budgeting, and reporting. Ability to make significant operational and strategic decisions within established parameters; demonstrated judgment in managing ambiguity and escalating only when necessary Able to manage multiple complex tasks simultaneously under tight deadlines. Able to exercise discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance Compensation & Benefits The salary range for this position is $142,000 to $156,000 Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term care coverage, along with employer-subsidized flexible spending plans A retirement savings plan with employer contributions of up to 12% of your base pay after one year of service Generous time off, including 20 vacation days, 16 paid holidays, and 8 weeks of paid parental leave Up to $1,000/year in matching gifts to benefit charitable organizations Up to $5,000/year in Educational Assistance to further your professional development

Responsibilities

The Senior Operations Strategist provides strategic and operational support to the Innovation & Impact team, ensuring effective cross-functional coordination and performance management. This role also includes scheduling support for the Senior Vice President, aligning executive time with organizational priorities.