Associate Director, Systems Operations

Job Title

Job Title: Associate Director, Systems Operations

Team: Systems

Location: Chicago (IL)

Employment Type: Full-time

FLSA Classification: Exempt

Start Date: ASAP

Braven is a national nonprofit that prepares promising college students to secure a strong first opportunity after college graduation through a career-accelerating program.

We work with higher education and employer partners to offer a life-changing experience that begins with a semester-long course for college students, followed by support that lasts through graduation.

Together, our ambition is to help rebuild the middle class and revitalize the American Dream.

In order to achieve its ambition of serving 80, Fellows over the next decade, Braven is hiring an Associate Director, Systems Operations. This role will serve as the operational coordinator for the entire Systems function, ensuring alignment, coordination, and efficient execution across its key departments (IT, Engineering, Salesforce, and Digital Product Management).

As a member of the Systems team, you will be an expert individual contributor focused on increasing operational efficiency and clarity. You will execute a mixture of defined and unique, non-routine tasks, ensuring seamless operational flow and communication across the technical teams and their key organizational stakeholders.

This role is on the Systems team and reports directly to the Chief Technology Officer.

• Maintain and monitor progress on the Systems team roadmap, highlighting high-level initiatives and their alignment with Braven's strategic goals
• Provide dedicated leadership within the Systems team to drive internal processes, optimize workflows, and enhance operational efficiency
• Track and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) for the Systems team, gathering and presenting routine data on operational efficiency, project health, and ticket resolution times
• Assist in managing the annual planning and budget processes for the Systems function, coordinating data collection and documentation from department leads
• Design and execute a process of cyclical reporting on Systems operations for central leaders, external partners, and the broader organization

• Support operational governance and team culture by organizing, planning, and preparing materials for Systems-wide meetings, retreats, and cross-functional check‑ins to drive alignment and clarity
• Manage the Systems-wide calendar and communications flow to ensure all departments (IT, Engineering, Salesforce, Digital Product) are informed of priorities, projects, and deadlines
• Act as the central bridge across Systems departments, identifying dependencies, resource conflicts, and alignment opportunities, and proactively resolving them in partnership with department leaders
• Maintain and update internal process documentation and resources for the Systems team and its stakeholders
• Lead the onboarding and offboarding process for Systems team members, ensuring all technical and operational needs are met

• Act as a trusted liaison for the Systems function, translating priorities and operational realities across the organization and reporting on Systems operations to central leaders, external partners, and the broader organization
• Serve as the central bridge across Systems departments, identifying dependencies, resource conflicts, and alignment opportunities, and resolving them in partnership with department leaders
• Lead and facilitate Systems Team meetings and retreats, including monthly team meetings and cross-functional check‑ins, ensuring alignment, clarity, and connection to Braven's mission and vision

• Bachelor's degree
• At least 4 years of experience in an operations, project management, or administrative support role, preferably supporting a technical or complex function
• Experience executing a mixture of defined and unique, non-routine tasks
• Fluency in Google Suite (Docs, Sheets, Slides)

• Demonstrated commitment to building strong and welcoming cultures that help to develop others
• Exemplification of Braven's core values
• Experience that has informed your belief in Braven's mission and has prepared you to work with, or for, Braven's student Fellow population
• Experience in the education, government, or nonprofit sector
• Experience with a CRM system like Salesforce or similar
• Experience with project management tools such as Asana or Jira
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to adjust style across different audiences
• Strong organizational skills with a proven ability to create and execute project plans with high attention to detail and meet deadlines
• Comfortable seeking out, receiving, and implementing constructive feedback; demonstrating a commitment to continuous learning and improvement

Please know that no one ever meets 100% of the…