Director, Strategy & Operations

Stepful; New York (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity stake

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

FSA/HSA

Learning stipend

Vacation policy

Work-from-anywhere days

Job summary

Stepful is recruiting a Director of Strategy & Operations in New York City. You will build, maintain and scale surgical services programs, overseeing Directors, instructors, and coordinators while partnering with cross-functional teams.

The role reports to the SVP, Operations and is hybrid in NYC. You will design experiments to drive 10x growth in active students and ensure regulatory compliance, delivering value for provider clients and learners.

Qualifications

• Passion for helping students change their lives through education.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.
• Highly analytical, with a structured approach to complex problem solving.
• Excellent communication skills in writing and presenting.
• Expert collaborator who can influence and coordinate diverse stakeholders at various levels.
• Willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve high execution standards.
• Rapid learning through experimentation.
• 7+ years of operational experience, ideally in a high-growth startup.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end program delivery of our surgical services programs, including opportunity to expand to other programs.
• Develop and execute innovative initiatives and experiments to accelerate enrollment, student retention and program scale.
• Collaborate regularly with Curriculum, Product, Policy, Sales and Customer Success teams to meet regulatory and accreditor requirements, provide an exceptional student experience and deliver impactful results for provider clients.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Analytical thinking

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Execution excellence

Learning mindset

Operations management

Job description

The opportunity

As the Director of Strategy & Operations, you will be responsible for building, maintaining and scaling surgical services programs. You will become a subject‑matter expert, design experiments that can support 10x growth in active students and work cross‑functionally with Product, Sales, Customer Success, and Operations to advance a key pillar of the company’s growth story. You will oversee a team of Program Directors, instructors and coordinators.

This role reports to the SVP, Operations and is hybrid in NYC.

What you’ll do

• Own the end‑to‑end program delivery of our surgical services programs, including opportunity to expand to other programs.
• Develop and execute innovative initiatives and experiments to accelerate enrollment, student retention and program scale.
• Collaborate regularly with Curriculum, Product, Policy, Sales and Customer Success teams to meet regulatory and accreditor requirements, provide an exceptional student experience and deliver impactful results for provider clients.

What you’ll bring

• Passion for helping students change their lives through education.
• Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, ambiguous environment.
• Highly analytical, with a structured approach to complex problem solving.
• Excellent communication skills in writing and presenting.
• Expert collaborator who can influence and coordinate diverse stakeholders at various levels.
• Willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve high execution standards.
• Rapid learning through experimentation.
• 7+ years of operational experience, ideally in a high‑growth startup.

Bonus points if

• Experience in healthcare or EdTech.
• Leadership of clinicians, program directors or instructors.
• Remote educational delivery experience (online teaching, virtual simulations, VR, etc.).

Benefits and Compensation

• Meaningful equity stake.
• Subsidized medical, dental and vision insurance options.
• 401(k).
• FSA, HSA and commuter benefits.
• Learning stipend.
• Open vacation policy, including:
  • 15 days PTO annually.
  • 15 work‑from‑anywhere days.
  • 10 public holidays observed for 2026.
• Target base salary range: $180,000 – $210,000, part of a competitive total rewards package including equity and benefits.

EEO Statement

Stepful is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or other applicable legally protected characteristic.