Senior Director of Operations

Position: Full-time, exempt

Reports to: CEO

Salary: $80,000 - $100,000, commensurate with experience. Generous benefits include health, dental, paid time off, retirement with organizational match, and flexible workplace.

Direct Reports: Director of Finance and Administrative Assistant

OUR MISSION: The Children’s Agenda advocates for effective policies and drives evidence-based solutions for the health, education and success of children. We are especially committed to children who are vulnerable because of poverty, racism, health inequities and trauma.

The Senior Director of Operations oversees Finance and Human Resources. The Senior Director works collaboratively to create systems and processes to strengthen our internal capacity to amplify the organization’s external impact. The Senior Director of Operations is part of The Children’s Agenda’s management team, making high-level decisions to advance the organization’s mission by operationalizing its strategic plan.

Management and Supervision

• Supervises the Director of Finance and Administrative Assistant by providing direction, input, and feedback. Conducts annual performance reviews, goal setting, workplan development and accountability.
• Manages contracts with consultants and oversees management of vendors for HR, staff professional development, etc.
• Manages the staff organizational chart, job descriptions, and processes to select, hire, coach, and manage the performance of all employees. Ensure clarity in roles, titles, decision-making rights, and reporting relationships.
• Strengthens compensation clarity, equity, and growth pathways.
• Oversees the development, implementation, and ongoing compliance of HR policies, procedures, and the employee handbook.

Administration and Operations

• Develops systems to ensure consistent, transparent, high-quality organizational decision-making pathways, project management, and reporting.
• Collaboratively leads internal goal-setting processes to focus concurrent priorities and track progress. Recommends timelines and resources needed to achieve organizational goals, linking internal capacity with external impact.
• Oversees the planning and implementation of organizational projects and events, including scheduling, goal setting, staff assignments, division of labor, logistics, and accountability.
• Oversees professional skill development, coaching, and troubleshooting for greater staff productivity and team functioning, ensuring all staff can grow, improve their skills to meet goals, and to excel in their roles and careers. Informs the Director of Finance about staff needs to help develop the annual budget.
• Oversees data, grant tracking, and reporting systems. Assists the CEO, Director of Finance and development staff to manage grants and contracts, project budgets, budget reports, and annual audit.
• Oversee the operational functions of the organization including the use of space and equipment, human resources, information technology, databases, and office management. Oversees office lease, including negotiations and landlord relationship.
• Oversees TCA’s shared document libraries and online filing systems. Oversees saving, storing and retrieving historical records such as audits, bylaws, governance guidelines, meeting minutes, and other key corporate documents as needed.
• Leads all operational and internal reports to the Board of Directors and Board Executive Committee.
• Fosters positive relationships with funders and donors.
• Addresses and resolves operational issues as they arise.

Internal Communications and Team Culture

• Leads internal communications, team alignment, and organizational planning processes to ensure clarity, accountability, and effective execution across the organization.
• Reinforces positive internal culture, overall staff respect, accountability and support for one another. Oversees TCA’s annual, anonymous staff survey on team and antiracism culture, and develops an improvement plan to implement throughout the year.
• Provides leadership at staff meetings, project team meetings, and staff retreats, including collaboratively developing agendas and facilitation with other staff. Organizes team building, plans and executes events and office activities to manifest a team culture fitting “TCA Team Guidelines.”
• Proactively advances equity outcomes. In recognition of the ways that race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and other identities intersect in our workplace and between the organization and the communities we serve, identifies decisions, policies, or practices that have disparate impacts based on identity, and makes changes to operationalize equity.
• Fosters staff team comfort talking about identities such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, class, ability, or gender in plain, specific terms. Promotes understanding of the historical context for racial inequity and its present-day implications.
• And Other Duties as Assigned

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience, with a minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership experience in operations, HR, or organizational management.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND CHARACTERISTICS

• Exemplary skills in planning and project management, including the ability to train others in this area.
• Skills and experience in budgeting and linking operational plans to financial plans.
• Senior level HR management experience.
• Ability to sift through and simplify complex information in order to effectively communicate to stakeholders lacking specialized expertise in internal operations.
• Excellent writing, editing, and verbal communications skills.
• Self-starter, high level of initiative, independent.
• Energy, enthusiasm, and passion for children’s issues.
• Detail-oriented and diligent follow through.
• Team player, well-organized, and collaborative.

About The Children's Agenda:

The Children’s Agenda is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected status under applicable law. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to these or any other characteristics protected by law.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you require accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact our Administrative Assistant Kim Wolfe.

We value our employees and support work-life balance by offering a comprehensive benefits package. It includes:

• Health, dental and life insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability
• Retirement plan with employer match
• Flexible spending accounts for health care and dependent care
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid parking or monthly bus pass
• Hybrid work environment
• Professional development opportunities
• Generous vacation and sick leave

To apply for this position, email your resume and a cover letter to Michelle Yale, Director of Finance for The Children’s Agenda at ***email_hidden***