Addison Housing Works is looking for a senior operations leader to take ownership of how our organization works. This is a new position, created as AHW grows, and it is the leader responsible for organizational effectiveness across the whole organization.
The Director of Operations turns Leadership Team decisions and organizational priorities into consistent day-to-day execution. You will own the systems that make that happen:
· cross-departmental workflows and handoffs
· accountability and follow-through
· SOPs and policies
· shared administrative systems
· process improvement
· organization-wide approaches to program performance, quality and evaluation
When work falls between departments, gets stuck, or depends on one person’s memory, this role makes it clear, repeatable and reliable.
You will join the Leadership Team as a strategic and operational partner to the Executive Director. You will have clear authority to lead organization-wide processes and cross-departmental work involving Property Management, Maintenance and Capital Assets, Finance, Resident Services and other functions. It is a rare opportunity to shape a new senior role and build the operational foundation for a mission-driven affordable housing organization.
Reports To: Executive Director
Supervises: Office Manager and ther staff and functions as assigned
The role does not initially supervise other Leadership Team members. The position will lead organization-wide systems and cross-departmental work, in partnership with department directors.
Key Responsibilities
- Organizational Operations & Continuous Improvement
- Translate strategic priorities and Leadership Team decisions into clear operating plans, responsibilities, timelines and performance expectations.
- Identify where work is falling between departments, getting stuck or being duplicated, and lead the effort to fix it.
- Establish clear workflows, handoffs, decision points and accountability for work that spans departments.
- Lead process-improvement initiatives that simplify work, close communication gaps and improve efficiency.
- Monitor organizational priorities and make sure commitments are followed through to completion.
- Develop practical measures of operational performance and use them to focus attention where it is needed.
Cross-Departmental Leadership
- Lead coordination across departments to strengthen communication, workflow and decision-making.
- Set up the right structures for working across teams, including cross-functional and one-on-one meetings where needed.
- Clarify roles, responsibilities and decision-making authority when work crosses departmental lines.
- Lead organizational transitions such as staffing changes, reorganizations, new programs, and new or rehabilitated properties coming into operation.
- Distinguish issues that need Leadership Team decisions from those that can be resolved through established roles and processes.
Policies, Procedures & Organizational Systems
- Lead the development, documentation and upkeep of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for recurring and cross-departmental processes.
- Work with department leaders and staff to turn informal practices into clear, practical, repeatable procedures.
- Maintain a central, organized system for current policies, procedures and guiding documents.
- Establish a regular cycle for reviewing and updating policies based on organizational needs, regulatory changes and staff experience.
- Oversee the effective use of organization-wide software, technology and administrative systems, working with staff and vendors.
Program Implementation, Quality & Evaluation
- Build organization-wide systems for monitoring program implementation, quality, performance and outcomes.
- Work with program and department leaders to establish clear performance measures, data-collection practices and reporting responsibilities.
- Ensure program data and reporting give timely, accurate and useful information to management, funders and the Board.
- Help staff use performance and outcome information to see what is working and where changes are needed.
- Program leadership stays with the responsible department directors. This role makes sure AHW has strong systems for knowing whether programs and processes are working.
Shared Administrative Operations
- Supervise the Office Manager and provide clear priorities, coaching and accountability.
- Oversee office systems, shared technology and tools, records and file management, and vendor relationships for shared services.
- Make sure recurring administrative functions are assigned, documented and completed reliably.
- Work with the Executive Director and Finance Director on HR administration and systems, including onboarding, offboarding and personnel workflows.
- Oversee staff surveys and other feedback processes and coordinate the resulting action plans.
Leadership & Culture
- Contribute to organizational planning, budgeting, policy and priority-setting as an active member of the Leadership Team.
- Take ownership of operational matters within the role’s scope and elevate issues that need executive or Leadership Team decisions.
- Promote a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, transparency and respectful communication.
- Build credibility across departments through sound judgment, consistency, fairness and follow-through.
- Recommend changes to systems, staffing, responsibilities or structure as the organization’s needs evolve.
Personal Attributes
- Systems thinker: You see how people, processes, programs and technology interact, and you design systems that work across boundaries.
- Accountable leader: You take ownership of results, set clear expectations, follow through, and are comfortable holding others to agreed responsibilities.
- Solutions-oriented: You spot problems early, find root causes, and move practical solutions through to implementation.
- Collaborative and diplomatic: You lead across departments and influence people outside your direct authority while keeping strong working relationships.
- Clear communicator: You communicate directly, clearly and respectfully with people in different roles and with different priorities.
- Sound judgment: You know what to resolve operationally, what to work out with a peer, and what to bring to the Executive Director or Leadership Team.
- Continuous-improvement mindset: You look past the immediate problem to fix the system that caused it.
Qualifications
- Approximately 7–10 years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit management, operations, organizational administration, project management, affordable housing, community development or a related field. A bachelor’s degree is preferred; an equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
- Demonstrated success leading organizational operations, improving systems and processes, and managing complex cross-functional initiatives from decision through implementation.
- Supervisory experience, including responsibility for staff performance, development and accountability.
- Experience leading organizational change and helping staff adopt new systems and ways of working.
- Excellent writing skills, including clear policies, SOPs and procedures.
- Strong analytical skills, using operational, financial, program and performance information to guide decisions.
- Strong technology skills, including Microsoft 365 and shared document-management systems.
- Experience with program performance, data management, quality assurance, evaluation or compliance is strongly preferred.
- Nonprofit, affordable housing, community development or other mission-driven experience is preferred.
Pay: $85,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Vergennes, VT 05491
