The Senior Manager, Operational Excellence will play a pivotal role in building and executing our Continuous Improvement function. This position will partner with cross-functional teams and will be both tactical and strategic, balancing day-to-day problem-solving with long-term strategy development. The ideal candidate will be proactive, results-driven, and experienced in developing and implementing process improvements within a growth-oriented environment.

The job of Senior Manager, Operational Excellence can be performed in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Essential Functions and Key Responsibilities:

• Continuous Improvement Strategy Development: Work with the Director of Continuous Improvement to design and implement strategies to improve operational processes, enhance school utilization, and support organizational growth.
• Project Leadership: Lead and manage improvement initiatives from planning through execution and measurement, ensuring projects align with company objectives and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with stakeholders across various departments, including Operations, Education, Marketing, and IT, to identify improvement opportunities and implement sustainable solutions.
• Data Analysis and Reporting: Analyze data to identify trends, measure the success of initiatives, and develop recommendations to drive performance improvements.
• Training and Development: Coach and mentor team members and school staff on continuous improvement principles, fostering a culture of operational excellence and innovation.
• Change Management: Support change management efforts by effectively communicating project goals, timelines, and impacts to various stakeholders to ensure successful adoption and sustainability.
• Performance Tracking: Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess project effectiveness, identify improvement areas, and recommend adjustments as needed.

Minimum Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field or Associates degree with 5+ years relevant experience.
• Proven experience in operations program management.
• Experience working in multi-unit business preferred; education sector experience is a plus

Skills & Abilities (i.e. technical, organizations, knowledge, etc.):

• Excellent customer service skills with both internal and external customers and ability to quickly establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Effective communication skills, written, verbal and interpersonal.
• Excellent presentation skills and ability to effectively communicate to all levels of the organization.
• Comfortable working with frequent interruptions and ability to lead, manage and prioritize multiple assignments and competing priorities in a rapidly changing, fast-paced environment.
• Proficient time management and organizational skills, and ability to meet established deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally and think both critically and strategically. 
• Proficient computer and research skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Proficient in using data management and analysis tools.
• Capable financial acumen with ability to generate business cases to support project investments.
• Demonstrated ability in project management, process building, and workflow. 
• Detail-oriented with a focus on quality and continuous improvement.

Travel Percentage:

• Provide the percentage of travel expected:  25%