Associate Director of Program Operations & Strategy

Overview

Associate Director of Program Operations & Strategy Jobs in United States at Swooped

Title: Associate Director of Program Operations & Strategy

Company: Swooped

Location: United States

About the Opportunity

Excellent teaching is the most important driver of student success. The moment a student steps foot in the classroom, their opportunity to learn depends on how prepared their teacher is to translate complex content knowledge, standards, and their knowledge of that student into lessons that help them learn deeply and apply their thinking to the real world.

That’s a big lift, and it often happens alone. As a national nonprofit, the organization partners with school systems to overcome persistent instructional challenges, foster intentional collaboration and adult learning by design, and ignite new possibilities through systemic solutions at the intersection of teaching, talent, and technology.

The organization works shoulder-to-shoulder with educators at every level of the education system to strengthen their instructional and leadership practices, bring a vision for excellent instruction to life with consistency, and ensure every student reaches their full potential.

Through direct support, strategic advising, innovation pilots, and best-in-class research, the organization helps educators work toward a future where every student is ready to thrive.

Position

The organization is hiring an Associate Director, Program Operations & Strategy to lead the operational execution of educational programs and initiatives. This role serves as a strategic partner to senior leadership, ensuring projects run smoothly, risks are identified early, and program goals are achieved efficiently.

Key responsibilities include managing multiple programs simultaneously, overseeing planning and logistics for virtual and in-person events, coordinating data collection and reporting, managing stakeholders, tracking timelines, and ensuring successful program delivery. The role also focuses on improving organizational efficiency by developing scalable systems, implementing AI-enabled workflows, and strengthening knowledge management processes.

This position is ideal for a highly organized and strategic operations professional who can balance multiple priorities, drive operational excellence, and help the organization expand its impact in education.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage multiple complex programs simultaneously within a centralized shared services model.
• Plan virtual and in-person programming.
• Manage data collection processes.
• Coordinate logistics.
• Synthesize insights for leadership.
• Translate scopes of work into detailed plans.
• Manage dependencies.
• Resolve issues proactively.
• Design smarter systems.
• Embed AI-enabled workflows.
• Steward knowledge infrastructure.

Required Qualifications

• Expertise in program operations and project management at scale, with a track record of managing multiple concurrent initiatives in complex, matrixed environments while consistently meeting quality and timeline expectations.
• Expertise in budget tracking, financial reconciliation, and forecasting, including experience monitoring project spend, reviewing financial statements, and maintaining budget dashboards in partnership with finance teams.
• Expertise in event planning and logistics coordination, including venue management, AV setup, materials preparation, run-of-show planning, and real-time problem-solving during live programming.
• Expertise in data collection, analysis, and operational reporting, with hands-on experience designing data processes, building dashboards, and synthesizing insights into clear presentations for stakeholders and leadership.
• 5–7+ years of experience in program operations, project management, or complex operational roles.
• Proven ability to translate high-level direction into detailed operational plans.
• Strong experience with event planning, logistics, and coordination.
• Demonstrated skill in managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Proficiency in project management tools like Asana.
• Experience in data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Comfort working independently in dynamic, ambiguous environments.
• Interest in leveraging AI and technology to improve operational efficiency.
• Practitioner-level AI fluency, with the ability to identify and implement AI-enabled workflow improvements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in education, nonprofit, or mission-driven sectors preferred.

Do you enjoy…

• Building trust-based partnerships with senior leaders and cross-functional teams? This role rewards the ability to anticipate needs, clarify expectations, and propose solutions before issues arise—becoming a strategic operational thought partner rather than just an executor.
• Working in dynamic, fast-moving environments where priorities shift and ambiguity is the norm? This role rewards the ability to adapt, fill gaps, and make sound decisions independently without constant direction or oversight.
• Owning outcomes end-to-end, from initial planning through execution and follow-up? This individual will bring meticulous attention to detail and an unwavering commitment to excellence in every deliverable, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
• Solving complex operational puzzles and improving systems? This individual will apply strategic thinking to reduce burden, streamline workflows, and create scalable solutions that strengthen organizational capacity and enable colleagues to do their best work.

Travel Requirements

• This is a remote position that requires moderate travel.
• National travel for organization retreats, programming, job-related travel, or professional development.
• Outside of the above-mentioned travel, this person will work from a home office that must be located anywhere within the U.S.

Why Work With This Organization?

Imagine being part of an organization where ideas and perspectives are highly valued. The organization believes in fostering individual strengths, encouraging personal growth, and embracing innovative ideas. If this individual thrives in a remote working environment, with the added excitement of travel, this is the perfect fit. By joining, this individual becomes part of a powerful community of peers nationwide. Regardless of location, they possess the power to make a significant impact on both students and teachers who rely on the organization daily. Join this organization and become an integral part of driving progress in education.

Mission & Values

Mission: The organization partners with school systems to sustain the teaching, leadership, and conditions for every student to succeed in school and in life.

Values:

• Build on strengths: Affirm and begin with the unique and collective talents, experiences, and wisdom of ourselves and others.
• Continuously learn: Develop ourselves and others. Apply new learning and deepened self-awareness to relationships and practices.
• Prioritize people: Build trust and reflect on the impact of different perspectives and experiences.
• Champion success for all: Re-imagine structures, habits, and mindsets to ensure every learner has access to evidence-based learning opportunities.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Hiring

• The organization uses artificial intelligence–enabled tools throughout its hiring process, from the moment a candidate applies through the offer stage, to support administrative tasks and organize candidate materials. These tools help organize, analyze, and surface relevant information efficiently, but they do not make hiring decisions.
• All candidate materials—including applications, resumes, assessments, and interview feedback—are reviewed and evaluated by people. All hiring decisions, including interview selection, advancement, and offers of employment, are made by humans.
• AI is used solely as a support tool to assist with early-stage reviews and process efficiency. AI is not used in ways that discriminate based on protected characteristics, nor are ZIP codes or similar data used to target or exclude protected groups. Hiring practices are designed to be fair, consistent, and aligned with equal employment opportunity standards.

Benefits

• Compensation:
• If hired for this position, the base compensation range is $89,686 to $114,146 annually. New hires typically enter the range at a set comp ratio (e.g., 0.95 or 0.98), depending on the role. For this position, the salary entry point is $101,916. Candidates may move up the range based on additional years of relevant experience beyond the role’s minimum years of experience qualification.
• If there are more than 7 years of directly relevant experience, the starting salary may be adjusted higher within the range, up to a maximum starting salary of $107,158. This approach ensures that candidates with additional experience beyond the minimum are recognized in the initial salary offer.
• Benefits:
• 100% paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for individual employees. Additional premium costs are covered 60% by the organization for partners and dependents on medical, dental, and vision plans.
• 4% matching 401k plan, Flexible Spending Accounts for medical, childcare and commuter expenses, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Benefits are valued at or above $9,000 for employees.
• Time Off:
• First three years of employment, full-time staff accrue 22 days a year.
• Five additional days are accrued after the third and sixth year of employment.
• The organization also offers 16 additional paid days off for various holidays, including three floating holidays staff may use at their discretion.

The hiring organization is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive team.