Director of Operations & Strategy

Position Description

Director of Operations & Strategy

September 10, 2026

Position Overview

Monadnock United Way (MUW) is seeking a collaborative and strategic leader to serve as Director of Operations & Strategy. This role serves as the organization's primary internal integrator, ensuring that people, systems, projects, finances, community investments, and strategic initiatives work together in support of MUW's mission and strategic goals.

The Director of Operations & Strategy helps transform ideas into action by building the systems, plans, partnerships, and accountability structures necessary for successful implementation.

As a key member of the Leadership Team and trusted thought partner to the President, this individual serves as MUW's primary internal leader and coordinator of day-to-day operations. Working closely with staff, consultants, and community partners, they help ensure organizational priorities are translated into action and that projects, initiatives, and operations move forward effectively. The Director provides leadership, coaching, and support to assigned staff while serving as a primary resource for resolving operational challenges and supporting organizational success.

The successful candidate enjoys bringing clarity to complexity, balancing strategy with execution, and helping people work together effectively toward shared goals. They are equally comfortable discussing a new program concept, developing a budget, creating a business plan, improving a process, facilitating a project team, or helping staff navigate change.

Reports To

This role reports to the President and plays a central role in enabling the President to focus on fundraising, community leadership, board engagement, and organizational vision.

Supervises

• Senior Operations Specialist
• Housing Program Manager
• Internship Program Manager
• Future grant-funded and operational staff as assigned

Key Responsibilities

Organizational Leadership & Strategy

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the President and Leadership Team.
• Help translate organizational goals and strategic priorities into actionable plans.
• Lead implementation and monitoring of MUW's strategic plan and annual workplans.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen effectiveness, improve alignment, and support future growth.
• Facilitate planning, decision-making, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Create clarity, accountability, and alignment across teams, projects, and organizational priorities.
• Provide supervision, coaching, and performance support for assigned staff.

Operations & Organizational Systems

• Lead development of organizational systems, workflows, Standard Operating Procedures and accountability structures for team success.
• Serve as the primary point of escalation for day-to-day operational issues and support staff in resolving challenges related to projects, systems, technology, facilities, and organizational processes.
• Ensure staff have the tools, resources, and systems needed to work effectively.
• Promote operational consistency while maintaining flexibility and innovation.
• Provide leadership and oversight for day-to-day organizational operations, facilities management, and administrative infrastructure.

Financial Operations & Stewardship

• Lead development of the annual operational budgeting and support the teams’ development of fundraising, grant, community investment, and initiative budgets.
• Partner with the President and Resource Development team in monitoring fundraising performance, budget-to-actual results, and resource planning.
• Develop systems that help staff understand, monitor, and manage financial resources responsibly.
• Work closely with MUW's Director of Finance and bookkeeping partner to ensure strong financial stewardship and effective operational processes.
• Support analysis that informs organizational decision-making and long-term sustainability.

Resource Stewardship of Grants

• Supervise grant-funded staff and provide leadership, coaching, and guidance to support successful program delivery and sustainability.
• Develop systems that promote grant compliance, effective reporting, responsible stewardship of resources, and achievement of funded outcomes.
• Monitor grant performance, budgets, and reporting requirements.

New Initiatives & Organizational Growth

• Lead assessment and planning for new programs, partnerships, grants, fiscal sponsorships, and community initiatives.
• Build organizational capacity by coaching staff in business planning, program development, implementation, budgeting, and sustainability for new opportunities.
• Support innovation while ensuring initiatives are feasible, sustainable, and aligned with MUW's mission and strategic priorities.

Team Development, Culture & Human Resources

• Oversee organizational human resource systems including hiring, onboarding, performance management, employee development, and staff engagement.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous learning, and shared success.

Personal Attributes

The ideal candidate is:

• A systems thinker who enjoys connecting people, ideas, and resources.
• A strategic and practical problem solver who can balance long-term vision with day-to-day execution.
• A collaborative leader who builds trust and helps others succeed.
• Comfortable with change, ambiguity, and organizational growth.
• Financially savvy and able to connect budgets, operations, programs, and strategy.
• A people-centered leader who enjoys coaching, developing staff, and strengthening organizational capacity.
• Organized and detail-oriented while remaining focused on the big picture.
• Committed to continuous improvement and mission-driven work.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressively responsible leadership experience in nonprofit management, operations, finance, strategy, program leadership, or related fields.
• Commitment to collaboration, continuous improvement, and mission-driven leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement systems, processes, and operational improvements.
• Strong experience in budgeting, grant management, organizational planning, and financial stewardship.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution.
• Experience supervising staff and leading cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong analytical, facilitation, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills.

Competencies for Director Level MR6

The Director must model the following competencies:

• Manages/Oversees a set of inter-related programming or a specific division of the organization.
• Develops positive, strategic relationships as spokesperson of MUW in the community
• Works as a team with other directors and the president to vision and implement integrated strategic initiatives
• Develops and establishes comprehensive strategies to further the mission
• Analyzes research, data and reports for strategic growth and forecasting
• Responsibility in partnering with and reporting to full board
• Provides visionary leadership in decision-making, shaping departmental and organizational strategies
• Has direct reports
• Develops board leadership skills

MUW Vision, Mission and Values

The Director models and supports the values of the organization:

Our Vision

A United community where all are cared for and thriving.

Our Mission

Monadnock United Way is dedicated to improving lives by mobilizing diverse partners and investing in programs and people to create long-lasting, measurable change.

Our Values

• Collaborative: We arrive as equal partners, committed to doing good, especially when it’s hard.
• Transparent: We are truthful and honest with ourselves and with the community.
• Sustainable: We choose paths that strengthen our community now and into the future.
• Respectful: We are considerate of others’ opinion, position, background, and experience.
• Trust: We center our relationships and actions on openness and honesty. It is the lens for all we do.

Success in This Role

Success will be evident when:

• The President can focus primarily on fundraising, donor cultivation, board engagement, and community leadership.
• Staff have clarity regarding priorities, budgets, systems, and accountability.
• Financial, data, fundraising, grant, and operational systems function together effectively.
• New initiatives launch with clear business plans, budgets, systems, and sustainability strategies.
• Strategic priorities are implemented consistently across the organization.
• Organizational knowledge is embedded in systems rather than dependent on individual staff members.
• MUW can pursue growth opportunities with confidence in its operational capacity to deliver results.

Physical Demands

The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Use of standard office equipment (copier, fax, computer, telephone, etc.).
• Ability to sit for prolonged periods in a stationary position at a computer.
• Ability to lift up to 20 pounds.

Salary Range

$80,000 - $83,000, full-time-equivalent at 37.5 hours per week with full benefits package.

Benefits

MUW is a family-friendly workplace. In addition to a 7.5 hour workday, MUW’s full-time benefits package includes a hybrid work environment with flexible hours to honor work/life balance, Paid Time Off (PTO) and holidays, health insurance, retirement plan with match, family leave policy, and disability insurance.

To Apply

Please send a cover letter, resume, and three references to careers@muw.org.

No phone calls, please.

MUW is committed to being a model of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to promote an inclusive culture where diversity is valued by everyone. Read our policy at: https://www.muw.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-policy .

An Equal Opportunity Employer