Managing Director, Strategy and Operations

Job Description

Job Description

Managing Director, Strategy and Operations

Location: Hybrid (Lowell/Boston, MA)

Salary: $95,000–$110,000

About Kids in Tech

Kids in Tech equips young people with the skills and confidence to succeed in a technology-driven world. Through engaging, hands-on STEAM programs, we help close the digital divide and inspire the next generation of innovators.

Today, we serve ~ 200 youth annually across multiple program sites and reach an additional ~1,000 youth through community engagement events. We are on a path to reach 10,000 youth per year by 2028.

We are entering a period of rapid growth, including launching a public-facing STEM Innovation Lab in Boston's Seaport and expanding programming across multiple communities

The Opportunity

Kids in Tech is at a pivotal growth point. Our reach is expanding, our team is evolving, and our systems must grow with us.

The Managing Director, Strategy & Operations will serve as a senior organizational leader and trusted partner to the CEO, responsible for:Overseeing on-the-ground program delivery across all sites; andBuilding the internal operational infrastructure needed to support rapid growthThis role is both highly strategic and highly operational. You will translate vision into execution, make real-time trade-offs, and ensure that people, systems, and priorities are aligned to deliver results.

You will oversee and drive all internal operations-bringing structure, accountability, and clarity across the organization-so the CEO can focus on external strategy, partnerships, and growth. This is a critical leadership role for an operator who is excited to build, scale, and lead through complexity while partnering closely with the CEO to drive the organization's next phase of growth.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Execution

• Oversee Kids in Tech's program delivery to ensure consistent, high-quality execution while scaling across multiple sites.
• Partner with the CEO to help shape and operationalize organizational strategy, translating vision into actionable roadmaps with clear goals, timelines, and KPIs.
• Lead annual and quarterly planning cycles; ensure alignment across teams
• Track progress against strategic priorities and drive resolution of gaps
• Build and maintain dashboards and systems that create visibility and accountability
• Make and communicate clear operational decisions, including prioritization and trade-offs

People Leadership & Accountability

• Manage a growing team of 20 staff (including direct management of 2 -3 team leads/managers)
• Lead and refine systems for hiring, onboarding, performance management, and staff development
• Hold managers accountable to clear expectations through direct feedback, coaching, and performance management
• Build leadership capacity across the team while maintaining high standards
• Foster a culture of inclusion, ownership, and accountability

Operations & Infrastructure

• Oversee program operations, HR systems, and core financial processes to ensure consistency and scalability
• Design and implement scalable systems across programs, HR, and internal operations
• Build SOPs, workflows, and tools that improve efficiency and decision-making
• Ensure operational readiness for multi-site growth and Innovation Lab launch
• Identify operational risks and proactively build mitigation and escalation frameworks
• Partner with finance (internal or external) to support budgeting, forecasting, and resource allocation aligned with organizational priorities

Executive Partnership & Communication

• Act as a strategic partner to the CEO, helping prioritize, filter, and execute key decisions
• Prepare internal updates, dashboards, and materials that support leadership and board communication
• Ensure alignment across leadership, staff, and stakeholders
• Maintain appropriate boundaries between board governance and day-to-day operations

You Will Own

• Organizational planning cadence (annual + quarterly)
• Internal performance tracking (KPIs, dashboards)
• Operational prioritization and decision-making
• Leadership team alignment, accountability, and execution
• Internal communication and execution clarity
• Program delivery across all sites

Core Competencies

• Operational Ownership: Builds and runs systems that drive results
• Strategic Execution: Translates vision into clear, actionable plans
• Decision-Making: Makes sound trade-offs under pressure
• People Leadership: Holds high standards while developing others
• Executive Partnership: Protects and amplifies CEO effectiveness
• Judgment & Integrity: Exercises discretion and sound decision-making

You Might Be a Great Fit If You...

• Have built or significantly improved operational systems across program and internal functions such as finance and HR (not just worked within them)
• Have experience scaling programs or organizations, ideally in multi-site environments, with a strong preference for experience in youth development, education, or mission-driven programming
• Are comfortable making decisions with incomplete information and owning outcomes
• Have supported a founder or senior executive as a true operational partner
• Have experience partnering with an executive on board relations and leadership communication
• Can clearly articulate trade-offs you've made under real constraints
• Balance strong interpersonal skills with a willingness to drive accountability

Important Note

This is not a coordination or support role.

This role requires:

• Ownership of operational decision-making and outcomes across programs and internal systems
• The ability to build and implement systems, processes, and structures, not just manage existing ones
• Comfort operating in a fast-moving, evolving environment with incomplete information
• A willingness to drive accountability and make difficult trade-offs when needed

This role is best suited for someone who thrives in building, scaling, and leading through complexity - not someone who prefers clearly defined structures or purely executional responsibilities.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $95,000–$110,000
• Health, dental, vision
• Generous PTO
• Hybrid flexibility (minimum 3 days onsite)

Equal Opportunity

Kids in Tech is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from individuals from underrepresented backgrounds.

Hiring Process
As part of our final stage, we conduct reference checks, including at least one former manager. We may request additional references to better understand leadership style, decision-making, and cross-functional collaboration .

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