Sr. Strategy, Talent & Operations Associate in Los Angeles, California at Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment

SALARY: from $78,000 to $110,000

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND

PACE was founded in 1975 to provide job training and placement services for the Asian Pacific Islander communities in Los Angeles. PACE has since expanded into a variety of service areas, all tailored to meet the growing and changing needs of the multi-ethnic communities in Los Angeles County. Now, in addition to job training and employment services, significant PACE programs encompass: business development; early childhood education (Head Start); financial education and asset building; housing and rehabilitation services; weatherization and energy-conservation programs; and affordable housing development. PACE serves more than 30,000 people each year with our wide scope of services with approximately 300+ staff. PACE is recognized as a leader in addressing poverty and economic challenges and has a strong reputation for responding to community needs and developing innovative solutions to the many challenges faced by our clients. Visit our website to learn more about our organization: https://pacela.org

POSITION SUMMARY

The Sr. Strategy, Talent & Operations Associate is an experiened-career professional in the Office of the COO/VP who provides the coordination, analysis, and follow-through that extend the COO/VP’s capacity across PACE’s diverse portfolio of programs. The Associate supports the COO/VP’s core priorities organizational strategy, operational systems, data-driven performance management, succession planning, training, and leadership development, and external relations.

This is a builder’s role: part project manager, part analyst, and part connective tissue across departments. The Associate works closely with the executive team, program directors, Human Resources, and Finance, and regularly handles confidential organizational and personnel information. Scope and autonomy are expected to grow with tenure.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy, Operations & Performance Data (30%)

• Support the annual strategic and operational planning process, including project management, drafting deliverables, and compiling analysis and recommendations for the COO/VP and executive team.
• Track PACE’s organizational picture program milestones, headcount, contract deliverables, and key performance metrics in partnership with Finance and program directors, and translate it into clear dashboards and reports for the CEO, Board of Directors, and funders.
• Own day-to-day data collection and management across departments, building simple, consistent systems for gathering, cleaning, and storing program and operational data so it is accurate, current, and easy for leadership to use.
• Help maintain organizational systems and documentation (policies, procedures, contract and compliance calendars, tracking tools) so that institutional knowledge is captured and accessible.
• Help maintain and update PACE’s crisis management and operational resilience plans, including continuity contacts and procedures.

Succession Planning, Culture, & Leadership Development (20%)

• Under the direction of the COO/VP and in partnership with Human Resources, help build and maintain PACE’s succession planning framework, including identifying key and hard-to-fill positions across programs and administration.
• Track individual development plans for identified successors and high-potential staff, following up on progress, stretch assignments, and training milestones.
• Identify training needs and opportunities to grow high-potential staff: working with Human Resources, use performance evaluations and development plans to pinpoint skill gaps, research internal and external trainings (workshops, certifications, cross-training, and mentoring), and recommend learning pathways that prepare staff for advancement within PACE.
• Help develop and coordinate internal training programs for emerging leaders, and track participation, completion, and outcomes to measure impact on readiness.
• Support leadership development and “Good to Great” initiatives, including coordinating leadership cohorts and mentoring pairings.
• In partnership with Human Resources, support refinement of the performance evaluation tools used by directors and help connect evaluation results to development and succession planning.

External Relations & Advisory Boards (20%)

• Support the COO/VP in planning, launching, and strengthening PACE’s advisory boards, including researching models and best practices used by peer organizations.
• Support advisory board member identification, onboarding, and ongoing engagement, maintaining a prospect pipeline, coordinating outreach and orientation, preparing onboarding materials, and serving as a point of contact for members between meetings.
• Coordinate advisory board meetings end to end scheduling, agendas, briefing packets, logistics, minutes, and follow-up tracking and maintain accurate records of membership, attendance, engagement, and contributions, preparing periodic updates for the COO/VP and CEO.
• Coordinate logistics for the Breakfast Club, community outreach, and coalition-building events (roundtables, site visits, listening sessions, resource fairs) invite lists, scheduling, briefing materials, RSVP tracking, and post-event follow-up to deepen partner relationships.
• Monitor PACE's partner/stakeholder relationships and plan stewardship opportunities to sustain and grow those relationships.

Special Projects & Office of the COO/VP (20%)

• Take on time-sensitive and high-stakes projects as assigned by the COO/VP, with increasing autonomy as tenure grows.
• Lead discrete projects such as process redesign, community engagement events, and research on new initiatives, including earned-income and social enterprise opportunities based on organizational priorities and capacity.
• Maximize the COO/VP’s capacity by managing calendars for key initiatives, preparing briefing materials, drafting correspondence, and tracking follow-through on action items across departments.
• Prepare materials for Board of Directors meetings, executive team meetings, and external engagements with funders, partners, and government agencies.
• Track contracts and program initiatives are routed to the COO/VP for review, ensuring documentation is complete and items move forward on time.

Collective Responsibilities (10%)

• Integrate and drive toward PACE’s organizational priorities in daily work.
• Participate in all-staff commitments, program events, and team meetings across PACE’s program areas.
• Attend and actively engage in relevant professional development.
• Adapt to the changing needs of the organization, supporting various initiatives as needed.
• Responsibly steward resources through consistent compliance with employee policies and expectations.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in business, nonprofit management, public administration, human resources, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 1–4 years of professional experience in project management, operations, strategy, program coordination, or a related field.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams and deadlines.
• Comfort working with data collecting, organizing, analyzing, and translating it into clear recommendations for non-technical audiences.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (especially Excel, Word, and PowerPoint) and/or Google Workspace; experience with databases or a CRM.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated discretion and sound judgment in handling confidential personnel and organizational information.

Preferred

• Experience supporting a board, advisory committee, or volunteer leadership group.
• Exposure to human resources, training development, talent management, or succession planning practices.
• Experience in a nonprofit or government-funded program environment.
• Experience working with diverse, multicultural communities, especially API communities.
• Bilingual language skills.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Organization & Project Management
• Data Management & Analysis
• Confidentiality & Discretion
• Clear Written & Verbal Communication
• Relationship Building & Collaboration
• Initiative & Learner’s Mindset
• Integrity & Accountability
• Adaptability & Follow-Through

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Salary range from $78,000 to $110,000 annual (commensurate with experience)
• Affordable and robust Medical, Dental, Vision, and life insurance plans for employee plus family with generous employer contributions
• 401(k) retirement plan after 1 year of employment
• Generous PTO, paid holidays, and sick leave

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must satisfactorily pass background and employment/reference check
• Must have reliable transportation
• Travel is required: regular local travel to PACE program sites and partner locations throughout Los Angeles County, with occasional out-of-area travel.
• Some evening/weekend work may be required (e.g., advisory board meetings and community events).

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The working conditions and physical demands of this position will be those that must be met to successfully perform the essential duties of the position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties. The physical environment the incumbent will work in is typically an office environment with moderate noise levels that would be expected in that type of work environment. Representative physical demands of the job include: normal vision and hearing, standing for extended periods, sitting for extended periods, kneeling and stooping, manipulating objects with hands, reaching overhead, and occasionally lifting and carrying objects weighing up to 25 pounds.

PACE is a private not-for-profit corporation that provides employment, small business assistance, education, housing and other community services in the Los Angeles City and County areas. PACE is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

QUALIFICATIONS
Required
Bachelor’s degree in business, nonprofit management, public administration, human resources, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
1–4 years of professional experience in project management, operations, strategy, program coordination, or a related field.
Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams and deadlines.
Comfort working with data collecting, organizing, analyzing, and translating it into clear recommendations for non-technical audiences.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office (especially Excel, Word, and PowerPoint) and/or Google Workspace; experience with databases or a CRM.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrated discretion and sound judgment in handling confidential personnel and organizational information.
Preferred
Experience supporting a board, advisory committee, or volunteer leadership group.
Exposure to human resources, training development, talent management, or succession planning practices.
Experience in a nonprofit or government-funded program environment.
Experience working with diverse, multicultural communities, especially API communities.
Bilingual language skills.