Director of Operations & Strategy

Departmental Overview

The Terner Center formulates bold strategies to house families from all walks of life in vibrant, sustainable, and affordable homes and communities. Established in 2015, the Terner Center has quickly become a leading voice in identifying, developing, and advancing innovative public and private sector solutions to achieve broader housing affordability for American communities.

This position exists to manage the operations and strategic direction of the Terner Center for Housing Innovation. Under the supervision of the Managing Director, and in collaboration with the Research and Policy Director, the Director of Operations and Strategy oversees fundraising, HR, operations, strategic planning, financial management, and communications needed to advance high-impact housing research and policy engagement.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: June 22, 2026

Responsibilities

• 25% Provides leadership, direction, and managerial oversight to subordinates. Offers direct leadership, direction, and managerial oversight to 3-4 career subordinates and several work-study students. Provides operations, HR support, and coordination for the entire organization, including mentorship to other research staff.
• 20% Directs and guides subordinates in interactions with leadership groups, systemic initiatives, individual leaders, departments, and committees across the organization in the endeavor to achieve organizational improvement. Oversees the use of key accountability tools (financial dashboard, time tracking system, and research paper pipeline) to ensure subordinates' effectiveness. Manages critical external relationships, including those with University Finance and HR staff, fundraising, and communications. Guides the Fund Development staff to ensure strategic alignment between Terner goals and University goals.
• 15% Consults with leaders organization-wide to enhance organizational strengths and address system challenges to improve organizational effectiveness. Works laterally and vertically across the organization to enhance strengths and resolve systemic challenges through strategic planning and the implementation of key operational systems. Designs, owns, and maintains core cross-organizational systems, including a financial dashboard that reconciles UC financial systems with internal Terner budgeting, and a staff time tracker used for accurate project budgeting.
• 15% Makes recommendations on the identification and framing of systemic organizational issues, formulation of approaches to address them, and the advancement of major organization initiatives to address these issues. Manages the overall strategic planning process, including oversight of consultant support and ongoing accountability for staff to achieve key metrics, measures, and outcomes. Oversees a regular cadence of business meetings to report on progress and ensures the strategic plan flows down into the University's performance management system.
• 15% Establishes and recommends changes to policies that affect the department. Possesses authority to recommend and establish changes to internal policies necessary for smooth organizational operations, including conference room booking protocols, hybrid work agreements, and professional standards for public representation.
• 10% Responsible for managing expense priorities, financials, recommending and implementing changes to methods, technology adoption, the development of strategy, unit planning, staffing, communications, and other organizational development activities. Wholly responsible for managing expense priorities, financials, and recommending/implementing procedural changes. Collaborates with all organizational leaders annually to discuss and provide input on expense budgeting. Oversees the revenue side, supporting leaders on prospect discussions, leading funding application submissions, and managing funds within the University. Manages the organization's monthly budget documentation and reporting. Oversees student programs and an internal staff mentorship program. Acts as the primary interface with University HR on all new organizational hires.

Required Qualifications

• Thorough knowledge of organization and system operations, protocols, and procedures.
• Demonstrates leadership and management skills required to lead subordinates, in the areas of staff performance and development, team building and communications, resolution of issues and conflicts, review and approval of work, and hiring and training employees.
• Requires a high degree of diplomacy, influence, and interpersonal skills to work effectively across the organization at all levels.
• Able to interpret and communicate, both verbally and in writing, complex information clearly and concisely.
• Knowledge of performance management frameworks, systems thinking, and project management best practices.
• Bachelor's degree in a related area and/or equivalent experience/training.
• Master's degree in a related area and/or equivalent experience/training.