Director, Program Strategic Initiatives & Ops (Full-Time)

Teach For America; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 68,000 - 89,000; Full time

Job summary

TeachMichigan, powered by TFA Detroit, seeks an exceptional operator to bring strategy to life through operational excellence. This role serves as a key driver of execution across TeachMichigan's educator development strategy, ensuring strategic initiatives, participant experiences, and cross-functional priorities are planned, coordinated, and delivered with quality, consistency, and impact.

As a strategic operations leader, you will design and manage the systems, processes, and infrastructure

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years in operations, program or project management.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives from planning to execution.
• Experience designing scalable systems and workflows.
• Ability to coordinate diverse stakeholders and drive alignment.
• Strong ownership, adaptability, and problem-solving mindset.

Responsibilities

• Lead operational planning and execution for strategic initiatives across educator experiences.
• Develop plans, timelines, workflows, and communications translating priorities into action.
• Design systems, dashboards, and processes to strengthen execution and efficiency.
• Use data to monitor progress, inform decisions, and drive improvements.
• Anticipate risks and ensure on-time, high-quality delivery.

Skills

Project management

Systems thinking

Strategy translation

Stakeholder management

Communication

Data-driven decisions

Ownership & accountability

Attention to detail

Job description

ROLE TITLE: Director, Program Strategic Initiatives & Ops (Full-Time)

POSITION REPORTS TO: Managing Director (MD), Operations

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Applications are due on Friday, September 11, 2026, by 11:59 PM ET.

LOCATION: The Michigan team's office is in Detroit. The role will require on-site work with educators in communities across Michigan 3-4 times per month, on average.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

TeachMichigan, powered by TFA Detroit, seeks an exceptional operator to bring strategy to life through operational excellence. This role serves as a key driver of execution across TeachMichigan's educator development strategy, ensuring strategic initiatives, participant experiences, and cross-functional priorities are planned, coordinated, and delivered with quality, consistency, and impact.

As a strategic operations leader, you will design and manage the systems, processes, and infrastructure that enable educators, school leaders, alumni, district partners, and communities to experience TeachMichigan at its best. From statewide convenings and leadership development experiences to district engagements, learning walks, and proof point school initiatives, you will ensure complex work is executed seamlessly while strengthening collaboration across teams and partners.

This role extends beyond operations. You will build scalable systems, leverage data to inform decision-making, and continuously improve how TeachMichigan plans, coordinates, and delivers its work. By connecting people, processes, technology, and strategy, you will help increase organizational effectiveness, strengthen participant experiences, and accelerate progress toward TeachMichigan's 2030 goal.

WHAT YOU'LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR

Strategic Initiative Operations & Execution (40%)

• Lead operational planning and execution for TeachMichigan's strategic initiatives, ensuring educator, alumni, school leader, district, and partner experiences are delivered with excellence and aligned to organizational priorities, annual goals, and long-term impact.
• Develop and manage project plans, implementation strategies, timelines, operational workflows, and communication plans that translate organizational priorities into coordinated action.
• Design and continuously improve operational systems, tools, dashboards, and processes that strengthen execution, increase efficiency, reduce organizational friction, and support scalable implementation across Michigan.
• Leverage operational, participant, and stakeholder data to monitor implementation, evaluate progress, identify opportunities for improvement, and support data-informed decision-making.
• Anticipate operational risks, proactively solve challenges, and ensure complex initiatives are executed on time, within scope, and with a consistently high-quality stakeholder experience.

Program & Experience Operations (40%)

• Own end-to-end operations for TeachMichigan's core learning experiences, leadership development opportunities, site visits, learning walks, district engagements, alumni activations, and statewide convenings.
• Coordinate logistics, communications, vendor relationships, budgets, materials, and stakeholder engagement to deliver seamless, high-quality participant experiences.
• Develop repeatable operational playbooks, planning tools, and scalable processes that improve consistency, quality, and execution across programs and experiences.
• Continuously improve participant experiences by leveraging educator, stakeholder, and partner feedback to strengthen operations and increase overall impact.
• Partner closely with internal teams and external partners to ensure experiences are coordinated, aligned, and reflective of TeachMichigan's commitment to excellence.

Strategic Initiatives & Regional Priorities (20%)

• Advance TeachMichigan's 2030 goal by leading and contributing to cross-functional initiatives that strengthen educator development, organizational effectiveness, and statewide impact.
• Partner across program, district partnerships, research and learning, external affairs, development, and team operations to operationalize strategic priorities and ensure seamless execution across functions.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen systems, improve collaboration, and increase organizational effectiveness through innovation and continuous improvement.
• Lead or contribute to strategic planning, organizational priorities, and enterprise-wide initiatives that extend beyond the primary scope of the role.
• Contribute leadership and operational capacity to regional priorities, including EmpowerEd Weekends, leadership retreats, strategic planning, fellow selection, and other organization-wide initiatives as organizational needs evolve.

YOUR EXPERIENCE

Competitive Candidates will have the following characteristics and experiences:

Previous Experience

• Minimum of 4 years of relevant experience in operations, program management, project management, strategic initiatives, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success leading complex projects or initiatives from planning through execution.
• Experience designing and improving systems, processes, and operational workflows that increase efficiency and quality.
• Proven ability to coordinate cross-functional work and build alignment across diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to lead with ownership, adaptability, and initiative by proactively solving problems, improving systems, and contributing beyond defined responsibilities to strengthen collective impact.
• Experience managing multiple priorities, navigating ambiguity, and delivering high-quality results in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience using data and insights to monitor progress, inform decisions, and drive continuous improvement.

Skills

• Exceptional project management and organizational skills.
• Strong systems thinker with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Ability to translate strategy into clear plans and successful execution.
• Excellent relationship-building, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to analyze data and use insights to improve operations and participant experiences.
• High degree of ownership, adaptability, and sound judgment.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with exceptional attention to detail.

YOUR FUTURE TEAM

Teach For America Detroit is pursuing a bold goal: by 2030, twice as many students growing up in poverty-dense communities across Michigan will reach the educational milestones that open doors to economic mobility and a future filled with possibility. Achieving this vision requires investing in exceptional educators and school leaders who strengthen instruction, improve student outcomes, and build thriving school communities across the state.

TeachMichigan is our statewide educator talent strategy. Through innovative fellowships, leadership development, coaching, and long-term educator pathways, we recruit, develop, connect, and retain high-impact educators while partnering with districts to strengthen school teams and accelerate student success. Our work is grounded in proof point schools, where we are demonstrating what is possible through sustained investment in educators, continuous learning, and measurable student outcomes.

With more than $35 million in state investment, TeachMichigan has expanded to serve seven regions across Michigan, supporting more than 500 educators who collectively reach over 120,000 students. As we continue evaluating and sharing what works, TeachMichigan is helping shape the future of educator recruitment, development, and retention while building a statewide movement committed to ensuring every child has access to an exceptional education.

YOUR COMPENSATION

The applicable salary range for each U.S.-based role is based on where the employee works and is aligned to one of 3 tiers according to a cost-of-labor index in that geographic area. Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of job-related factors, which may include education, training, experience, location, business needs, or market demands. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the role. The expected salary ranges for this role are set forth below. These ranges may be modified in the future.

Tier A Salary: $67,500-$88,600

You can view which tier applies to where you plan to work here. If your location is not listed, please click here for additional total rewards information.