The Director of Operations and Program Management is a central player in the leadership team of NPR Digital Media, a group whose mission is to conceive, design, develop and deliver a portfolio of experiences that help NPR grow, know, engage and activate audiences across platforms ranging from the web to mobile to smart speakers, while also working closely with internal and external stakeholders to identify and explore new directions for the renewal of public radio’s value proposition to the next generation of its audience.
The role brings into focus three distinct lines of vision: the clear and efficient management of resources across a diverse portfolio of digital projects; the identification and application of clear business goals to those projects; and close coordination and consensus building among partner groups and stakeholders, within and outside the organization. It requires crisp management skills along with the finesse needed to frame multifaceted discussions into clear and actionable priorities and goals, and it calls on a rigorous ability to define and implement criteria for decision making, address business challenges and assess investments and returns, while also embracing the mission and values of a not-for-profit media company.
- Reports to: Chief Digital Officer
- Direct reports: Team of four project managers
- Other key relationships: VP, Digital Product; Senior Director, Digital Technology; VP, New Platform Partnerships; Creative Director; and NPR’s Business Partnership & Strategy, Member Partnership, IT and revenue teams.
Principal Responsibilities
- In partnership with other digital team leaders, leads an ongoing process to identify, distill and organize opportunities for growth and innovation, with particular focus on market viability, capacity and our ability to differentiate and excel
- Oversees the planning, allocation and tracking of resources across an 85-member team of digital product, technology and design specialists, keeping multiple programs on time and within scope and budget and ensuring best-in-class execution and timely delivery
- Directly supervises a team of project managers, and with them identifies and implements best-in-class methodologies for cultivating innovation and aligning process with outcomes
- Manages processes for high-level project planning, including crafting milestones, epics and schedules, finance projection and reconciliation, and resource management
- Provides input and guidance to the NPR/Member Station Compact process, particularly around the Digital and Revenue Networks
- In partnership with Finance and other team leaders within the digital division, monitors budgets and manages processes for vetting and tracking vendor and service contracts
- Seven to 10 years’ experience in operations, and/or program management.
- Demonstrated ability to organize people, technology, culture and operations to deliver solutions for complex business problems
- Thorough grounding in Agile methodologies
- Experience and proven ability to manage both within a lean startup work environment as well as a larger, matrixed organization with a range of dependencies and stakeholders
- The ability to take a long view and plan programs in ways that benefit the organization over a long term, matched by the ability to implement a strategic plan in focused, manageable, iterative cycles
- Exceptional communication skills, with a fluency in technical terminology and process as well as the ability to speak to lay audiences – all in the interest of sharing information clearly and building coalitions of trust and understanding
- Demonstrated ability to nurture and grow a team, and together with other department leaders foster a culture of inclusion, creativity, experimentation, “freedom to fail” and fearless dedication to results
- Expert current knowledge on external forces and market opportunities that may impact the organization or project, especially from a technology perspective
- Experience with content management systems, ad operations services, analytics tools and other technologies
- A passion for the mission and voices of public media
- A sense of humor
- An entrepreneurial spirit with the ability to juggle multiple priorities, make things happen and drive projects to successful completion
NPR offers a competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package including health and wellness benefits, retirement, and work/life balance programs, as well as opportunities for career growth and development.