National Operations Director Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The Director of National Operations is a strategic leader responsible for leading and managing operational plans and processes across Year Up United's regions. Reporting to the Senior Director, Program Strategy and Operations, this role oversees a team of Operations leaders who manage day-to-day hybrid and in-office operations across multiple locations in direct support of Year Up United programming.
In collaboration with stakeholders, the Director will design and implement strategies to enhance in-person student engagement, drive process standardization, and ensure operational excellence across geographies. They will focus on delivering a high-quality, consistent experience for students, staff, and strategic partners while continuously streamlining operations to improve efficiency and effectiveness and reduce cost to serve.
Success in this role requires a forward-thinking, proactive leader with a strong track record in operational management, process improvement, and team leadership. The ideal candidate will excel in a fast-paced environment, foster cross-functional collaboration, and bring exceptional communication skills and a customer-focused mindset to plan and advance organizational goals.
This is an in-person role requiring 5 days in office engagement to the designated Year Up United location. Applicants must live within a reasonable commutable distance to a Year Up United location.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Lead Standards for Exceptional Management of National Portfolio of Sites

• Lead facilities operations across multiple states.

• Develop and execute operational strategies that improve efficiency, service quality, and cost performance.

• Manage operating budgets and capital improvement programs.

• Direct regional operations teams, building facilities managers, and vendor partners.

• Oversee preventive maintenance, compliance, safety, and risk management.

• Negotiate and manage national service contracts.

• Drive workplace experience, sustainability, and continuous improvement initiatives, and other duties as assigned.

• Establish KPIs, performance dashboards, and operational reporting for executive leadership.

Manage Real Estate Planning

• Lead the end-to-end real estate planning and execution process to support national business operations, including identifying and evaluating potential sites, overseeing location selection, and all aspects of office moves and transitions.

• Assess prospective spaces by evaluating with key stakeholders operational requirements, workforce and training capacity needs, accessibility, regulatory considerations, and financial feasibility.

• Partner with cross-functional teams, including Finance and Legal, to develop and advance plans for new locations, relocations, and lease renewals.

• Develop transition planning and operational readiness for new sites, ensuring alignment across all business functions before launch. This includes coordinating cross-functional planning with Legal, IT, Marketing, and external teams to ensure seamless execution to ensure occupancy and operational readiness.

• Establish project timelines, governance, and performance metrics to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery of new locations and facility initiatives.

• Drive portfolio optimization by analyzing utilization, capacity, operating costs, and strategic needs, and long-range facility plans.

• Develop and maintain long-term real estate strategies that support organizational objectives, operational efficiency, and workforce requirements.

Operations, Process Improvement, and Leadership

• Develop and implement a comprehensive operational framework and strategic plan for operating across geographies,

• Collaborating with leadership to streamline, standardize, and optimize processes for greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

• Responsible for leading the Student Centralized Asset Management Program (CAM) across all geographies in which we serve students.

• Lead initiatives within Enterprise Health and Safety (EHS) needs of the organization.

• Manage and mentor a multi-geography team to deliver high-quality hybrid and in-person operations while fostering a culture of accountability and excellence.

• Cultivate and maintain productive relationships with external partners (to include colleges, CBOs, and corporate partners), service providers, and vendors to support operational goals.

• Regularly evaluate and report operational performance, identifying opportunities to improve resource utilization and meet organizational objectives.

• Manage the annual budget, implementing effective tracking systems to ensure financial accountability.

• Lead special projects focused on increasing operational effectiveness and efficiency.

Program, Community, and Volunteer Engagement

• Collaborate with leaders across the organization managing Year Up United offerings to shape and execute a vision for in-person student engagement that maximizes success.

• Partner with National Teams (Events, Development, Corporate Engagement, and Talent Networks) to elevate the Year Up United brand and align programming with revenue and mission goals.

• Coordinate and execute high-impact volunteer and partner programming, including guest speaker series, Fireside Chats, Manager Meet and Greets, mock interviews, in partnership with Development, Corporate Engagement, and Events teams.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring alignment between service delivery and business objectives.

• Conduct post-program reviews and provide key metric reports to assess and improve in-person programming outcomes.

Change Management and Growth Initiatives

• Lead initiatives to align operational practices across offerings, enhancing organizational capability and consistency.

• Focus on improving customer experience and staff productivity through technology and process innovations.

• Identify and lead special projects to increase effectiveness and efficiency.

Learning Community Member

• Actively participate in Year Up United's Learning Community, supporting students as a coach, facilitator, and/or mentor.

• Engage in weekly group sessions with students and contribute to a positive, inclusive educational environment.

• Participate in staff meetings, training, and ongoing professional development initiatives.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years of real estate and facilities management experience.

• 6-7 years of experience in operational and strategic roles within high-performing organizations.

• 2-3 years of management experience.

• This is an in person role requiring 5 days in office engagement to the designated Year Up United location. Applicants must live within a reasonable commutable distance to a Year Up United location.

• Strong decision-making skills with orientation to flawless execution in dynamic environments.

• Excellent project management and budget management skills.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

• Customer service mindset with strong relationship skills to support and engage with internal and external stakeholders to include high stakes partners.

• Strong organizational and time management skills with exceptional attention to detail.

• Collaborative leadership style with strong problem-solving abilities.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Salesforce preferred.

• A passion for working with young adults, an unshakable belief in their potential, and a strong commitment to the mission of Year Up United.

• Understanding of the Opportunity Divide and its drivers.

• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

Salary Range: $120,000 - $145,000
#LI-Hybrid
WORKING AT YEAR UP UNITED:
Starting January 5, 2026, employees are expected to work on-site at least two days per week (Monday through Thursday dependent on job requirements). To be eligible for employment, candidates must live and work in a state (or an approved proximate state*) where Year Up United operates. For a list of eligible locations, please visit: https://www.yearup.org/job-training/locations
*Approved proximate states where Year Up United operates are: Connecticut, Indiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, South Carolina and Virginia.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

• Year Up United has established salary ranges for each of our sites, which allows us to pay employees competitively, equitably and consistently in different geographic markets. For roles in which the location is listed as flexible, the range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations. Salary offers take into account a candidate's skills, experience, and location. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.
• Benefits: Comprehensive healthcare options and dental coverage; 401(k) match for eligible participants.
• Vacation: Earn three weeks paid vacation in first year of employment; four weeks after initial year.

** This is an exempt role (paid on a salaried basis). **
ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION:
Year Up United is a national 501(c)3 workforce development organization committed to ensuring equitable access to economic opportunity, education, and justice for all young adults-no matter their background, income, or zip code. Employers face a growing need for talent while millions of talented young adults lack access to meaningful careers. These inequities only further perpetuate the opportunity gap that exists in our country-a gap that Year Up United is determined and positioned to close through three interconnected strategies: providing targeted skills training and connections to livable-wage employment for students and alumni; empowering others to serve and support young adults, and changing systems that perpetuate the opportunity gap. Year Up United's intensive training program utilizes a high expectations, high support model where students learn in-demand technical and professional skills and apply them during a corporate internship. Year Up United has directly served more than 40,000 young adults since its founding in 2000. Year Up United's nationwide presence includes Arizona, Austin, Bay Area, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Greater Atlanta, Greater Boston, Greater Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, the National Capital Region, New York City/Jersey City, Pittsburgh, Puget Sound, Rhode Island, South Florida, Tampa Bay, and Wilmington.
Voted one of the Best Nonprofits to Work For in the country by The NonProfit Times, Year Up United is a rewarding and impactful place to work. Our staff is passionate, supportive, mission-driven, and committed to positive change and continuous learning. We set high standards for both ourselves and our students and live by a set of core values that reflect an unshakable belief in the talent and potential of our young people. The work we do is life-changing, and we know that our team is the greatest asset in achieving our mission.
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY:
Year Up United embraces diversity and equal opportunity in a serious way. All aspects of employment, including the decision to hire, promote, discharge, or discipline, are based on meritocracy. We do not permit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristics protected by federal, state, or local laws. Learn more about our commitment to diversity: http://www.yearup.org/about-us/careers/commitment-to-diversity/
Year Up United is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Your recruiter can provide details regarding the expected work environment and any physical requirements. Please let our hiring team know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process. Information received relating to accommodation will be addressed confidentially.
TO APPLY:
Please submit a thoughtful cover letter and resume through our website.
We respectfully request no phone calls.