Senior Director, Strategic Operations

About PanCAN:
Pancreatic cancer doesn’t stop or slow down, and neither do we.  At the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), we accelerate critical progress for pancreatic cancer patients.  We take bold action by funding life-saving research, providing personalized patient services free of charge, and creating a community of supporters and volunteers who will stop at nothing to create a world in which all pancreatic cancer patients thrive.  We’re looking for people who, like us, will stop at nothing to make progress for patients. Our work is critical and meaningful, and it changes lives every day. Join us and be a part of it!

PanCAN has embarked on a path to three bold 2030 goals: 1) Drive 5-year survival from 10% to 20%; 2) Raise $80M annually; and 3) Grow awareness of PanCAN in the U.S. from 14% to 30%. In support of those goals the Community Building and Growth Department has launched a dynamic growth model to ensure our revenue and awareness goals are realized. Strategic Operations are a key part of our growth plan that will ultimately support our mission and vision. This is an exciting opportunity for the right candidate to play a key role in PanCAN’s mission. 

THE OPPORTUNITY:
Working closely with the Chief Growth Officer, this position is a key contributor in developing, communicating, executing and sustaining PanCAN’s revenue and awareness growth plans.  This role supports the building of a culture of cross-team collaboration with all teams within the Community Building & Growth and with partner departments across the organization.  This role closely monitors and assesses ongoing strategies, consistent with best practices and collaborates with the Chief Growth Officer to execute the Dynamic Growth Model.  Proposes the creation of and executes (new) systems and processes to streamline operations, contributing to the implementation of the department’s strategic goals and objectives. 

The Sr Director will have a profound understanding how to oversee large, cross-functional, organization-wide projects. The successful candidate will be a proven leader, manager, mentor, and collaborative colleague who is comfortable leading major initiatives and who has a sustained and consistent record of deep accomplishment 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: 

• Contributes measurably to the strategic planning process for the PanCAN Community Building & Growth (CBG) department by acting as a project manager and ensuring alignment with the Chief Growth Officer and CBG leadership. Act as a trusted advisor to the Chief Growth Officer, providing critical support on high-impact decisions and organizational issues.
• Serve as a thought partner to the leadership team in decision-making, prioritization, and problem-solving. Lead cross-departmental coordination, ensuring effective communication and collaboration across teams.
• Develop, identify and implement creative strategies to execute team priorities and build team efficiency and communication. Drive development operations strategy to provide the infrastructure, processes, procedures, and systems that optimize efficiency and productivity.  
• Foster a culture of teamwork and collaboration. Recognize opportunities for innovative solutions and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.  
• Ensure processes are established, using KPI’s to monitor and regularly track organizational performance metrics.
• Oversee large, cross-functional, organization-wide projects or initiatives, as needed.
• Work collaboratively with the Chief Growth Officer and CBG budget managers to monitor annual departmental budgets, and to oversee vendor contracts and renewals.
• Leverage existing PanCAN resources and best practices and effectively apply, broaden, and share expertise to support goals and deliverables
• Manage internal department communications to ensure the team is informed of organizational / departmental priorities, changes, and achievements
• Perform other duties as assigned. 

Management Responsibilities:
In accordance with applicable company policies/procedures and Federal/State laws, may perform the following supervisory responsibilities:  Interviewing, hiring orienting and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; coaching, mentoring, and appraising performance; addressing complaints and resolving problems.   

Direct reports:

• Senior Manager, Donor Relations 
• Director, Resource Development Operations  

Education Requirements: 

• Bachelor's Degree (BA/BS) from a 4-year accredited university in a related field, or equivalent combination of education, training and practical experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities required.
• Advanced degree preferred. 

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS:
The following are the minimum qualifications which an individual needs in order to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of this position: 

• Successful track record of managing staff with the ability to coach, persuade, energize, delegate, and motivate others; a minimum of 8-10 years of proven progressive management experience
• At least 5+ years of successful and progressive experience in planning, strategy, project management, innovation, operations
• Detail-oriented organizational and process management skills to manage a wide range of incoming requests and responsibilities.
• Sharp business judgment, ability to see the "big picture" and to prioritize; executive presence.
• Ability to build trust with executives and internal / external stakeholders of all levels.
• Strong written communication skills and ability to distill and convey information in a compelling manner.
• Possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills, as well as acute problem-solving abilities.
• Possess ability to operate as an effective tactical as well as strategic thinker.
• Highly resourceful individual with strong emotional intelligence, self-motivation and strong analytical skills.
• Ability to manage multi-faceted projects and a capacity to perform well independently in a fast-paced, multi-tasking environment, exhibiting grace under pressure.
• A sense of humor and an impeccable work ethic.
• Strong appreciation for PanCAN’s mission and values. 

SALARY RANGE: ($140-150k annually) PanCAN is committed to providing fair and transparent employee pay.  Our compensation policy and practices integrate years of relative experience, skills, job duties, functions, responsibilities, education, certifications, expertise, PanCAN seniority, position/title, department, market conditions, and merit, and may also include geographic location. Our base salaries range from Entry level to Experienced and max at Expert level. The base pay range included herein is specific and germane to the job/position/opening as described within this announcement. 

The Offer:  To support the people fighting the world’s toughest cancer, we provide our staff with the resources, care, and sparkle to do and be their best in and out of the office. We offer competitive salaries, flexible work arrangements, exceptional time off, and health and welfare benefits creating an extraordinary workplace and culture that our team members highly recommend to friends and colleagues.

Expectations for All Employees:  Support the organization’s mission and goals by exhibiting the following core values:  Deliver Excellence, Service & Gratitude, Accountability, Team, and Sparkle Spirit!  Individuals assigned to this position must be able to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment with demonstrated ability to juggle and prioritize multiple, competing tasks and demands and to seek management assistance as appropriate.

General Information: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all required duties, responsibilities, and skills.

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is an equal opportunity employer and affords equal opportunity to all applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected under local, state, or federal laws.

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