Senior Director, Operations in Los Angeles, California at Project 180

Title: Senior Director, Operations
Division: Project 180
Pay Scale: $150,000 – $180,000/annually

The Organization

SSG-Project 180 turns lives around through innovative, wraparound services that keep people out of institutions and in their communities. Project 180 is a leader in the forensic treatment space, offering high-quality, specialized treatment programs that serve thousands of justice-involved individuals. Our programs span criminal justice intercepts and include pre-arrest interventions, court-based diversions, jail in-reach, and intensive post-release services. Project 180 operates in partnership with County agencies including the Department of Mental Health (DMH), the Department of Health Services (DHS), and the Justice, Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD).

The Position

This is a role for an operations leader who wants to construct the systems, infrastructure, and logistics backbone that will allow our programs to scale and thrive.

You will join the P180 Executive Team as a peer alongside the Senior Directors of People & Culture, Programs, and Quality & Outcomes — a collaborative leadership model where influence comes from expertise and relationships.

Project 180 is a division of Special Service for Groups, Inc. (SSG). SSG handles HR and fiscal administration at the legal entity level; your focus is what sits specifically within Project 180: facilities, IT, financial management, and program logistics.

The Senior Director reports to Project 180’s Division Director and works closely with SSG’s CFO and senior leadership, external consultants and vendors, and staff at all levels of the organization.

First 18–24 Months

The Senior Director will inherit a capable team — two Operations Coordinators and a Facilities Manager are already in place — and will lead that team in elevating systems and infrastructure across three functional areas. An additional Finance Manager or Operations Generalist is planned, bringing the team to 5–6.

• Assess the current state across Facilities, IT, and Financial Management and define a prioritized roadmap with the team
• Complete the team build-out by hiring a Finance Manager or Operations Generalist
• Lead procurement and deployment of enterprise solutions to replace ad hoc tools and processes
• Direct a systematic overhaul of policies and procedures to reflect current best practices
• Establish clear ownership, metrics, and feedback loops so each functional area runs with accountability
• Build the logistics frameworks — through the team — that directly enable service delivery to clients

Essential Functions

The Senior Director is charged with building and maintaining best-in-class organizational infrastructure for Facilities & Program Logistics, Information Technology, and Financial Management. They will lead the team in driving division-wide efficiency, sustainability, and outcomes as follows:

Facilities, Safety & Program Logistics

• Oversee the management and maintenance of Project 180’s buildings (offices and housing sites), vehicles, and equipment
• Direct and continuously improve health, safety, and security policies, procedures, and practices across four interim housing sites and the broader division
• Build facilities management systems: work orders, inventory, procurement, inspections, vendor management
• Lead the selection, leasing, renovation, and furnishing of new facilities
• Build the logistics infrastructure that enables program staff to deliver services reliably — transportation, equipment readiness, site operations
• Manage external facility relationships: property managers, owners, developers, and funders

Information Technology

• Own P180’s IT strategy and execution roadmap
• Manage the MSP vendor relationship for infrastructure, security, and user support
• Oversee website and intranet development and ongoing maintenance
• Lead software procurement, licensing, and lifecycle management
• Manage equipment inventory and refresh cycles

Financial Management

• Partner with the Division Director to develop and execute financial strategy
• Implement best-in-class systems for budgeting, forecasting, financial controls, and accounts payable
• Serve as the primary P180 liaison to SSG for financial processes — improving coordination, reducing friction, and ensuring clean data flows between the division and the parent organization

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead and develop a team of 5–6 staff: two Operations Coordinators, a Facilities Manager, and a Finance Manager or Operations Generalist (to be hired)
• Serve as a peer executive on the P180 leadership team, contributing to division-wide strategy
• Create the conditions for your team to do their best work — set direction, remove obstacles, and step in where needed without micromanaging

The Senior Director must fulfill all baseline Project 180 staff expectations, including:

• Regular attendance required; holiday or weekend work may occasionally be required
• Maintain and uphold Agency mission statement, values, policies, procedures, and principles
• Perform other duties as needed

Skills and Abilities

• Systems & infrastructure
  • Systems thinker who is energized by building infrastructure from the ground up
  • Moves fluidly between strategy and execution, getting into the weeds when needed
  • Disciplined project manager who holds self and others accountable to outcomes
• Leadership & influence
  • Leads through trust and results in peer and matrixed environments
  • Comfortable supervising technical experts and translating complex content to senior leaders
  • Sets bold vision independently and leads strategy development
• Change management & communication
  • Approaches internal operations with a customer service mindset — responsive, easy to work with, and attuned to staff needs
  • Leads large-scale transformation with strong relationship management
  • Flexible and quick to adapt; drives continuous improvement across teams and operations
• Mission commitment
  • Deep commitment to reducing criminal justice involvement through community-based care

Minimum Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional experience across multiple relevant domains: operations, facilities, IT, and/or financial management
• 3+ years of supervisory experience, ideally across multiple functional areas
• 2+ years of experience in a government, nonprofit, or mission-driven organization
• Demonstrated success building or significantly overhauling operational systems
• Valid California driver’s license, proof of insurance, and reliable personal vehicle
• Commitment to Project 180’s mission and strong DEI leadership
• Verification of employment eligibility and background check required

Supervisory Responsibilities

The Senior Director will directly manage an existing team of 3-5 employees, and a team of 6-8 employees

Environmental Conditions (Working Conditions)

Job duties are to be performed both in office and field settings, including Project 180’s interim housing sites.

Physical Requirements

The employee is expected to move about the worksite throughout the day, which may involve walking, standing, and climbing stairs, or using a mobility device, or similar. The employee may be expected to drive, carry a maximum of 20 lbs, listen, and speak in order to complete job requirements.

Mental Requirements

The employee must be able to do any/all of the following: perform complex and varied tasks such as synthesizing information and making decisions without immediate supervision; handle routine distractions, interruptions, noise, and uncontrollable changes in priorities/work schedules; interact professionally and diplomatically in high-stress situations; create and follow plans; meet deadlines.