Senior Director of Strategic Operations

American University; Washington; Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

American University’s WAMU 88.5 seeks a Senior Director of Strategic Operations to partner with the COO, establishing the operating cadence and performance standards.

You will lead enterprise initiatives, develop planning frameworks, and ensure accountable execution across Finance, Technology, Advancement, People & Culture, and Content, delivering measurable results.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
• 8–10 years of relevant experience.
• Master's degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in operations, enterprise initiative management, or strategic project leadership.
• Experience advising executive leadership and leading enterprise-wide strategic initiatives that require influence across multiple functions without direct authority.
• Expertise in project and portfolio management tools (Asana, Smartsheet, Monday, or similar).
• Strong analytical and synthesis skills; able to translate complexity into clear, actionable plans.
• Exceptional communication, facilitation, and executive presentation abilities.
• Adept at balancing strategic thinking with tactical execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and execution of enterprise-wide strategic initiatives tied to the Operating Plan.
• Partner with executive leadership to translate organizational strategy into enterprise execution plans, defining priorities, success measures, governance, accountability, and organizational outcomes.
• Partner with initiative sponsors and leaders to maintain focus, anticipate challenges, and ensure delivery milestones are met.
• Recommend strategic solutions to complex organizational challenges and advise executive leadership on emerging risks, opportunities, and competing priorities.
• Design, implement, and continuously improve the enterprise framework governing strategic initiatives, organizational priorities, and interdependencies.
• Establish enterprise standards and governance practices for defining, prioritizing, launching, and monitoring strategic initiatives.
• Coach WAMU leaders and initiative sponsors in applying enterprise planning disciplines, risk management, and organizational accountability practices.
• Lead the organization’s operating rhythm, including enterprise planning, quarterly business reviews, annual planning, executive reporting, and strategic decision support.
• Develop executive decision-support materials that synthesize organizational performance, risks, resource needs, and strategic opportunities.
• Influence and align executive leaders across Finance, Technology, Advancement, People & Culture, and Content.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, influencing alignment across organizational priorities, governance, and strategic decision making.
• Lead resolution of highly complex cross-functional issues requiring executive judgment, organizational consensus, and strategic tradeoff decisions.
• Build organizational capability by coaching leaders in strategic execution, accountability, and enterprise collaboration.
• Develop the organization's enterprise performance framework, recommending organizational metrics that inform executive decisionmaking and long-term strategic planning.
• Identify systemic organizational risks, emerging trends, operational opportunities, and recommend executive actions to improve organizational effectiveness.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts that strengthen enterprise operating practices, organizational effectiveness, and strategic execution.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Executive communication

Facilitation

Strategy execution

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Master's degree

Tools

Asana

Smartsheet

Monday.com

Job description

American University is a student-centered research institutionlocated in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges,internationally-renowned faculty, and a reputation for creatingmeaningful change in the world. Learn more about American University

Department:

Operations

Time Type:

Full time

Job Type:

Regular

FLSA Status:

Exempt

Work Modality:

Hybrid 01 (On Campus 3-4 Days/Week)

Union:

Excluded

Job Description:

Summary:

WAMU 88.5 is a public media station owned and operated by AmericanUniversity. WAMU is the source for local, regional and NPR news andoriginal programs in Washington DC. Since 1961, WAMU has beenamplifying voices and sharing stories from the many neighborhoodsand communities in the District of Columbia, Maryland andVirginia.

The Senior Director of Strategic Operations serves as a strategicadvisor and operational partner to the Chief Operating Officer,advancing the COO's strategic priorities by establishing theoperating cadence, planning frameworks, and performance standardsthat guide execution across WAMU. Under the direction of the COO,the role works with senior leaders and their organizations to buildalignment, implement consistent operating practices, and ensureenterprise initiatives are executed with accountability andmeasurable results. Through influence, collaboration, andindependent judgment, the Director strengthens organizationaleffectiveness without assuming operational ownership of functionaldepartments.

Essential Functions:

1.) Drive Enterprise Initiatives

• Lead development and execution of enterprise wide strategicinitiatives tied to the Operating Plan, advising executiveleadership on priorities, sequencing, organizational risks andresource requirements.(e.g., data framework development, technologymodernization, enterprise onboarding).

• Partner with executive leadership to translate organizationalstrategy into enterprise execution plans, defining priorities,success measures, governance, accountability, and organizationaloutcomes. Translate strategic goals into actionable plans. Definescope, success metrics, sponsors, DRIs (directly responsibleindividuals), stakeholders, and contributors.

• Partner with initiative sponsors and leaders to maintain focus,anticipate challenges, and ensure delivery milestones are met.

• Recommend strategic solutions to complex organizationalchallenges and advise executive leadership on emerging risks,opportunities, and competing priorities.

2.) Establish a Unified Execution Framework

• Design, implement, and continuously improve the enterpriseframework governing strategic initiatives, organizationalpriorities, and interdependencies.

• Establish enterprise standards and governance practices fordefining, prioritizing, launching, and monitoring strategicinitiatives.

• Coach WAMU leaders and initiative sponsors in applyingenterprise planning disciplines, risk management, andorganizational accountability practices.

3.) Orchestrate the Operating Rhythm

• Lead the organization’s operating rhythm, including enterpriseplanning, quarterly business reviews, annual planning, executivereporting, and strategic decision support.

• Develop executive decision-support materials that synthesizeorganizational performance, risks, resource needs, and strategicopportunities.

• Influence and align executive leaders across Finance,Technology, Advancement, People & Culture, and Content toensure enterprise priorities are integrated, appropriatelyresourced, and aligned with organizational strategy.

4.) Enable Collaboration and Accountability

• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, influencingalignment across organizational priorities, governance, andstrategic decision making.

• Lead resolution of highly complex cross-functional issuesrequiring executive judgment, organizational consensus, andstrategic tradeoff decisions.

• Build organizational capability by coaching leaders instrategic execution, accountability, and enterprisecollaboration.

5.) Measure and Improve Performance

• Develop the organization's enterprise performance framework,recommending organizational metrics that inform executive decisionmaking and long-term strategic planning.

• Identify systemic organizational risks, emerging trends,operational opportunities, and recommend executive actions toimprove organizational effectiveness.

• Lead continuous improvement efforts that strengthen enterpriseoperating practices, organizational effectiveness, and strategicexecution.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

• Full-time.
• 35 hours per week
• Hybrid work modality (3 - 4 days per week in office).

Salary Range:

• $140,000.00 - $155,000.00 annually.

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent.

• 8 - 10 years of relevant experience.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Master's degree.

• 10+ years of relevant experience.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in operations, enterprise initiativemanagement, or strategic project leadership.

• Demonstrated success advising executive leadership and leadingenterprise-wide strategic initiatives that require influence acrossmultiple functions without direct authority.

• Expertise in project and portfolio management tools (Asana,Smartsheet, Monday, or similar).

• Strong analytical and synthesis skills; able to translatecomplexity into clear, actionable plans.

• Exceptional communication, facilitation, and executivepresentation abilities.

• Adept at balancing strategic thinking with tacticalexecution.

Other Duties:

• Please note this job description is not designed to cover orcontain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties orresponsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time withor without notice.

Benefits

AU offers a competitive benefits package. Click here to learn about American University's unique benefitoptions .

Other Details

• Hiring offers for this position are contingent on successfulcompletion of a background check.
  
  
• Employees in staff positions at American University mustdeliver their services to the university from either the Districtof Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia, or perform work on-site at theuniversity.
  
  
• Please note this job announcement is not designed to cover orcontain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties orresponsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any timewith or without notice.
  
  
• American University is an E-Verify employer.
  
  

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