Director of Strategic Operations
Reports to: Senior Director of Operations
Status: Full-time; Exempt
Location: Hybrid - Los Angeles (Little Tokyo Office)
Hours of Operation: Monday–Friday, core hours 9am–6pm with flexibility as needed
Salary Range: $105,000 – $120,000 annually (based on experience and qualifications)
Are you passionate about giving back to your community and making a lasting difference in the lives of young people?
Who We Are:
In 1922, Woodcraft Rangers opened its doors in Los Angeles and began its mission of guiding young people as they explore pathways to purposeful lives. As a progressive organization, Woodcraft has always been responsive to the evolving needs of the communities served, and is notably inclusive, youth-led, and rooted in the Woodcraft Way — a holistic framework that develops body, mind, spirit, and service. Continuously at the forefront of expanded learning opportunities, Woodcraft Rangers has a rich history of making a significant impact in the greater Los Angeles area, believing that all youth are innately good, deserve the opportunity to realize their full potential, and should be an active participant in defining their own path.
What We Do:
Woodcraft Rangers provides TK–12 expanded learning programs, including before and after school, specialty enrichment, and summer learning. In recent years, Woodcraft has expanded its services beyond traditional afterschool programs and summer camps to include early learning, environmental and social justice, college access, and inclusion services for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Additionally, we offer LifeCraft, a college and career advancement program to support the development of approximately 2,250 staff. Today, Woodcraft Rangers serves more than 30,000 youth ages 4 to 18 each year across 150+ Title I schools in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties, and continues to expand its reach.
Ideal Candidate:
You are an experienced operational leader who has built structure where little existed before. You know how to earn trust across a complex organization, influence without direct authority, and translate executive strategy into a portfolio of well-run initiatives. You are equally comfortable presenting to a COO and coaching a junior project manager. You see process not as bureaucracy but as the infrastructure that lets a mission-driven organization do its best work.
Why Work for Woodcraft Rangers:
Role Overview:
The Director of Strategic Operations will build and lead Woodcraft Rangers' first formal Project Management Office (PMO), establishing the systems, standards, and governance structures that enable the organization to deliver its strategic priorities with consistency and visibility. Reporting directly to the Senior Director of Operations and serving as a key member of the operations leadership team, this role is equal parts strategic advisor, operational architect, and delivery leader. The Director will oversee a growing PMO team, partner with department heads across the organization, and serve as the connective tissue between organizational strategy and on-the-ground execution. The PMO supports execution of strategic initiatives but does not own outcomes; accountability for delivery remains with operational and departmental leadership.
Responsibilities:
PMO leadership & strategy
Design, launch, and continuously improve Woodcraft Rangers' PMO, including its charter, methodology, governance model, and service offerings
Governance & standards
Establish and promote adoption of project management standards, templates, and processes across the organization, including project charters, RAID logs, status reporting, and stage gates
Delivery & execution
Team leadership
Build a PMO team structure appropriate to the organization’s stage, scaling roles and specialization over time. Partner with the Associate Director of Strategic Operations to define clear lanes of ownership; leverage their institutional knowledge and organizational relationships during the PMO's build phase
Stakeholder engagement & communications
Execution Systems & Enablement
Build and maintain the organization’s execution systems, including project intake, portfolio tracking, and reporting tools
Qualifications/Skills:
Required
8+ years of progressive experience in project management, strategic operations, or a related field, with at least 3 years in a leadership role
Preferred
Physical Demands:
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the following physical demands may be essential for the effective performance of this position. Reasonable accommodation will be considered to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions:
Work Environment:
We are committed to fostering an inclusive work environment and will actively consider reasonable accommodations to enable individuals to effectively perform their roles. This position operates in environments typical of the following key aspects:
Woodcraft Rangers provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without discrimination with regard to race, religious belief, color, sex, sex stereotype, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions (including breastfeeding), age, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identification and expression, transgender status, transitioning status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic characteristics, genetic information, family care, marital status, enrollment in any public assistance program, status as military, a veteran or qualified disabled veteran, status as an unpaid intern or volunteer, or any other classification protected by law. We also prohibit discrimination based on the perception that anyone has any of those characteristics or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics.