Director of Professional Services & Operations
About The Position:
The Director of Professional Services & Operations is accountable for overseeing and optimizing the organization’s day-to-day operations to ensure efficiency, scalability, and alignment with strategic objectives. This role leads operational planning, process improvement, and cross-functional coordination to drive organizational performance and execution.
This team member partners closely with executive leadership to translate strategy into actionable plans, implement operational frameworks, and ensure consistent delivery of high-quality products and services.
Key Responsibilities
People Leadership & Organizational Development
- Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing Operations team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and client service excellence.
- Partner with leadership to drive workforce planning, talent acquisition, onboarding, succession planning, and employee development, building a scalable and resilient organization.
- Establish clear performance expectations and promote effective resource planning, coaching, and career development to strengthen team capabilities and deliver exceptional client outcomes.
Service Delivery Operations
- Lead the successful delivery of client engagements by ensuring projects are executed efficiently, consistently, and in alignment with client expectations and organizational objectives.
- Establish and optimize project delivery frameworks that support effective planning, resource management, quality, and successful project execution from contract handoff through completion.
- Monitor project performance, mitigate delivery risks, and drive continuous improvement through standardized best practices, process optimization, and lessons learned to enhance client satisfaction and operational excellence.
Capacity Planning & Resource Management
- Lead strategic workforce and capacity planning to align resources with current and future client demand while supporting operational excellence.
- Optimize resource allocation and staffing strategies by balancing expertise, utilization, professional development, and organizational priorities.
- Partner with leadership to forecast resource needs, identify capacity risks, and develop scalable staffing solutions, including hiring, contractors, and strategic partnerships.
- Strengthen organizational resilience through knowledge sharing, cross-training, and workforce planning that supports sustainable growth.
Client Experience & Account Management
- Champion an exceptional client experience by establishing consistent communication, project governance, and engagement practices throughout the client lifecycle.
- Partner with project teams and account leaders to proactively manage delivery risks, resolve complex client issues, and ensure successful project outcomes.
- Build and strengthen long-term client relationships by identifying evolving needs, coordinating delivery across engagements, and supporting opportunities for continued growth.
- Monitor client satisfaction and project outcomes to drive continuous improvement, ensure successful project closeout, and strengthen long-term partnerships.
Operational Excellence & Process Improvement
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives that enhance operational efficiency, scalability, and service delivery across the organization.
- Develop and optimize business processes, systems, and governance to improve collaboration, consistency, and operational performance while supporting the flexibility required for scientific work.
- Drive the adoption of technology, automation, and operational best practices that improve efficiency, reduce risk, and enhance the client and employee experience.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement by measuring process effectiveness and empowering teams to identify and implement innovative operational solutions.
What Success looks like: 6 months after hire:
The Director of Profess