Director of Operational Excellence & Strategy

LEAP of California; San Mateo (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

LEAP of California seeks a senior operations leader to partner with the CEO in setting strategic priorities and a multi-year roadmap for the agency. You will translate strategy into accountable plans, dashboards, and reporting to surface progress and risks.

You will drive systems implementation (Salesforce CRM, WorkMarket, Microsoft 365) and optimize workflows, governance, and cross-functional processes across programs, services, and finance.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field.
• Seven to ten years of operations or leadership experience with cross-functional execution.
• Experience leading systems implementation, transformation, and change management.
• Proficiency with CRM, Microsoft 365, dashboards, and workflow tools.
• Nonprofit/healthcare/social services familiarity is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the CEO to set annual priorities and a multi-year roadmap.
• Translate strategy into project plans with owners, milestones, resources, and success metrics.
• Establish dashboards and regular leadership reporting highlighting progress, risks, and decisions needed.
• Oversee systems implementation and optimization (CRM, MS 365, dashboards) with data governance.
• Supervise operations functions, budgets, and cross-department handoffs.
• Support external relations, board updates, and vendor partnerships.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Project management

Analytical skills

Financial skills

Technology skills

CRM proficiency

Microsoft 365

Dashboards

Workflow tools

Education

Master’s degree in Public Administration or related field

Tools

CRM systems

Microsoft 365

Dashboards tooling

Workflow tools

Job description

Applicants must reside in California

What You'll Do

1. Strategic Leadership & Organizational Development

• Partner with the CEO to set annual operational priorities, a 2- to 3-year operational and technology roadmap, and an agency-wide KPI framework.
• Translate strategy into accountable project plans with owners, milestones, deadlines, resources, and success measures.
• Establish monthly executive dashboards and regular leadership reporting that surface progress, risks, decisions needed, and overdue actions.
• Evaluate organizational capacity, role clarity, succession needs, and scalable cross-functional processes.
• Lead change management, communication, adoption, and staff engagement for major operational initiatives.

2. Systems Implementation & Technology Infrastructure

• Lead coordinated implementation and optimization of Salesforce CRM, WorkMarket payment workflows, Microsoft 365/SharePoint/Teams, and other approved systems.
• Assess case management, learning management, project management, and automation solutions; lead implementation only after organizational approval.
• Develop integrated referral intake, provider onboarding, documentation, reporting, and administrative workflows that minimize duplicate entry.
• Coordinate vendor relationships, implementation schedules, staff training, user adoption, data governance, access controls, and return on investment.
• Build practical dashboards and automated reporting with appropriate privacy and security safeguards.

3. Operations Management & Process Excellence

• Supervise the Operations Manager and ensure continuity of administrative support, facilities, procurement, vendor management, accounts-payable coordination, and operational technology.
• Create and maintain agency-wide standard operating procedures, process maps, service standards, and responsibility matrices.
• Standardize annual calendars, rolling 60-day schedule updates, cross-department handoffs, referral routing, and action tracking.
• Monitor operational bottlenecks, implement corrective process changes, and measure timeliness, accuracy, and efficiency.
• Partner with finance and the CEO on operational budgets, spending controls, forecasting inputs, and resource allocation; do not replace finance approval authority.

4. Leadership Accountability & Performance Management

• Establish a predictable leadership cadence for department status reports, project reviews, issue escalation, and follow-up.
• Maintain a centralized strategic initiatives tracker with accountable owners, due dates, deliverables, and completion evidence.
• Coach operational direct reports, conduct performance evaluations, identify development needs, and support cross-functional leadership capacity.
• Escalate unresolved program, compliance, financial, or personnel risks promptly to the appropriate accountable executive.
• Support implementation of QA corrective actions while preserving QA independence and the clinical and residential directors’ professional oversight.

5. Board Support & External Relations

• Prepare operational updates, KPI summaries, and implementation reports for CEO and board review.
• Support CEO-led strategic planning, committee work, and external stakeholder communications.
• Represent LEAP on approved operational projects with vendors, Regional Centers, and community partners.

Who We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s degree from an accredited institution in Public Administration (MPA), Business Administration (MBA), Public Policy (MPP), Nonprofit Management, Organizational Leadership, Healthcare Administration (MHA), or a closely related field required.

Experience and Expertise:

• Seven to ten years of progressively responsible operations or organizational leadership experience, including cross-functional execution and team management.
• Experience leading systems implementation, operational transformation, process improvement, and change management.
• Strong project management, analytical, financial, and technology skills; proficiency with CRM, Microsoft 365, dashboards, and workflow tools.
• Nonprofit, healthcare, disability services, or social services experience preferred; familiarity with California Regional Centers and Title 17 desirable.

Preferred: Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification, Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, or formal training in organizational change management. Equivalent demonstrated success leading measurable process-improvement initiatives is also valued.

• Ability to communicate clearly, build trust, protect confidential information, and balance mission-centered services with operational rigor.

Compensation & Benefits

Employment Status: Full-time, exempt.

Salary: $160,000–$185,000 annually, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

LEAP of California offers a competitive benefits package. We will discuss specific benefits and eligibility during recruitment.

Equal Opportunity Employer

LEAP of California is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse team that reflects the communities we serve. Qualified applicants are considered without regard to protected characteristics under applicable law.

We strongly encourage applications from:

• Individuals with disabilities and family members of individuals with disabilities
• People of color and members of underrepresented communities
• Those with lived experience in disability services, social work, or community advocacy
• Career changers bringing operational excellence expertise to mission-driven work