Associate Director, Accelerator Operation

Job Title: Associate Director, Accelerator Operations

Team: Product

Location: In-Person in Atlanta (GA), Chicago (IL),  or New York City (NYC) 

Employment Type: Full-time

Start Date: ASAP

About Braven

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.

To learn more, take a look at Braven’s Jobs Report.

About the Role

In order to achieve its ambition of serving 80,000-100,000 Fellows over the next decade, Braven is hiring an Associate Director, Accelerator Operations, to own and evolve the systems and processes that enable seamless Accelerator delivery across all sites.

As a member of Braven’s Product Team, you will scale our program operations and ensure consistent, effective implementation of Accelerator, our credit-bearing course, across all sites while maintaining high standards of quality, efficiency, and program fidelity. You will serve as a key partner to regional and central colleagues, facilitating seamless operations, driving continuous improvement, and contributing to the achievement of strong Fellow outcomes.

This role offers the opportunity to lead and evolve multiple operational workstreams that enable successful Accelerator delivery, such as systems design, process improvement, data management, training, and stakeholder experience. Over time, the portfolio may expand or shift based on organizational priorities, providing room for growth and cross-functional collaboration.

As a member of the Program Operations team, you’ll play a critical role in designing and managing the systems and processes that support Braven’s ambitious growth, ensuring that every Fellow, Leadership Coach, and partner experiences a smooth and high-quality Accelerator journey.

This role reports directly to the Senior Director, Accelerator Operations.

What You’ll Do

Lead Central Accelerator Program Operations (40%)

• Provide strategic and operational oversight of key Accelerator workstreams to ensure seamless, consistent, and high-quality program delivery across sites.
• Oversee and continuously improve critical workflows that enable program success, balancing quality, scalability, and user experience.
• Develop and maintain clear documentation, SOPs, and escalation protocols that guide regional and central users.
• Facilitate quality assurance practices to monitor fidelity, surface risks, and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

Design and Manage Scalable Program Systems (30%)

• Build and refine tools, templates, and systems that drive efficiency, standardization, and operational excellence across Accelerator functions.
• Serve as a product owner for one or more operational areas, ensuring systems are well-designed, maintained, and responsive to evolving needs.
• Track key operational metrics and implement feedback loops to improve process effectiveness and stakeholder experience.

Enable and Support Cross-Functional Teams (20%)

• Lead onboarding, training, and ongoing capacity-building for teams using Accelerator operational systems.
• Serve as a thought partner and go-to resource for regional and central staff, providing clarity and troubleshooting support.
• Develop scalable, self-serve learning resources and guidance to sustain high-quality program delivery as Braven grows.

Drive Continuous Improvement and Special Projects (10%)

• Analyze data, trends, and feedback to identify opportunities for innovation and increased efficiency across Accelerator operations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners (e.g., Systems, Product Ops, Volunteer, and External Affairs) to enhance the user experience and strengthen infrastructure.
• Contribute to broader Braven initiatives that advance operational excellence and enable long-term growth.
  
  

Minimum Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• Experience: 4+ years in program, project, or operations management—ideally in education, nonprofit, or similar mission-driven environments
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing scalable operational systems
• Excellent organization, prioritization, and project management skills
• Strong collaboration and communication abilities, with comfort working cross-functionally

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience building and leading complex operational or programmatic initiatives across multiple sites or stakeholder groups
• Experience designing and delivering training across distributed teams that supports operational excellence
• Proven ability to analyze, optimize, and scale systems while maintaining program fidelity and quality
• Background in one or more of the following domains: stakeholder management, academic operations, or event logistics
• Familiarity with CRM, project management, or workflow systems (e.g., Salesforce, Jira, Asana, Airtable, or similar platforms)
• 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.

Please know that no one ever meets 100% of the preferred qualifications. If much of this describes you, we encourage you to apply.

Work Demands

• Ability to work in-person in Atlanta (GA), Chicago (IL), or New York City (NYC) at least 3 days per week
• Occasional evening or weekend program support (6-8 times per year)
• Limited travel (no more than 3–4 weeks per year)

Additional Requirements

• Authorized to work in the U.S.
• Braven doesn’t offer employment visa sponsorship

Application & Interview Process

While the interview process may vary slightly, the general process will be:

• Phone screen with Talent Team member
• Performance Task
• Interview with Hiring Manager
• Panel Interview with Key Partners
• Reference Checks

Compensation and Benefits

Braven offers competitive base salaries based on the midpoint of the market among not-for-profit organizations of similar size, with opportunities for salary growth over time. We believe in compensating staff members fairly in relation to each other, their qualifications, and their impact on behalf of the organization, and take internal and external equity seriously. Given our commitment to equity, Braven does not negotiate salary offers; instead, each salary offer is determined carefully using external and internal benchmarking.

New hires can expect a starting salary at the beginning of the range to allow room for growth with performance and so that Braven maintains internal equity. The salary ranges, by geographic market, for this role are set forth $59,500-$74,300 in Atlanta, $62,700-$78,300 in Chicago, and $69,000-$86,200 in New York. This is a full-time, regular, exempt, and benefits eligible position where you will be working at 100% capacity.  

Braven also provides competitive, comprehensive benefits, recognition, and career development. While Braven reserves the right to change benefits at any time, current benefits include: 

• Unlimited vacation time in addition to org-wide holidays and week-long shutdowns in July and the end of the calendar year (this is a minimum of 19 days per year)
• Braven supports your path to parenthood and beyond with $25,000 in lifetime Carrot benefits for fertility, family-building, and hormonal health

• Match of your 401K contribution up to 5% of your base annual salary, starting your first full month
• Coverage of 85% of health insurance premium for employee and dependents
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• A one-month paid sabbatical after 4 years on staff

Please note that Braven is firm in its compensation philosophy; therefore, only candidates who believe that our total rewards package matches what they are looking for in their next opportunity are encouraged to apply. 

Location

We gather in the office at least 3 days per week (on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) and often work remotely 2 days per week (although certain commitments might adjust that from time to time). Therefore, this role requires teammates to live within commuting distance of one of our hubs: Atlanta, Chicago, or New York City. We believe in the magic, connection, and collaboration that happens when people work together face-to-face and we believe in giving people flexibility to focus, balance personal priorities, and save themselves two commutes per week.

Braven is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected factor.  We encourage talented individuals of all backgrounds to apply.