Executive Operations Manager

Who We Are

At Blanchard, we believe the heart of leadership is the human connection. For over 45 years, we've partnered with organizations around the world to transform people into impactful leaders-equipping more than 150,000 individuals each year with the mindsets, skills, and confidence to lead effectively. We're proud to be the home of SLII, the world's most widely taught leadership model, and offer a comprehensive suite of training experiences-including Management Essentials, Essential Motivators, Building Trust, and more-designed for leaders at every level. Our award-winning, research-backed work is trusted by Fortune 500 companies, small and midsize businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, and nonprofits alike. What sets us apart is not just our expertise-it's how we deliver it. Whether in person, virtually, or blended, we tailor each solution to meet our clients where they are and where they aspire to grow.

How We Work

Blanchard is headquartered in sunny Southern California, but our reach and our team extend across the US, UK, and beyond. We embrace a flexible, remote-first approach, with colleagues working from home offices, coffee shops, coworking spaces, and yes, occasionally in the company of kids, partners, or pets. Our people-first culture is built around empathy, belonging, and well-being. We understand that life happens, and we're here for it. Whether it's caring for a loved one, taking time for mental health, or volunteering in your community, we support the full spectrum of what it means to be human at work.

About the Role

The Executive Operations Manager is a critical partner to the Director of Executive Operations and plays a central role in strengthening organizational alignment, improving operational effectiveness, and ensuring the successful execution of Executive Team priorities. This role serves as the primary on-campus presence for the Executive Office, providing in-person leadership, coordination, and support when executives and governance forums are operating on site. Working closely with executive leadership, this role translates vision and direction into clear plans, operating discipline, and measurable progress.

The Executive Operations Manager leads the day-to-day operating system of the Executive Office owning the structures, workflows, reporting rhythms, and governance mechanics that turn executive direction into durable structure, reliable follow-through, and clear enterprise visibility. This role is also responsible for managing and developing members of the Executive Office team, establishing consistent standards of execution across executive support, committee governance, reporting, and cross-functional coordination.

This is a hybrid position working partially in office at our headquarters in Escondido, CA.

Role Purpose

To enhance enterprise execution and executive effectiveness by leading and evolving the Executive Office operating system. This role designs, implements, and sustains the systems, workflows, and reporting structures that enable clear visibility, accountability, and alignment across leadership initiatives allowing the Director of Executive Operations and Executive Team to remain focused on strategy, high quality decisions, and measurable outcomes.

Duties Include

Executive Office Leadership & People Management:

• Manages, coaches, and develops Executive Office team members, establishing clear expectations, standards of work, and performance accountability including setting priorities, defining how work gets done, and ensuring alignment to Executive Office standards.
• Leads team capacity planning, coverage, and prioritization to ensure consistent executive support and continuity during peak periods or absences.
• Fosters a culture of operational rigor, discretion, and continuous improvement within the Executive Office.
• Conducts regular feedback and development conversations to support individual growth and team effectiveness.
• Ensures seamless leader coverage and continuity, minimizing missed handoffs or execution gaps.
• Establishes and maintains Executive Office performance standards, service levels, and quality benchmarks.
• Serves as the point of accountability for Executive Office execution quality and reliability

Right-Hand Partnership to the Director of Executive Operations:

• Serves as a strategic execution partner, translating executive direction into structured plans, milestones, owners, and progress tracking.
• Anticipates risks, resource constraints, and priority conflicts; surface insights and recommendations to support informed trade-offs.
• Prepares the Executive Office for key leadership moments by ensuring materials, data, and follow-throughs are decision ready.
• Proactively plans for efficiency and operational flow, sequencing work appropriately and ensuring the right information is available to move priorities forward with clarity.
• Makes day-to-day operational decisions regarding prioritization, sequencing, and resource allocation within the Executive Office.
• Recommends escalation or executive decision points when trade-offs exceed delegated authority.

Operating Systems, Workflows, and Execution Discipline:

• Owns and govern core Executive Office operating systems, including intake, prioritization, decision tracking, and action follow-through.
• Designs, documents, and maintains workflows, SOPs, and templates that drive consistency and reduce friction across executive initiatives.
• Identifies recurring execution gaps and lead process improvements to strengthen reliability, accountability, and scalability.

Executive Visibility, Data, and Reporting:

• Leads the development and ongoing management of executive dashboards, scorecards, and reporting cadences that provide timely, trusted visibility into priorities, KPIs, and risks.
• Establishes and enforce standards for data definitions, ownership, refresh cadence, and narrative context to ensure executive-ready insights.
• Analyzes data from multiple sources to identify trends, risks, and opportunities that require leadership attention.
• Partners cross-functionally to integrate data sources, improve reporting quality, and align on shared metrics and standards.
• Leverages Microsoft 365 tools (e.g., SharePoint, Excel, Teams, Planner, Loop, Power BI, Power Automate) to support automation and reporting efficiency.

Portfolio, Project, and Cross-Functional Coordination:

• Oversees planning and tracking for executive-sponsored initiatives, clarifying scope, dependencies, milestones, and ownership.
• Monitors initiative health, surface risks and decision needs, and drive disciplined follow-up to keep work on track.
• Aligns stakeholders across functions and escalate issues appropriately when commitments or timelines are at risk.

Governance, Committees, and Decision Support:

• Leads operational and administrative support for Steering Committees and other executive governance bodies, in alignment with Executive Office priorities.
• Ensures agendas, pre-reads, decisions, and actions are consistently documented and followed through.
• Maintains committee rosters, charters, and governance materials to ensure clarity of purpose, membership, and accountability.
• Tracks decisions and action items across committees, ensuring clear ownership, timely progress, and escalation when commitments are at risk.
• Identifies cross-committee dependencies, risks, or gaps and proactively surface insights to the Director of Executive Operations.
• Standardizes governance artifacts, templates, and meeting rhythms to improve decision quality, accountability, execution velocity, and consistent operating discipline across committees and leadership forums.

Executive Communication, Readiness, and Discretion:

• Produces and review executive-facing summaries, updates, and briefs that are concise, structured, and action-oriented.
• Exercise sound judgment and discretion in handling sensitive information and executive matters.

Technology Enablement & Continuous Improvement:

• Leads the adoption of tools, automation, and reporting solutions that reduce manual effort and improve execution reliability.
• Continuously assesses and refines Executive Office systems and workflows to ensure they scale with organizational needs.
• Researches, tests, and recommends new tools, templates, or processes that enhance collaboration, reporting, and project execution.
• Supports change adoption through clear documentation, enablement, and post-implementation review.

Limited Executive and Administrative Support:

• These responsibilities are exception-based and support continuity during peak demand or coverage gaps.
• Provides executive and administrative support on an exception basis, including scheduling, travel coordination, and expense reporting as needed.
• Prepares agendas, correspondence, and follow-up materials to support accurate and timely communication.
• Anticipates needs and proactively resolves scheduling or logistical challenges.
• Serves as an on-campus presence for leadership meetings, supporting in-person coordination and meeting logistics.
• Maintains the highest level of professionalism, confidentiality, and discretion.

Miscellaneous Duties:

• Creates presentations, reports, and business documents as needed.
• Performs additional duties as assigned by management.

Who You Are:

The ideal candidate brings strong analytical and organizational capability, comfort navigating ambiguity, and a curiosity for tools and technologies that improve how work gets done. Success in this role requires sound judgment, discretion, and executive-level communication, as well as the ability to lead through influence, align stakeholders, and maintain operational rigor across multiple priorities.

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, Organizational Development, Operations Management, Data/Technology, or related field; OR equivalent experience.
• 5-8 years of experience in executive operations, business operations, program/project management, or similar roles
• Prior experience managing or leading others, formally or informally
• Experience supporting senior leaders or working in environments requiring discretion and independent judgment.
• Experience creating or maintaining reports, trackers, or data tools.

Preferred:

• Experience in a professional services or fast-paced environment.
• Exposure to Microsoft 365 automation or dashboarding (Power Automate, Power BI, etc.).
• Experience supporting committees, governance bodies, or enterprise-level initiatives.
• Experience documenting processes, SOPs, workflows, and governance structures.
• Exposure to coaching, facilitation, or change leadership.

What We Offer

We want our team members to thrive, not just professionally but personally. Here's how we support you:

• Competitive salaries with opportunities for growth
• Medical, dental & vision benefits
• Employer Paid Basic Life & AD&D insurance
• Voluntary Life & AD&D insurance
• Short & Long-term disability coverage
• Schwab 401(k) plus employer match
• Unlimited Paid Flex Time Off
• Generous paid holidays, wellness days & volunteer time
• Flexible hours & remote/hybrid work options
• Family-first policies-including support for fur babies
• Mental and physical wellness programs
• Employer-paid Norton LifeLock identity protection
• Access to Blanchard's world-class leadership training
• Career and personal development pathways

*Statistically, women and people of color are less likely to apply if they do not meet all the requirements. Even if you feel you do not meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply!

Blanchard is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from harassment and discrimination. We celebrate the unique differences of our employees because that is what drives curiosity, innovation, and the success of our business. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws. Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities.

Learn more about the culture here at Blanchard: https://www.blanchard.com/about-us/culture