Director, Strategy

Job Title Director, Strategy Team Insights & Strategy Planning Location Hybrid in Chicago (IL) strongly preferred, Atlanta (GA), Newark (NJ), or New York (NYC) Employment Type Full-time FLSA Classification Exempt 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. About The Role In order to achieve its ambition of serving 80,000-100,000 Fellows over the next decade, Braven is hiring a Director, Strategy who will work with Braven's leadership to set and monitor overall strategic direction for the organization and lead and execute strategic projects important to our short-term and long-term financial, operational, and scale goals. You will leverage strategic and analytical strengths to design and own a portfolio of strategic projects that drive impact. You will also lead cross-functional project teams and manage outside consultants as needed. You read context well, operate comfortably in ambiguity, demonstrate utmost discretion, and know how and when to take the best next step without waiting to be asked. This role is on the Insights & Strategy team and reports directly to the Head of Insights & Strategy. What You'll Do Strategic Initiatives and Projects (35%) Lead the development and execution of strategic initiatives and projects directly alongside executive leaders, ensuring alignment with our business model and program model. Example projects might include evolving Braven's regional and central business units and developing & executing a new change management framework Collaborate with the executive team to identify and evaluate new business opportunities and partnerships that align with Braven's strategic goals. Lead working groups that drive our strategic plan to execution, codify decisions and next steps, report progress to Braven's leadership, and make recommendations for unlocking. Establish and achieve key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the success of strategic initiatives. Organizational Goal-Setting and Monitoring (35%) Design, build, and manage a system to document, cascade, and monitor Braven's most important metrics across program and organizational health. Own the build, rollout, and maintenance of Braven's regional and organizational health dashboards and other department-specific dashboards to monitor KPIs. Facilitating Leadership & Cross-Functional Spaces (20%) Support the planning and facilitation of two leadership bodies at Braven: Central Leads (c-suite direct reports of the CEO) and One Braven (broader leadership group). Example activities include planning and executing stepbacks, maintaining the knowledge base for both, preparing agendas, and creating content. Annual and Multi-Year Planning (10%) Facilitate, project manage, and lead aspects of multi-year and annual planning processes. Provide ongoing thought partnership and data-driven decision support for the Alignment Team (Braven's leadership team). For all of the above responsibilities, use AI in responsible, smart, and human-valuing ways to continuously improve the effectiveness and efficiency of your work. Minimum Requirements Bachelor's degree 5+ years of relevant experience Fluency in Excel/Google Sheets and SQL Proficiency in designing and building dashboards and visualizations for business end users and/or organizational leaders (Tableau preferred) Extensive experience writing and presenting compelling data-driven stories, arguments, and narratives for internal and external audiences. Preferred Qualifications MBA and/or experience in strategy consulting Proficiency in Google Suite, Slack, and Jira Proficiency in Salesforce Proficiency in Python or R Highly entrepreneurial - someone who is curious and can take initiative, with a capacity to independently think holistically and strategically. Skilled at building trusted and credible relationships with multiple stakeholders. You seek to understand others' problems and use your own perspective to solve problems together. Ability to make complex tasks simple for yourself and others by applying clear logic and processes to component steps. Excellent time management and prioritization skills, which allow you to manage your own time and energy and seek the right help to complete multiple projects well and on time. Learner's mindset, which you use to master new tools, software, and ways of working. Effective at mentoring and coaching team members and helping them develop professionally. Your experiences have informed your belief in Braven's mission and have prepared you to work with or for Braven's student population. Work Demands Ability to work in-person in Chicago (IL), Atlanta (GA), Newark (NJ), or New York City (NYC) at least 3 days per week. Ability to travel out-of-town 3-6 times/year for quarterly team meetings and other gatherings. Additional Requirements Authorized to work in the U.S. Braven doesn't offer employment visa sponsorship. Benefits Compensation and Benefits Base salary ranges: $101,200 - $126,400 in Chicago; $95,900 - $119,800 in Atlanta; $111,300 - $139,100 in New York and/or New Jersey. Ranges are based on a 50‑hour work week and are set by role scope and qualifications. New hires start at the lower end, with growth opportunities and no negotiation of salary expectations. Full-time, regular, exempt, and benefits-eligible position. 100% cap at 50 hours per week. Unlimited vacation time in addition to organization-wide holidays and week-long shutdowns in July and the end of the calendar year (minimum 19 days per year). Braven supports career development: $25,000 lifetime Carrot benefits for fertility, family-building, and hormonal health. Match of your 401(k) 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. A one-month paid sabbatical after 4 years on staff. Location We gather in the office 3 days a week (Tuesday through Thursday) and work remotely 2 days a week (Monday and Friday). Therefore, this role requires teammates to live within commuting distance of Atlanta, Chicago, Newark, 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr Braven