Director of Strategy & Operations

About Inspira EducationInspira Education Group is one of the fastest-growing edtech startups in the US. We started with a simple mission to democratize access to high-quality coaching so that every student in the world has an equal opportunity to access the best opportunities.As the world’s leading network of top admissions coaches in medical, legal, business, and college studies, we’re building software and services in one place—disrupting long-entrenched application processes with products and experiences that strive to provide an equal platform for candidates from diverse backgrounds worldwide.As one of the fastest-growing edtech firms in the world, we are backed by some of the leading venture capital firms and investors in the world, including Zeev Ventures, Quiet Capital, Craft Ventures and Jeff Fluhr (Founder of Stubhub).The OpportunitySome people spend years becoming experts at diagnosing problems. The best operators do that — and then they fix them.We're looking for someone who combines sharp strategic instincts with the hunger to own outcomes end-to-end. At Inspira, you'll work directly with the founders to identify the highest-leverage opportunities across our business, design the solutions, and build them yourself. No handoff. No waiting for someone else to execute. You move, it moves.The business is at an inflection point. We have strong demand, a proven model, and a global network of counselors helping students get into the world's best schools. What we need now is the operational infrastructure to match our ambition — and the person to build it.That's this role.The WorkThis is a player-coach role. You'll lead teams and develop people while staying close enough to the work to know when something isn't right — and fix it yourself when it needs to be fixed. We're not looking for someone who manages from a distance. We're looking for someone who sets the standard by living it.Student-Counselor Matching & Customer OperationsOwn the student-counselor matching process end-to-end — optimizing it for quality, speed, and scale while staying close enough to spot when individual cases go sidewaysBuild and iterate on logic-based workflows in HubSpot that reduce manual effort without losing the human judgment that makes matches workInstrument the process so performance is visible, measurable, and continuously improvableCounselor Supply EngineLead the recruitment, onboarding, and quality management of our global counselor network — while personally setting the standards that define what great looks likeOversee high-volume hiring pipelines and hold the bar on who makes it in and who doesn'tDesign the infrastructure that lets us scale supply without sacrificing quality — and audit it regularly to make sure it's holdingCustomer Escalations & SupportLead the escalation team while staying close to the hardest customer situations yourself — you'll know when to delegate and when to step inBuild the SOPs, protocols, and feedback loops that turn reactive fixes into systemic improvementsOwn the metrics — NPS, CSAT, refund rates — and drive structural changes when the numbers tell you something is brokenOperational Systems & InfrastructureOwn HubSpot end-to-end: architecture, workflow configuration, automations, data hygiene, and reportingIdentify what to automate, what to keep high-touch, and build the connective logic between bothCreate documentation and operational infrastructure that scales beyond any single person — including youCross-Functional & Strategic WorkPartner with founders and leaders across Sales and Marketing on new service launches — owning the operational planning and execution, not just the advisory inputBring structure to ambiguous problems and a bias toward implementation over deliberationBe the person in the room who not only identifies what needs to change but leaves with ownership of making it happenWhat We're Looking For5–8 years of experience in strategy, operations, consulting, or a high-growth startup environment — with a track record of moving from diagnosis to executionYou've built things, not just recommended them — processes, systems, and workflows that actually ran in productionA natural player-coach: you develop and lead people without losing touch with the details that determine outcomesHands-on CRM experience — HubSpot or comparable — you know what a well-architected workflow looks like and you can build it yourselfBackground in consulting, investment banking, or a strategy role at a fast-scaling company is a strong plusMarketplace or service operations experience is a strong plus — counselors, coaches, contractors, or service providers at scaleThe range to go from a founder-level strategy conversation in the morning to getting your hands dirty in a workflow builder in the afternoonDeep comfort with ambiguity and a bias toward action over deliberationLow ego. High standards. The kind of person who finds the broken thing before anyone else notices it.Why This, Why NowDirect founder access and real decision-making authority from week oneA business with genuine mission — the students we serve are getting into schools that change their livesThe kind of operational complexity that sharpens you — and makes your next role easier to get and better to haveCompetitive compensation commensurate with experienceHealth, dental, and vision — base plans 100% employer paid | Flexible PTO | 401(k) with matchWhat We Look ForA passion for building meaningful, authentic connectionsA positive, solutions-oriented mindset with a strong sense of ownershipCuriosity and a desire to learn, experiment, and improveResilience and persistence in the face of challengesEnthusiasm that motivates others and adaptability in a fast-changing environmentHigh energy, strong follow-through, and a drive to get things doneWhy you'll love InspiraAmazing people with a great vision and valuesMission-driven team culture focused on student successYour work directly impacts the lives and careers of students across the globeHealth, dental, and vision insurance, base plans 100% employer paidFlexible paid time off (PTO) and paid holidays401(k) with company matchFor more information about our company, please visit our website: Inspira Education Group.Inspira Education Group does not discriminate based on race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other reason prohibited by law in providing employment opportunities and benefits.