Director – National Operations

Year Up United

Director of National Operations overseeing operations for Year Up United's regions. Managing teams to enhance student engagement and streamline processes across multiple locations.

Posted 7/11/2026full-timeChicago • Illinois • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $120,000 - $145,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead Standards for Exceptional Management of National Portfolio of Sites
Lead facilities operations across multiple states.
Develop and execute operational strategies that improve efficiency, service quality, and cost performance.
Manage operating budgets and capital improvement programs.
Direct regional operations teams, building facilities managers, and vendor partners.
Oversee preventive maintenance, compliance, safety, and risk management.
Negotiate and manage national service contracts.
Drive workplace experience, sustainability, and continuous improvement initiatives, and other duties as assigned.
Establish KPIs, performance dashboards, and operational reporting for executive leadership.
Manage Real Estate Planning Lead the end-to-end real estate planning and execution process to support national business operations, including identifying and evaluating potential sites, overseeing location selection, and all aspects of office moves and transitions.
Assess prospective spaces by evaluating with key stakeholders operational requirements, workforce and training capacity needs, accessibility, regulatory considerations, and financial feasibility.
Partner with cross-functional teams, including Finance and Legal, to develop and advance plans for new locations, relocations, and lease renewals.
Develop transition planning and operational readiness for new sites, ensuring alignment across all business functions before launch.
Establish project timelines, governance, and performance metrics to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery of new locations and facility initiatives.
Drive portfolio optimization by analyzing utilization, capacity, operating costs, and strategic needs, and long-range facility plans.
Develop and maintain long-term real estate strategies that support organizational objectives, operational efficiency, and workforce requirements.
Develop and implement a comprehensive operational framework and strategic plan for operating across geographies.
Identifying opportunities to improve resource utilization and meet organizational objectives.
Manage the annual budget, implementing effective tracking systems to ensure financial accountability.
Lead special projects focused on increasing operational effectiveness and efficiency.

Requirements

What you’ll need

5+ years of real estate and facilities management experience
6-7 years of experience in operational and strategic roles within high-performing organizations
2-3 years of management experience
Strong decision-making skills with orientation to flawless execution in dynamic environments
Excellent project management and budget management skills
Strong interpersonal and communication skills
Customer service mindset with strong relationship skills to support and engage with internal and external stakeholders to include high stakes partners
Strong organizational and time management skills with exceptional attention to detail
Collaborative leadership style with strong problem-solving abilities
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Salesforce preferred.
A passion for working with young adults, an unshakable belief in their potential, and a strong commitment to the mission of Year Up United.
Understanding of the Opportunity Divide and its drivers.
Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Comprehensive healthcare options and dental coverage
401(k) match for eligible participants
Earn three weeks paid vacation in first year of employment; four weeks after initial year.

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

Operational Strategy DevelopmentBudget ManagementKPI EstablishmentPerformance Dashboard CreationPreventive Maintenance OversightContract NegotiationPortfolio OptimizationResource Utilization AnalysisOperational Framework ImplementationTransition Planning

Soft Skills

Decision-MakingInterpersonal SkillsCommunication SkillsOrganizational SkillsProblem-Solving Abilities