Director of Operations & Programs

Position Description

 

 

POSITION:                    Director of Operations & Programs

 

TEAM:                           Operations and Learning & Impact

 

HOURS:                         Monday-Thursday, 9 am-5 pm; Friday, 9am-4 pm. Occasional work is possible

outside standard work hours, with flex time encouraged. This position requires regular statewide travel to meet with team members, funding partners, and nonprofits. 

 

LOCATION:                   Hybrid work environment based at CNE’s Charlottesville office, working with stakeholders across Virginia.

 

SALARY:                       Full-time, salaried position starting at $88,550 with a robust benefits package (see below).

 

 

The Director of Operations & Programs serves as a senior leader, responsible for ensuring that

the organization’s internal systems and external programming operate with excellence,

efficiency, and impact. This role integrates strategic operational oversight with supervisory

responsibility for program design and delivery—including trainings, facilitation, and advising for

nonprofit members. The Director works closely with the Executive Director and leadership team

to align operations and programs with the organization’s mission and strategic goals, while

representing the organization externally to members, partners, and funders.

 

Key Responsibilities

 

Operational Oversight & Organizational Excellence (40%)

• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of organizational
• systems across finance, HR, IT, and administration.
• Partner with the Executive Director and Board Treasurer to oversee budgets, reporting,
• compliance, and risk management.
• Identify organizational challenges and design solutions that increase efficiency,
• sustainability, and impact.
• Supervise contractors and vendors supporting operations and ensure effective
• coordination.

 

Program Leadership & Supervision (40%)

• Provide leadership, direction, and supervision for staff delivering programs, trainings,
• workshops, and nonprofit advising services.
• Ensure programming is aligned with organizational strategy, responsive to member
• Needs, and grounded in best practices.
• Oversee program evaluation and impact measurement, sharing findings with staff,
• members, and funders.
• Represent the organization as a lead facilitator, trainer, and advisor in member-facing
• programs.

 

Strategic Leadership & Collaboration (20%)

• Serve as a key partner to the Executive Director in setting and executing organizational
• priorities.
• Supervise and coach program and operations managers, fostering professional
• development and a culture of accountability and learning.
• Collaborate with the leadership team to ensure seamless integration of operations and
• programs.
• Represent the organization externally with members, funders, and community partners,
• positioning the organization as a trusted advisor and sector leader.
• Provide staff leadership for board committees, particularly Finance and Programs.

 

Qualifications 

• 8–10 years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit management, with
• demonstrated expertise in both operations and program leadership.
• Successful track record supervising staff, managing budgets, and leading cross-functional
• teams.
• Strong background in at least one operational area (finance, HR, systems, or
• organizational development) and one programmatic area (training, facilitation, advising,
• or consulting).
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills with the ability to engage diverse
• stakeholders.
• Experience collaborating with boards, funders, and senior-level partners.
• Commitment to equity, collaboration, and advancing the capacity of the nonprofit sector

 

Attributes:

• Strategic thinker with operational rigor and programmatic creativity.
• Skilled facilitator, advisor, and relationship-builder.
• Collaborative leader who develops people and teams.
• Systems-minded with the ability to translate vision into execution.
• Confident representing the organization externally with partners and funders

 

Procedure for Candidacy

 

Application deadline is October 20^th,2025. Application will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Candidates should complete our brief application form, including the names and contact information of three references. References will not be contacted without prior knowledge and approval. All applications shall be confidential until finalists are named.

 

 

 

This is a full-time, salaried position with a salary starting at $88,550. CNE offers a robust employee benefits package, including 100% of employee health insurance coverage paid, the opportunity to participate in a 403(b) plan with employer match, and 160 PTO hours available in the first year of employment plus 17 paid holidays. This role will include opportunities for professional development and growth.

 

CNE provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.  This applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, leaves of absence, compensation, and professional training.

 

CNE is committed to building a team that values diverse perspectives, inclusive policies, and equitable practices. Candidates of all races, ethnicities, nationalities, religions, genders, sexual orientations, ages, and abilities are encouraged to apply.

 

 

Culture

As a learning lab for the nonprofit sector, we believe in a culture rooted in continuous learning and improvement. We operate in a fast-paced and customer-centered environment where the work can have a profound impact on our sector and the lives of the individuals we serve. We value the individuality of our staff and strive to bring our full selves to the work, while maintaining humor and perspective. We center relationship building across the organization and save space and time for socializing with staff, board, and other stakeholders.

 

Vision

Equitable, thriving, and just communities powered by healthy nonprofits.

 

Mission

We are a champion, learning partner, and advisor for Virginia nonprofits.

 

Values

Courage

We do and say the things that strengthen the social impact sector, even when they are hard, and we stand with those who bravely build community.

 

Equity

We commit to equitable outcomes at CNE, in the sector, and in the community and will realize them through learning, sharing, skill-building, and action.

 

Collaboration

We partner across sectors and geographies to achieve more together for the communities we serve than we can on our own.

 

Excellence

We are adaptable and forward-thinking, we act with humility, and we strive for learning and growth, not perfection.

 

Equity Commitment

The Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNE) envisions a region where all community members have the opportunity to thrive – supported by a nonprofit sector that celebrates diversity, values inclusion, and centers equity across all aspects of our work. Making this vision a reality requires resilience and ongoing commitment within and beyond the nonprofit sector.

 

Together we must dismantle deeply-rooted and pervasive policies and systems of exclusion and oppression, which promote and perpetuate inequitable outcomes for many members of our communities. We also must understand existing systems of power and rebuild them to foster equitable decision making, while restructuring the distribution of access and resources to ensure fair and just outcomes.

 

To learn more about our equity commitment and read our full statement, please visit https://www.thecne.org/about/equity-commitment/

 

To learn more about our programs and services, please visit www.thecne.org.

 

 

 

Appendix A

Director of Operations & Programs

Key Competencies, CNE Talent Development Framework

 

Knowledge:

• Go-to expert for functional knowledge/guidance; anticipates issues and makes thoughtful, strategic decisions to address them.
• Owner, and expert in large parts, of their job function.
• Developing proven structure and processes that helps team achieve outstanding results.
• Researches and proposes new tools to facilitate self-, team-, and CNE-wide learnings.
• Track record of creating improvements across major areas of their function(s), bringing about positive change.
• Understanding of people management practices and effective at implementation.
• Holistic, integrated understanding of organizational context.
• Seeks out and supports opportunities for engagement in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
• Intentionally surfaces internal and community inequities and data disparities and connects diversity, equity and inclusion to the work and mission of CNE.

Delivery/Execution:

• Able to scope work or projects into well-defined milestones and timeframes.
• Identifies and proactively tackles future issues before they grow into something even bigger.
• Recognized as prolific contributor, regularly delivering projects or work as and when required, and if not possible, always manages expectations and clearly articulates reasons why.
• Proactive in identifying and clearing roadblocks for the team.
• Excels at prioritizing highest-impact projects.
• Connects team's efforts with savvy grasp of ecosystem and organizational context.
• Manages delivery of multiple projects or initiatives on clear timelines.
• Skilled at creating multi-function team approach and maximizing external partnerships and resources to successfully develop and deliver projects.
• Able to lead hiring efforts for their team.
• Proactively builds strong relationships of increasing complexity and number by enhancing what works, handling issues, and anticipating needs; responsible for exceptional delivery of and improvements to customer service in their area of function(s), internally and externally.
• Upholds racial equity outcomes, goals and performance measures with team and on projects.
• Incorporates diversity, equity and inclusion ideas, concepts, and history into project work and methodology.

 

Communication & Leadership:

• Listens and guides debate to help reach consensus and, once decision is made, clearly communicates and backs that decision.
• Is able to facilitate cross-team work, improving the effectiveness of others.
• Sets short-medium term strategic direction, by looking ahead 6-12 months.
• Identifies areas of greatest need and creates plan to improve.
• Positively impacts CNE's growth.
• Creates opportunities for people to grow and flourish.
• Manages independently - communicates context to the team and surfaces needs to relevant senior staff.
• Sets clear expectations for team members - solicits, synthesizes, and delivers feedback.
• Comfortable managing team members with different skill sets and areas of focus.
• Recognized for impact on team culture - people are excited to work with them.
• Reflects on and communicates clearly and comfortably about what diversity, equity, and inclusion means at CNE and in the world, including communicating about identified inequities and required changes.
• Critically examines community data, social issues, and messages for biases and inequalities and their impact on oneself and others’ thinking, emotions, and behaviors; proposes alternatives to reduce and eliminate biases and inequities.
• Manages own power and decision-making with accountability, transparency, inclusion, humility, and awareness.