Associate Director of Strategic Programs

About the Role

The Associate Director of Strategic Programs is responsible for owning and driving cross-functional strategic and operational initiatives to completion. In this role, you will partner with Executives and business leaders to support and deliver strategic initiatives across the organization, including value creation projects and other operational priorities.

The ideal candidate combines structured program leadership with the analytical horsepower and executive presence to operate credibly across the leadership team. You will translate strategy into execution, connect work that would otherwise sit in silos, and serve as a trusted thought partner across the business. This is a high-impact role for someone who thrives on execution, accountability, and measurable outcomes.

Responsibilities

Value Creation & Strategic Projects Leadership

• Partner with business leaders to scope, prioritize, and execution of A-LIGN’s strategic growth initiatives
• Establish program governance and operating cadence, including steering committee structure, decision rights, and escalation paths
• Build clear roadmaps, milestones, KPIs , and dashboards that translate strategy into measurable execution
• Work directly with workstream leaders to track initiative progress and remove blockers
• Drive accountability for outcomes across initiative owners, identifying risks and dependencies early and proactively mitigating issues

AI Transformation & Adoption

• Partner with business leaders across the organization to identify opportunities to leverage AI , uncover pain points, and improve productivity, efficiency, and business outcomes
• Conduct discovery sessions with teams to understand workflows, evaluate AI use cases, and recommend practical solutions to business challenges
• Support the coordination and execution of AI initiatives across business units, helping drive alignment, visibility, and adoption
• Capture, document, and promote AI best practices, success stories, and lessons learned through presentations, training materials, videos, and other internal communications
• Collaborate with stakeholders to pilot, implement, and scale AI-enabled solutions that deliver measurable value to the organization

Strategic Initiatives & Transformation

• Lead 0-to-1 builds and scaling initiatives end-to-end, including new lines of business, capability builds, and new operating processes or playbooks
• Drive transformations that require sustained cross-functional execution and analytical depth
• Apply structured problem-solving to ambiguous, cross-functional challenges and translate findings into actionable plans
• Build the analytical foundation for high-stakes decisions, including business cases, scenario modeling, and benefits realization
• Transition new operating processes and playbooks to functional ownership once embedded

Organizational Effectiveness & Executive Partnership

• Prepare Executive-level updates and progress reporting for leadership review
• Bridge communication across functions, ensuring strategy is understood and operationalized at every level
• Implement and operate an OKR or equivalent goal-setting framework that connects company priorities to functional execution
• Design and run effective leadership meeting cadences, including strategy reviews, business reviews, and planning sessions
• Support the design and refinement of organizational structures aligned to A-LIGN's growth ambition

Executive Reporting & Operating Cadences

• Build and maintain a metrics-led reporting framework for the Board of Directors
• Prepare board materials, including narrative, financial framing, and initiative-level updates against committed milestones
• Drive the annual strategic planning process and link it to budget, hiring, and execution plans
• Establish decision-making frameworks that enable appropriate delegation and autonomy across the leadership team

M&A Integration Support (optional, subject to deal activity)

• Partner with deal leadership on integration planning, including Day 1 readiness and 100-day plans
• Lead or co-lead the integration PMO, ensuring critical milestones, synergy targets, and stakeholder alignment are achieved
• Drive functional integration across technology, operations, commercial, and people workstreams
• Build repeatable integration playbooks for future transactions

Minimum Qualifications

EDUCATION

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, management, or other relevant fields
• MBA or equivalent advanced degree preferred

EXPERIENCE

• 5 to 7 years' experience in program management or strategic planning, preferably with a foundation in top-tier management consulting (e.g., Big 4, BCG, McKinsey, or equivalent)
• 2+ years' operating experience in a corporate or PE-backed environment
• Track record of leading complex, cross-functional programs from scoping through measurable business outcomes
• Experience producing board-level materials and operating in a metrics-led management environment
• Advanced proficiency in PowerPoint , Excel , and data analysis tools
• B2B services or tech-enabled services experience preferred
• Cybersecurity, compliance, audit, regulated services, or federal contracting experience is a strong plus
• Exposure to enterprise scaling, M&A integration , or AI-enabled product strategy is a plus

SKILLS

• Outcome orientation with strong discipline on priorities and results
• Mental agility and comfort with complexity and ambiguity
• Ability to lead through influence and credibility, across executives and operators
• Business acumen connecting strategy, operations, and financials
• Detail orientation with strong analytical thinking
• Executive-level written and verbal communication, including board-ready synthesis
• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and competing priorities
• Thrives in fast-paced environments and balances strategic vision with hands-on execution