Associate Director, Business School Operations

IE; Madrid; Presencial; EUR 65.000 - 90.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

IE University is seeking an Associate Director to lead digital transformation initiatives within its Business School. This role is crucial for identifying improvement opportunities, designing solutions with AI, and ensuring implementation. The successful candidate will work closely with various business areas to increase efficiency and service quality.

The position requires a solid understanding of the education sector, strong analytical capabilities, and experience with project management. This is a full-time post located in Madrid.

Formación

• Solid understanding of education sector processes and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Ability to analyze, redesign, and optimize end-to-end processes.
• Experience in project management and coordination of multidisciplinary teams.

Responsabilidades

• Work closely with different business areas to understand their needs and challenges.
• Coordinate the definition of functional requirements and ensure their accurate translation into technology solutions.
• Act as the primary liaison between the Digital Transformation team and business units.

Conocimientos

Project management

Stakeholder management

Analytical mindset

Understanding of AI

Continuous improvement methodologies

Herramientas

Automation technologies

Digital tools

Descripción del empleo

Overview

Are you interested in joining a dynamic and international team of professionals to transform education? IE University's Business School is looking for an Associate Director to join its team!

We are looking for an Associate Director to lead and drive digital transformation and operational excellence initiatives within IE Business School. Acting as a strategic bridge between business areas and technology teams, this person will identify improvement opportunities, design solutions powered by digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence, and accompany their implementation to ensure value capture and user adoption.

The primary objective of the role is to contribute to the evolution of the university’s processes and operational models, increasing efficiency, service quality, and scalability through the application of innovative technologies.

Why IE University?

Every story begins with a purpose, and ours has always been about people. Founded in 1973, IE University has continuously raised the bar to drive positive change through education. We believe education is more than a path to professional success; it is a catalyst for personal transformation and meaningful impact.

At IE University, we place people and their potential at the center of everything we do, empowering individuals to become extraordinary. We encourage bold thinking and foster a culture where innovation, curiosity, and courage lead to real-world impact. Together, we create an environment where talent thrives, and ideas shape the future.

Our mission

We support students in developing impact skills to live and lead with positive impact. This ignites a ripple effect: We transform people, who then transform others, systems, society, and, ultimately, our world.

Our Purpose

To foster positive change.

Values

• Cultivate the humanistic approach.
• Empower your entrepreneurial spirit
• Cherish the diversity of people, mind, and experience
• Drive innovation with a proactive mindset

We are looking for a person to join a full-time position in Madrid - María de Molina.

Responsibilities

Your role as an Associate Director will involve:

Initiative Identification & Definition

• Work closely with different business areas to understand their needs, challenges, and improvement opportunities.
• Analyze operational and administrative processes to identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and automation or digitalization opportunities.
• Evaluate and prioritize use cases with potential impact on efficiency, student experience, and value generation.
• Define KPIs and measure results across transformation initiatives.
• Ensure that transformation proposals are aligned with the university’s strategic objectives.

Solution Design & Execution

• Coordinate the definition of functional requirements and ensure their accurate translation into technology solutions.
• Support the implementation of transformation initiatives, working with internal teams and/or external vendors.
• Ensure tracking of milestones, risks, dependencies, and expected outcomes.

Change Management & Communication

• Act as the primary liaison between the Digital Transformation team and business units.
• Communicate effectively the progress, results, and impact of initiatives to different levels of the organization.
• Prepare and present updates, analyses, and results to functional leads and executive teams.
• Drive the adoption of new tools, processes, and ways of working.

Innovation & AI Adoption

• Stay current on technology trends, automation, advanced analytics, and Artificial Intelligence.
• Identify opportunities to apply AI and other emerging technologies in academic, administrative, and support processes.
• Promote a culture of continuous innovation and data-driven improvement.

Qualifications

To thrive in this role, you should possess the following qualifications:

Knowledge & Capabilities

• Solid understanding of education sector processes and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Ability to analyze, redesign, and optimize end-to-end processes.
• Knowledge of automation technologies, digital tools, and AI-based solutions.
• Ability to understand technical concepts and translate them into business language.
• Experience in project management and coordination of multidisciplinary teams.
• Familiarity with Agile, Lean, Design Thinking, or similar methodologies.

Personal Competencies

• Analytical mindset and results orientation.
• Strong influencing skills and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, fast‑evolving environments.
• Innovative mindset and genuine curiosity for technology.
• Proactiveness, autonomy, execution capacity, and a service‑oriented attitude.

What We Are Especially Looking For

Beyond experience, we are looking for someone who combines:

• Business vision to understand the needs of different areas.
• Analytical capability to identify improvement opportunities.
• Genuine interest in technology and AI as levers for transformation.
• Execution capacity to turn ideas into tangible results.
• Communication and influence skills to mobilize teams and ensure change adoption.

Unleash your full potential and make an impact. The next move is yours! If you want to be part of this educational revolution, we invite you to apply and be part of our dynamic team at IE University.

At IE University, we actively promote equal opportunities in recruitment processes and access to employment, always ensuring the absence of gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, ethnic origin, or disability bias throughout the entire selection process.