Director, Operations

Ascensus; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Ascensus seeks a seasoned Senior Operations Leader to drive strategic leadership and daily management across operational areas, advancing organizational effectiveness across the company. The role requires guiding teams, refining processes, and aligning resources with PAi objectives while promoting a values-centric culture.

Key focus includes change management, integration of growth initiatives, and establishing capabilities for scalable performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Management, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in Operations-based leadership position.
• Proven ability to lead and develop teams including coaching, motivation, and performance management.
• Strong stakeholder management and customer focus.
• Experience with mergers and acquisition integration processes.
• Comfortable interfacing with IT and aligning business needs with IT.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day leadership and coaching to ensure business results and accountability.
• Lead regular meetings to review strategic goals, development, and performance.
• Execute company strategy and manage operating plans to meet objectives.
• Evolve organizational infrastructure to support vision and performance.
• Drive continuous improvement of processes and programs.
• Develop and implement change management initiatives in response to market shifts.
• Analyze and report operational progress to COO and leadership team.
• Build networks within the retirement services industry.
• Ensure accuracy in data supporting customer experience and metrics.
• Link Growth and Operations to pursue growth opportunities and improvements.
• Contribute input on new business opportunities and assess capacity and profitability.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Team leadership

Change management

Operational excellence

M&A integration

Financial acumen

IT familiarity

Communication

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business/Management

Job description

Ascensus is the leading independent technology and service platform powering savings plans across America, providing products and expertise that help nearly 16 million people save for a better today and tomorrow.

NOTE: There is only one position. Preference is candidate to be located Hybrid to Needham, MA or Dresher, Pa office. Will consider remote candidates.

Job Summary

Provides strategic leadership and daily management of operational areas of the company to continuously evolve overall operational and organizational effectiveness.

Competencies

• Team Success
• Customer/Client Focus
• Personal Credibility
• Strategic Partnerships & Leadership

Core Responsibilities

• Provides day-to-day leadership, work direction, conducts performance appraisals and coaches accountable team members to achieve business results
• Holds regular one-on-one and team meetings to review strategic goals and initiatives, discuss individual development and performance, and promote team building
• Leads execution of company strategy in support of vision/direction; management of operating plan to meet PAi objectives
• Evolves the organization (operational infrastructure of people, processes, systems) as needed to support the company vision/desired performance
• Drives organizational effectiveness through understanding of current state and continuous improvement of organizational processes and programs
• Supports and enhances the development and implementation of change management, modeling adaptability to changes in the organization and market, necessary for the success of various corporate initiatives
• Analyzes and reports operational status/progress to COO and Leadership Team
• Establishes network within retirement services industry
• Maintains vicious accuracy in support of customer experience and other teams and drives results through various metrics
• Connect to front line; allow the front line to identify growth/market opportunities and implements improvements based upon review and analysis of internal feedback
• Support business development initiatives, helping connect Growth Team with Operations Team
• Active involvement in review of new business opportunities, including input to COO regarding capacity of human capital and profitability of endeavors (risk/reward posture)
• Support a values centric organization that hires and retains life-long learners
• Provide the capital and resources necessary to develop high performing teams
• Proactively adopt, protect and boldly embrace emerging technologies (AI, automation, etc.), platforms, and evolving practices that accelerate transformational growth and advance Ascensus’ mission and client commitments.

Job Requirements

• Regular attendance and punctuality
• Ability to work autonomously or as part of a team
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, change driven environment
• Adherence to all company policies and procedures

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Management, or related field
• 10+ years of experience in Operations-based leadership position
• Ability to lead and develop team members including:
• Coach
• Motivate
• Lead by example
• Reward
• Counsel/Discipline
• Delegate and leverage
• Ability to plan, develop and effectively lead the execution of vision and strategy
• Customer focused – actions/decisions are balanced to address all stakeholders, but biased towards customers
• Understand interrelationships between key financial metrics (e.g. fixed costs, variable costs, capacity, pricing, profits)
• Demonstrates actions and behaviors consistent with leadership expectations
• Ability to identify and develop talent – positioning others based upon their strengths
• Ability to proactively resolve conflict
• Emotional intelligence (strong sense of self, social skills, empathy, etc.)
• Ability to balance speed over quality (know when one is more important than the other)
• Excellent ability to interface, resolve problems and negotiate at all levels internally and externally
• Experience with mergers and acquisition integration process
• Comfortable and familiar with financial markets
• Understands IT and how to use it offensively, as well as integrate business needs with IT function

The national average salary range for this role is $140-175k in base pay, exclusive of any bonuses and benefits. This base salary range represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position. Actual salary offered will vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors including but not limited to location, experience, performance, and internal pay alignment. We do not anticipate that candidates hired will begin at the top of the range.