Director of Program Operations

About Lead For America

Lead For America (LFA)  is dedicated to providing place-based service opportunities to local individuals to help mission-driven organizations advance solutions that are informed by place and responsive to community. The American Connection Corps (ACC), launched by LFA in 2021, is an  AmeriCorps service program focused on closing the digital divide in digitally disconnected communities. Supported by a broad coalition of partners including AmeriCorps and major corporations, ACC has members serving in 30 states across the country. 

Department Context:

The Programs Department at Lead For America is dedicated to designing, implementing, and evaluating impactful programs that align with the organization's mission. Our department plays a pivotal role in ensuring that Lead for America’s programs are thoughtfully developed, executed with excellence, and evaluated for long-term impact. Through our work, we focus on staying committed to our core values of Connection, Innovation, Service, Stewardship, and Trust.

The Programs Department is responsible for aligning each initiative with Lead For America’s mission. Through the thoughtful management of program budgets, oversight of execution, and rigorous evaluation, we measure the effectiveness of our work, ensuring that it meets both the immediate needs of the communities we serve and long-term goals.

Role Expectations:

The Director of Program Operations ensures that Lead For America’s programmatic vision becomes a high-quality, lived experience for all stakeholders. Acting as the bridge between program design and real-world execution, this role is accountable for operationalizing LFA programs, driving clarity, accountability, and excellence in delivery.

This role reports to the Chief Operating Officer and partners closely with the Director of Program Design and Member Development. They will also supervise a team of Program Coordinators—who serve as critical feedback conduits between program design and on-the-ground realities—and ensure all program activities are implemented smoothly and aligned with intended outcomes.

What You’ll Do:
Operational Leadership & Execution (40%):

• Translate program design into actionable operational plans and processes that ensure smooth delivery of Lead For America’s core programs.
• Oversee the day-to-day and long-term execution of program operations including Member and Host Site onboarding, Programs convenings, and partner communications.
• Ensure timelines, deliverables, and standards are met across all key programmatic phases.

Systems, Processes & Continuous Improvement (20%):

• Build and refine systems and workflows that allow for consistent, scalable execution across cohorts and regions.
• Use project management tools and data dashboards to monitor progress and identify pain points.
• Lead the development and iteration of SOPs to institutionalize best practices and drive operational consistency.

Feedback Loops & Cross-Functional Collaboration (15%):

• Maintain tight feedback loops with the Director of Program Design and Member Development, Implementation team (Program Coordinators), and Recruitment & Selection team to identify, escalate, and resolve program design, recruitment, and implementation challenges (current state, for ACC Member and Host Site experience, and future state programs).
• Coordinate with other departments (e.g., Finance, Development, Communications) to ensure operational alignment and resource availability.
• Manage external communications and relationships when design misalignments impact partners or stakeholders.

Management (10%):

• Serve as the direct manager to:
• Provide support, thought partnership and prioritization to the Program Coordinators as they navigate the wins and challenges of their role, ensuring they are equipped to monitor, articulate, and assess whether program design is functioning as intended
• Support Program Coordinators in serving as liaisons between program participants, design leads, and operations—functioning as both implementers and quality monitors
• Meet 1:1 at least weekly with the Program Coordinators to promote open communication, professional development, and strategic planning
• Support in drafting, reviewing and maintenance of annual Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), while also conducting performance reviews for the (Role)
• Approve expenses and time off requests through LFA’s HRIS platform
• New Hire onboarding to your department

Input and maintain data in CRM and relevant tracking systems (5%):

• Understand how to use (CRM) and other systems effectively
• Ensure data integrity and accurate, up-to-date records for relationship management activities, company interaction, and leads including entering and updating information to have real time accurate data in (CRM)
• Utilize tracking systems for your work streams that allows for regular analysis of owned workstreams

Organizational Requirements (10%): 

In addition to the responsibilities unique to the Role described above, all Team members devote a portion of their time to supporting strategic and operational efforts across our teams that advance the organization:

• Compliance for org-wide administration - expense reporting, benefits, KPI tracking
• Taking part in additional organizational initiatives, priorities, and responsibilities, as needed.

Qualifications:

7–10 years of experience in the international NGO and/or national public sector — with a strong track record of translating strategy into effective program operations at scale. You bring hands-on experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives and ensuring they run smoothly, on time, and with impact.

Proven team management experience — you’ve supervised and developed staff, created clarity around roles and expectations, and led teams through planning, execution, and continuous improvement. You lead with empathy, directness, and a commitment to shared goals.

Operational and project management expertise — you're skilled at building systems, processes, and tools that support high-quality program implementation. You excel at managing logistics, timelines, and workflows, and know how to keep complex initiatives moving forward.

Strong problem-solving and feedback orientation — you’re adept at identifying implementation challenges, gathering input, and iterating toward solutions. You help close the loop between program design, delivery, and improvement.

Data- and outcomes-driven — you track performance and progress against goals, use data to inform decisions, and contribute to a culture of accountability and learning.

Cross-functional collaborator — you work effectively across functions and departments (e.g., Program Design, Recruitment & Selection, Finance, Marketing & Communications, Development) and know how to align resources and information to support program success.

Operational budgeting and resource alignment — you’ve worked within or managed program budgets, tracked expenses, and partnered with Finance to ensure operational needs are resourced effectively.

Commitment to equity and inclusion — you integrate equity principles into operational systems and team management, and you’re attentive to how processes impact diverse stakeholders.

Mission alignment — you care deeply about the power of national service and civic leadership, and you’re motivated to support the people and systems that make community-rooted change possible.

Below is the anticipated minimum and maximum salaries we can provide at this time. Starting salary is dependent on role and experience level. Based on these factors, the below salary range is subject to vary considerably. Note that salaries are expected to rise over time with increased experience, inflation, and the growth of the organization, and that for most roles there is ample opportunity for promotion.

Salary Range: $100,000-$120,000