Senior Manager, Strategic Operations

United Way of New York City

$95K — $115K *
Healthcare
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in public administration, public health, business administration, nonprofit management, or related field required; Master's preferred.
  • 4+ years of progressively responsible experience in strategy, operations, project management, or a related field.
  • Proven experience leading complex, cross-functional projects from planning through implementation.
  • Strong project and portfolio management skills; ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
  • Excellent communication skills, capable of effectively interacting across all organizational levels and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

  • Lead operational execution of the Health Equity portfolio through system and process improvement.
  • Develop and maintain project management tools and departmental workplans to align initiatives with strategic goals.
  • Establish dashboards to track project milestones, KPIs, and resource needs.
  • Facilitate quarterly portfolio reviews and implementation planning sessions for strategic decision-making.
  • Support project coordination for strategic funding opportunities, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities.

Benefits

  • Collaborative work environment focused on health equity.
  • Opportunity to influence and shape cross-functional strategic initiatives.
  • Ability to work on complex projects with diverse stakeholders across multiple departments.
  • Hybrid/In-Person work schedule to support work-life balance.
Full Job Description
Position Title: Senior Manager, Strategic Operations, Health Equity

Reports to: Associate Vice President, Strategic Operations, Health Equity

Department: Health Equity

Position Overview:

The Senior Manager, Strategic Operations, Health Equity serves as the operational backbone of the Health Equity department, leading the systems, processes, and portfolio management functions that enable effective execution across a growing portfolio of initiatives. Reporting to the Associate Vice President, Strategy & Operations, Health Equity, this role is responsible for strengthening departmental operations, project management, cross-functional coordination, performance tracking, and organizational infrastructure. The Senior Manager also represents Health Equity on the Community Impact Project Management Office, helping advance enterprise-wide strategic initiatives, executive reporting, and cross-department collaboration.

Primary Responsibilities

Strategic Operations & Portfolio Management [40%]:
  • Lead the operational execution of the Health Equity portfolio by developing, implementing, and continuously improving systems, processes, and project management practices that strengthen departmental performance and execution.
  • Develop and maintain departmental workplans, portfolio management tools, implementation roadmaps, and project management frameworks to ensure initiatives remain aligned with strategic priorities and organizational goals.
  • Establish and maintain dashboards tracking project milestones, deliverables, key performance indicators (KPIs), implementation progress, risks, dependencies, and resource needs across the Health Equity portfolio.
  • Facilitate quarterly portfolio reviews, implementation planning sessions, and project status meetings to support strategic decision-making, continuous improvement, and accountability.
  • Monitor implementation progress across multiple initiatives, proactively identifying operational risks, capacity constraints, and opportunities for improvement, while escalating issues requiring leadership attention.


Department Operations & Organizational Infrastructure [25%]:
  • Design, implement, and continuously improve departmental operating procedures, standard operating procedures (SOPs), templates, toolkits, playbooks, and knowledge management resources that support consistent execution across the Health Equity team.
  • Develop and maintain departmental planning calendars, reporting cadences, and operational workflows to ensure timely execution of key deliverables, grant milestones, reporting requirements, and strategic priorities.
  • Support the development of organizational systems and operational infrastructure that improve collaboration, communication, efficiency, and scalability as the Health Equity portfolio continues to grow.
  • Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, reduce administrative burden, and strengthen operational effectiveness through process improvement and systems optimization.


Cross-Functional Coordination & Executive Support [10%]:

  • Serve as the primary operational liaison between the Health Equity team and key internal partners, including Finance, Resource Development, Marketing & Communications, Government Relations & Advocacy, Operations, and other departments.
  • Coordinate cross-functional planning, implementation, and communication efforts to ensure alignment across strategic initiatives, funding opportunities, reporting requirements, and organizational priorities.
  • Prepare executive dashboards, presentations, briefing materials, status reports, and other decision-support tools for senior leadership and executive stakeholders.
  • Coordinate departmental planning meetings, retreats, leadership work sessions, and follow-up activities to ensure timely implementation of decisions and action items.


Funding Operations & Strategic Initiatives [10%]:

  • Support the operational coordination of strategic funding opportunities by maintaining proposal development timelines, coordinating internal review processes, and facilitating collaboration across program, finance, communications, and Resource Development teams.
  • Maintain centralized systems to track grant proposals, reporting deadlines, stewardship activities, funder deliverables, and key milestones across the Health Equity portfolio.
  • Support implementation planning and operational coordination for strategic initiatives, ensuring projects remain on schedule and aligned with organizational priorities.


Community Impact Project Management Office (PMO) [15%]

  • Represent the Health Equity department on the Community Impact Project Management Office (PMO), contributing to enterprise-wide strategic planning, implementation oversight, and cross-department collaboration.
  • Lead assigned PMO workstreams, including advancing cross-cutting Community Impact strategy and supporting implementation of Community Impact Planning Process (CIPP) Board priorities.
  • Develop and maintain implementation plans, executive dashboards, decision logs, and project tracking tools supporting Community Impact leadership.
  • Coordinate follow-up on enterprise-wide strategic initiatives, ensuring accountability for action items, milestones, and implementation commitments across Community Impact teams.
  • Partner with PMO colleagues to strengthen organizational planning processes, portfolio governance, performance reporting, and systems integration across Community Impact.


Skills, Knowledge, and Experience:
  • Bachelor's degree in public administration, public health, business administration, nonprofit management, organizational leadership, healthcare administration, or a related field required with a minimum of 4 years of experience. Master's degree preferred.
  • Minimum of 4 years of progressively responsible experience in strategy, operations, project management, organizational effectiveness, healthcare, public health, nonprofit management, or a related field.
  • Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional projects and strategic initiatives from planning through implementation, while managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
  • Experience developing and implementing operational systems, project management frameworks, standard operating procedures, and organizational processes that improve efficiency, accountability, and execution.
  • Strong project and portfolio management skills, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives, establish priorities, monitor implementation progress, identify risks, and drive projects to successful completion.
  • Experience coordinating cross-functional teams and building collaborative relationships across diverse stakeholders, including program staff, finance, communications, development, government relations, executive leadership, and external partners.
  • Demonstrated ability to analyze complex information, identify operational challenges, develop practical solutions, and recommend process improvements that strengthen organizational effectiveness.
  • Experience developing executive presentations, dashboards, reports, briefing materials, and other decision-support tools for senior leadership.
  • Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively across all levels of an organization and facilitate productive meetings and collaborative planning processes.
  • Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities while meeting deadlines.
  • Knowledge of health equity principles, social determinants of health, and community-based health and human services systems; familiarity with New York City's healthcare and social services landscape preferred.
  • Experience supporting strategic planning, organizational development, performance management, monitoring and evaluation, grant implementation, or continuous quality improvement initiatives preferred.
  • Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel and PowerPoint; experience using project management platforms (e.g., Asana, Monday.com, Smartsheet, Airtable, Microsoft Planner, or similar), dashboarding tools, and collaboration platforms preferred.
  • Ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and work independently while effectively managing multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.


Key Competencies:
  • Network-Orientated - Connects operational work to broader organizational goals and identifies opportunities to strengthen systems, processes, and performance.
  • Program Development and Implementation - Effectively manages multiple complex initiatives, prioritizes competing demands, monitors implementation, and drives projects to successful completion.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration & Relationship Management - Builds trusted partnerships, influences without direct authority, and effectively coordinates work across diverse internal and external stakeholders.
  • Strong Analytical and Data Skills - Analyzes complex information, identifies risks and opportunities, develops practical solutions, and supports data-informed decision-making.
  • Effective and Engaging Communicator - Communicates clearly and effectively through written, verbal, facilitation, and presentation skills with staff, leadership, and external partners.


Additional Information:

  • UWNYC is presently on a Hybrid/In-Person work schedule.


How To Apply:

Please apply on our United Way of New York City career page.

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