Director, National Operations

Year Up United; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare options

401(k) match

Three weeks paid vacation

Job summary

Year Up United seeks a Director of National Operations to lead multi-site facilities and real estate strategy, driving standardized processes and a first-class student and staff experience across geographies.

You will oversee budgets, vendor partnerships, and safety programs while mentoring a distributed team to deliver high-quality hybrid and in-person operations aligned with Year Up United’s mission.

Qualifications

• Five or more years in real estate and facilities management.
• Experience in operational and strategic roles within high-performing organizations.
• Management experience (2–3 years) with leadership responsibilities.
• Strong decision-making and execution skills in dynamic environments.
• Excellent project management and budget management capabilities.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with a customer-service mindset.
• Proven ability to build relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborative leadership style with problem-solving abilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Salesforce preferred.
• A passion for working with young adults and a commitment to Year Up United’s mission.

Responsibilities

• Lead facilities operations across multiple states.
• Develop and execute strategies to improve efficiency, service quality, and cost performance.
• Manage operating budgets and capital improvement programs.
• Direct regional operations teams, facilities managers, and vendor partners.
• Oversee preventive maintenance, safety, and risk management.
• Negotiate and manage national service contracts.
• Drive workplace experience, sustainability, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Establish KPIs, dashboards, and reporting for executive leadership.
• Lead end-to-end real estate planning and site selection for new locations.
• Coordinate with Finance and Legal on relocations and lease renewals.
• Develop transition plans and ensure alignment across business functions.
• Manage portfolio optimization and long-range facility plans.
• Lead Student Centralized Asset Management and Enterprise Health initiatives.
• Mentor a multi-geography team delivering hybrid and in-person operations.
• Cultivate relationships with colleges, partners, and vendors.
• Evaluate performance and drive resource optimization.
• Oversee annual budget tracking and financial accountability.
• Lead special projects to increase operational effectiveness.

Skills

Facilities management

Operational leadership

Budget management

Project management

Stakeholder communication

Team mentoring

Vendor management

Negotiation

Customer service mindset

Process improvement

Tools

Microsoft Office

Salesforce

Job description

The Director of National Operations is a strategic leader responsible for leading and managing operational plans and processes across Year Up United’s regions. Reporting to the Senior Director, Program Strategy and Operations, this role oversees a team of Operations leaders who manage day-to-day hybrid and in-office operations across multiple locations in direct support of Year Up United programming.

In collaboration with stakeholders, the Director will design and implement strategies to enhance in-person student engagement, drive process standardization, and ensure operational excellence across geographies. They will focus on delivering a high-quality, consistent experience for students, staff, and strategic partners while continuously streamlining operations to improve efficiency and effectiveness and reduce cost to serve.

Success in this role requires a forward-thinking, proactive leader with a strong track record in operational management, process improvement, and team leadership. The ideal candidate will excel in a fast-paced environment, foster cross-functional collaboration, and bring exceptional communication skills and a customer-focused mindset to plan and advance organizational goals.

This is an in-person role requiring 5 days in office engagement at the designated Year Up United location. Applicants must live within a reasonable commutable distance to a Year Up United location.

Key Responsibilities

Lead Standards for Exceptional Management of National Portfolio of Sites

• Lead facilities operations across multiple states.
• Develop and execute operational strategies that improve efficiency, service quality, and cost performance.
• Manage operating budgets and capital improvement programs.
• Direct regional operations teams, building facilities managers, and vendor partners.
• Oversee preventive maintenance, compliance, safety, and risk management.
• Negotiate and manage national service contracts.
• Drive workplace experience, sustainability, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Establish KPIs, performance dashboards, and operational reporting for executive leadership.

Manage Real Estate Planning

• Lead the end-to-end real estate planning and execution process to support national business operations, including identifying and evaluating potential sites, overseeing location selection, and all aspects of office moves and transitions.
• Assess prospective spaces by evaluating with key stakeholders operational requirements, workforce and training capacity needs, accessibility, regulatory considerations, and financial feasibility.
• Partner with cross-functional teams, including Finance and Legal, to develop and advance plans for new locations, relocations, and lease renewals.
• Develop transition planning and operational readiness for new sites, ensuring alignment across all business functions before launch.
• Establish project timelines, governance, and performance metrics to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery of new locations and facility initiatives.
• Drive portfolio optimization by analyzing utilization, capacity, operating costs, and strategic needs, and long-range facility plans.
• Develop and maintain long-term real estate strategies that support organizational objectives, operational efficiency, and workforce requirements.

Operations, Process Improvement, and Leadership

• Develop and implement a comprehensive operational framework and strategic plan for operating across geographies.
• Collaborate with leadership to streamline, standardize, and optimize processes for greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
• Lead the Student Centralized Asset Management Program across all geographies.
• Lead initiatives within Enterprise Health and Safety needs of the organization.
• Manage and mentor a multi-geography team to deliver high-quality hybrid and in-person operations while fostering a culture of accountability and excellence.
• Cultivate and maintain productive relationships with external partners (colleges, CBOs, and corporate partners), service providers, and vendors.
• Regularly evaluate and report operational performance, identifying opportunities to improve resource utilization and meet organizational objectives.
• Manage the annual budget, implementing effective tracking systems to ensure financial accountability.
• Lead special projects focused on increasing operational effectiveness and efficiency.

Program, Community, and Volunteer Engagement

• Collaborate with leaders across the organization managing Year Up United offerings to shape and execute a vision for in-person student engagement that maximizes success.
• Partner with National Teams (Events, Development, Corporate Engagement, and Talent Networks) to elevate the Year Up United brand and align programming with revenue and mission goals.
• Coordinate and execute high-impact volunteer and partner programming, including guest speaker series, Fireside Chats, Manager Meet and Greets, mock interviews.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment between service delivery and business objectives.
• Conduct post-program reviews and provide key metric reports to assess and improve in-person programming outcomes.

Change Management and Growth Initiatives

• Lead initiatives to align operational practices across offerings, enhancing organizational capability and consistency.
• Focus on improving customer experience and staff productivity through technology and process innovations.
• Identify and lead special projects to increase effectiveness and efficiency.

Learning Community Member

• Actively participate in Year Up United’s Learning Community, supporting students as a coach, facilitator, and/or mentor.
• Engage in weekly group sessions with students and contribute to a positive, inclusive educational environment.
• Participate in staff meetings, training, and ongoing professional development initiatives.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of real estate and facilities management experience.
• 6-7 years of experience in operational and strategic roles within high-performing organizations.
• 2-3 years of management experience.
• Strong decision-making skills with orientation to flawless execution in dynamic environments.
• Excellent project management and budget management skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Customer-service mindset with strong relationship skills to support and engage with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Collaborative leadership style with strong problem-solving abilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Salesforce preferred.
• A passion for working with young adults, an unshakable belief in their potential, and a strong commitment to the mission of Year Up United.
• Understanding of the Opportunity Divide and its drivers.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

Salary Range: $120,000 – $145,000

Working At Year Up United

Starting January 5, 2026, employees are expected to work on-site at least two days per week (Monday through Thursday, dependent on job requirements). Candidates must live and work in a state (or an approved proximate state) where Year Up United operates. For a list of eligible locations, visit the Year Up United location page or refer to the provided location list.

• Approved proximate states where Year Up United operates: Connecticut, Indiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Virginia.

Compensation & Benefits

• Year Up United has established salary ranges for each of our sites, allowing us to pay employees competitively, equitably and consistently across geographic markets.
• Benefits: Comprehensive healthcare options and dental coverage; 401(k) match for eligible participants.
• Vacation: Earn three weeks paid vacation in the first year of employment; four weeks after the initial year.

Commitment To Diversity

Year Up United embraces diversity and equal opportunity in a serious way. All aspects of employment, including the decision to hire, promote, discharge, or discipline, are based on meritocracy. We do not permit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristics protected by federal, state, or local laws. Year Up United is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Your recruiter can provide details regarding the expected work environment and any physical requirements. Please let our hiring team know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process. Information received relating to accommodation will be addressed confidentially.