Director, Operations & Information Systems

We seek an experienced, dynamic leader to support our mission to radically improve nonprofits’ use of information systems for mission success.

This role will oversee the continuous improvement and support of the full suite of business applications that support all of Exponent Partners’ business units.  The successful candidate will be the key partner to these business units in using information technology to drive measurable, demonstrable improvement in vital strategic capabilities and critical business processes.

This leader will demonstrate the ability to continuously improve and implement cohesive operations and IS strategies and plans; systematically operate lean, high-performance IS change and support processes; and provide high value to internal business unit customers.

The successful candidate will:

• Develop and standardize a single information systems platform to strengthen our competitive edge by promoting best practices, streamlining staff onboarding, improving employee satisfaction and engagement, and generating actionable data insights through daily operations.
• Improve operational efficiency, effectiveness, and measurability for better clarity and transparency.
• Lead the development and implementation of a unified, organization-wide view of operations and business processes.

Operations:

• Serve internal customers: Work closely with senior leaders in marketing, sales, finance, talent, and other departments to understand business needs, strategic capabilities, and business process requirements. Support them with operations and information systems improvements.
• Central operations: Identify opportunities to centralize particular business processes to drive greater quality, efficiency, and effectiveness. Implement and operate these in partnership with the accountable business units.
• Drive business value: Create business process clarity, transparency, and alignment across the organization.  Improve operational efficiency across business units by utilizing IS best practices, business process improvement, and automation. Accelerate time to value through lean and agile practices.
• Performance management: Enhance key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure operational efficiency, productivity, and effectiveness. Align to company-wide goals and operating model. Ensure real-time transparency into performance. Support continuous improvement with data and insight.
• Risk Management: Oversee risk management strategies to identify and mitigate operational risks, ensuring business continuity and sustainability in day-to-day operations.

Business Systems:

• Leadership: Determine our business's collective information systems, business process, and operational support needs. Generate and socialize a vision for an integrated systems platform. Align it toward lean, adaptable, and scalable services. Create a culture of learning and innovation that integrates leading-edge technologies with sound IS best practices.
• Information Systems Strategy & Roadmap: Develop a comprehensive IS strategy that supports the company’s short—and long-term goals, drives learning and innovation, and delivers high-value capabilities for Exponent Partners and our clients. Through an information systems roadmap, prioritize and sequence information systems and operations change initiatives.
• Cybersecurity & Data Governance: Ensure the integrity, security, and compliance of all technology systems, including developing policies for cybersecurity, data privacy, and governance.
• Vendor Management: Manage relationships with technology vendors and service providers, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and delivering high value to ExP.

Leadership & Team Management:

• Cross-Departmental Leadership: Lead and inspire cross-functional teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement across operations and technology teams.
• Talent Development: Build, mentor, and retain high-performing operational and IT teams, providing opportunities for skill development, career growth, and leadership within the organization.
• Change Management: Drive change management initiatives across the organization to ensure the smooth adoption of new technologies, processes, and methods of working.

Required Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems (MIS), Business Information Systems (BIS), Business Analytics, Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience:
  • At least 10+ years of experience in leadership roles within operations and IT, including experience in senior management or leadership-level positions (CIO, COO, etc.).
  • Strong background in business process optimization, enterprise technology management, change management, and building organizational capability. Proven track record of leading successful technology initiatives that align with business strategy and objectives and deliver measurable results.
  • Demonstrated experience with ITSM and continuous service delivery and agility. Demonstrated experience with enterprise Lean, Scrum (agile), Scaled Agile (enterprise multi-team agile), Kanban, etc. is a plus.
• Skills:
  • Exceptional leadership, organization, and initiative, with the ability to influence and drive change at all levels of the organization.
  • Strong communication skills are essential, including clarity in written and verbal exchanges, proficiency with asynchronous communication, effective use of tools (gMail, gChat, Zoom, Confluence, Lattice, et al.), active listening, and the ability to provide constructive feedback.
  • A learning mindset applied to meeting business needs with sophisticated information systems tools such as cloud platforms (salesforce.com, AWS, Google, etc.), data analytics (business intelligence, data lakes and warehouses, data integration, etc.), artificial intelligence, and enterprise applications (ERP, CRM, Enterprise Service Management, etc.).
  • Strong understanding of operational processes and best practices across various business functions.
  • Ability to balance strategic thinking with tactical execution, ensuring services are delivered at high velocity and with high value.
  • Strong business acumen, including value maximization, cost containment,  and resource allocation.

Key Competencies:

• Inspiring Leadership: Ability to set clear direction, goals, and plans, and inspire teams to innovate and succeed.
• Problem Solving & Decision Making: Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to solve complex operational and technology-related challenges.
• Collaboration: Ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams, departments, and external partners to drive organizational success.
• Resilience & Adaptability: Can navigate ambiguity and lead teams through periods of change and transformation.

Why Join Us?

We offer a unique opportunity to help shape the future of how information systems drive radically better impact for our nonprofit clients. If you are an experienced leader passionate about innovation and transformative change, we would love to meet you.

Keywords

OperationsInformation SystemsLeadershipBusiness ProcessTechnologyChange ManagementCybersecurityData GovernanceVendor ManagementTalent DevelopmentBusiness AcumenCollaborationProblem SolvingDecision MakingResilienceAdaptability