Senior Director, Business Operations

What We Do

At Leading Educators (LE), we know that excellent teaching is the most important driver of student success. The moment a student steps foot in the classroom, their opportunity to learn depends on how prepared their teacher is to translate complex content knowledge, standards, and their knowledge of that student into lessons that help them learn deeply and apply their thinking to the real world.

That’s a big lift, and it often happens alone. As a national nonprofit, we partner with school systems to overcome persistent instructional challenges, foster intentional collaboration and adult learning by design, and ignite new possibilities through systemic solutions at the intersection of teaching, talent, and technology.

We work shoulder-to-shoulder with educators at every level of the education system to strengthen their instructional and leadership practices, bring a vision for excellent instruction to life with consistency, and ensure every student reaches their full potential.

Through direct support, strategic advising, innovation pilots, and best-in-class research, we help educators work toward a future where every student is ready to thrive. Learn more about our work at leadingeducators.org.

Internal & External Candidate Application Deadline: 6/15/26

Position

Leading Educators is seeking a visionary Senior Director of Business Operations to transform how our organization operates and scales its impact. In this pivotal role, you'll build the operational systems, processes, and infrastructure that enable our teams to do their best work—ultimately supporting educators and students across the nation. You'll work at the intersection of strategy and execution, championing process excellence, leveraging emerging technologies, and ensuring our organization runs with precision and purpose.

This is not a behind-the-scenes role. You'll partner directly with our Chief Operating Officer and leaders across the organization to identify operational opportunities, implement scalable solutions, and drive meaningful change. From overseeing compliance and contract management to championing AI-enabled innovations, you'll have the autonomy to shape how Leading Educators operates and the visibility to see your work impact our mission daily.

You'll manage the Associate Director of Business Operations, providing coaching and development while overseeing the execution of Business Operations responsibilities. If you thrive on solving intricate operational challenges, building systems that scale, and creating cultures of continuous improvement, this role offers the opportunity to make a lasting difference in an organization committed to educational excellence.

Do you have expertise in…

• Process improvement and operational strategy, with demonstrated success implementing systems that increase efficiency, consistency, and scalability across complex organizations
• Project management and change leadership, with the ability to navigate multiple stakeholders, manage competing priorities, and drive successful outcomes in fast-paced environments
• Compliance, legal infrastructure, and risk management, including experience overseeing contracts, vendor relationships, and regulatory requirements
• Emerging technologies and operational innovation, with the ability to identify, evaluate, and implement AI-enabled solutions that reduce administrative burden and improve decision-making

Do you enjoy…

• Building strong relationships across teams and driving action through influence, collaboration, and trust
• Developing people and creating high-performing teams that are motivated, aligned, and committed to ambitious outcomes
• Tackling complex operational challenges with critical thinking, sound judgment, and practical problem-solving
• Continuous learning and deepening your own leadership effectiveness through reflection, feedback, and professional growth

If you've answered affirmatively to these questions and meet the following prerequisites, we urge you to seize this opportunity. This role calls for the following:

• Minimum 10+ years of work experience and a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent years of experience)
• Proficiency in process improvement and project management; project management certification (PMP) and/or process improvement certification (Lean Six Sigma) is a plus
• Significant experience leading workforce planning and time utilization projects in multilayered organizations
• Strong working knowledge of IT systems, innovations, and best practices
• Comprehensive knowledge of legal compliance and virtual office management protocols
• Demonstrated success leading change efforts across stakeholders and complex organizational landscapes
• Proven ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously while maintaining quality and meeting deadlines
• Excellent critical thinking skills and sound judgment to identify problems, seize opportunities, and generate effective solutions
• Ability to build trusting relationships, inspire confidence, and drive action across a range of stakeholders, including without direct authority

Travel Requirements

• This is a remote position requires moderate travel
• National travel for org retreats, programming, job related travel, or professional development 
• Outside of the above mentioned travel, this person will work from a home office that must be located anywhere within the U.S. 

Questions? We’re here to help.

If you have questions about this role or about our hiring process at any point, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at talent@leadingeducators.org. This inbox is monitored regularly, and we aim to respond within two business days. To ensure your question receives a thoughtful and timely response, we kindly ask that you refrain from emailing individual staff members or members of our HR team directly. The best way to connect with us is always through talent@leadingeducators.org.

Why Work at Leading Educators? 

Imagine being part of an organization where your ideas and perspectives are highly valued. At Leading Educators, we believe in fostering individual strengths, encouraging personal growth, and embracing innovative ideas. If you thrive in a remote working environment, with the added excitement of travel, we're the perfect fit for you. By joining us, you become part of a powerful community of peers nationwide. Regardless of your location, you possess the power to make a significant impact on both students and teachers who rely on us daily. Join Leading Educators and become an integral part of driving progress in education. 

Learn About Our Mission & Values:

Mission: Leading Educators partners with school systems to sustain the teaching, leadership, and conditions for every student to succeed in school and in life.

Values:

• Build on strengths: We affirm and begin with the unique and collective talents, experiences, and wisdom of ourselves and others.Continuously learn: We develop ourselves and others. We apply new learning and deepened self-awareness to our relationships and practices.
• Prioritize people: We build trust and reflect on the impact of different perspectives and experiences.
• Champion success for all: We re-imagine structures, habits, and mindsets to ensure every learner has access to evidence-based learning opportunities.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Hiring

• We use artificial intelligence–enabled tools throughout our hiring process, from the moment a candidate applies through the offer stage, to support administrative tasks and organize candidate materials. These tools help us organize, analyze, and surface relevant information efficiently, but they do not make hiring decisions.

• All candidate materials—including applications, resumes, assessments, and interview feedback—are reviewed and evaluated by people. All hiring decisions, including interview selection, advancement, and offers of employment, are made by humans.

• We use AI solely as a support tool to assist with early-stage reviews and process efficiency. We do not use AI in ways that discriminate based on protected characteristics, nor do we use ZIP codes or similar data to target or exclude protected groups. Our hiring practices are designed to be fair, consistent, and aligned with equal employment opportunity standards.

Benefits

• Compensation: 
  • If hired for this position, the base salary range is $127,487 to $172,483 per year. Most new hires enter the range at a specific point based on their qualifications and the role level. For this position, the standard starting salary is $149,985, which is based on meeting the minimum requirement of 10 years of relevant experience.If you have more than 10 years of directly relevant experience, your starting salary may be adjusted higher within the range, up to a maximum starting salary of $159,627. This approach ensures that candidates with additional experience beyond the minimum are recognized in the initial salary offer.
• Benefits:
  • 100% paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for individual employees. Additional premium costs are covered 60% by Leading Educators for partners and dependents on medical, dental, and vision plans. 4% matching 401k plan, Flexible Spending Accounts for medical, childcare and commuter expenses, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Benefits are valued at or above $9,000 for employees.
• Time Off: 
  • First three years of employment, full time staff accrue 22 days a year. 
  • Five additional days are accrued after the third and sixth year of employment.
  • Leading Educators also offer 22 additional paid days off for various holidays, including three floating holidays staff may use at their discretion.

Equal Opportunity Employment 

Leading Educators is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

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