Head of Core Delivery and Operations

About Pursuit

Our mission is to create economic transformation. By training low-income adults to launch and advance careers as software engineers, we help our Fellows go from earning $18,000 to over $90,000 starting salary on average, adding an estimated $2M in lifetime earnings. Pursuit partners with leading companies like Blackstone, USV, Citi, Peloton, and Uber to employ Fellows in career-defining engineering roles and supports them with on-the-job training to ensure potential translates to performance. Since 2013, Pursuit has created ~$1B in total lifetime wage gains, creating lasting economic mobility that spans generations. 

Pursuit’s proven solution is built on two interconnected components: training (which includes community development, Core pre-job training, and Commit on-the-job training) and a financial product (known as Bond). However, growing training alone will not meet the magnitude of need nor solve new societal challenges ahead. The typical expectation is to expand our training to other cities, but this will not come anywhere close to creating good jobs for millions of low-income Americans. Instead, our strategy for scaled impact is to evolve our financial product and create tools for other organizations, jobs, and places. We believe that this will not only create good jobs for millions of low-income Americans but will also generate a new trillion-dollar market directly tied to results in the long term.

Head of Core Delivery and Operations 

The Pursuit Core Fellowship is a 4 year leadership training program focused on economic transformation that selects and trains high need New Yorkers to become software developers, at over 300 best-in-class companies, including Peloton, Blackstone, Uber, and Citi. On average, Pursuit Fellows go from making $18,000 pre-program to $90,000+ upon starting their first job, resulting in an estimated lifetime earnings increase of over $2,000,000. With a decade of proven success and a demonstrated proof of concept, Pursuit is expanding its Core leadership to lead the organization into the next phase of growth and enable its vision for national scale.

The Head of Core Delivery and Operations will be an essential part of the Core Leadership team, responsible for leading the day-to-day delivery and operations of our core Fellowship training to 200+ Fellows per year. The immersive, in-person intensive training aims to equip Pursuit Fellows with the technical and higher-order thinking skills necessary to excel at Pursuit’s hiring partners, including Fortune 500 companies and fast-paced tech startups. This role involves overseeing the day-to-day delivery of the program experience, ensuring operational excellence and driving successful Fellow persistence and job attainment. Reporting to the soon-to-be-hired General Manager (with interim reporting to the COO), collaborating closely with other Core leaders, and managing a multi-layered team of 20+, this position offers the opportunity to directly impact the lives of Pursuit Fellows, their families, and communities. The ideal candidate will have experience managing results-oriented teams in high-performance tech or Fortune 500 companies.

As the Head of Core Delivery and Operations you will: 

• Own the Fellow training outcomes, ensuring Fellows are job-ready and prepared for the job search, and ultimately securing high paying jobs. 
• Ensure ongoing Core program excellence in delivery and operations through development of systems, processes, and tools, and creating a data-driven culture among Core staff. 
• Oversee implementation of Core Fellow experience and culture, ensuring strong alignment with Pursuit values and an industry-driven experience.
• Forecast and track fellow progress against targets, reporting to the Executive team and other stakeholders. 
• Expand, manage and develop a 20-person multi-layered team of instructors, operations, and data managers.
• Transition the fellowship program from hybrid to a fully in-person model.
• Work closely with Heads of Core Product, Strategy, and VP of Employment to design the overall Fellowship program and strategy, and incorporate industry-based training and feedback from hiring partners.
• Act as the internal face of the Core Fellowship, leading milestone events such as Hackathon and Demo Day, and championing Pursuit values with Core staff and Fellows

What you need to be considered for the Head of Core Delivery and Operations role: 

• Strong leadership skills with 10-15 years of overall experience, including at least 5 years managing high-performing teams in tech startups
• Demonstrated operational experience with an ability to articulate clear KPIs, leveraging data and building systems to meet targets. 
• Experience leading a 20+ person function, showcasing ability to drive operational excellence within a large team setting.
• Proven ability to establish a performance-driven culture and drive teams toward clear business goals.
• Proficiency in data analysis, using data to forecast toward goals, inform decision-making and track program outcomes.
• Proven track record of maintaining a high standard and holding a high bar for performance, with evidence of consistently achieving or exceeding business goals and expectations.
• Problem-solving mindset with a scrappy, all-hands-on-deck mentality, adaptable to changing program needs.
• Excitement for Pursuit’s mission and business model, and a belief in the potential of anyone to learn to code and become leaders in tech.

Where you’ll work: 

• On-site in our Long Island City Office 4-5 days/week

Salary & Benefits:

The salary range for this role is $180k-$225k base + incentive compensation.

The compensation range above is for the expectations as laid out in the job description, however, we are often open to a wide variety of profiles and recognize that the person we hire may be less experienced (or more senior) than this job description as posted.  If that ends up being the case, the updated salary range will be communicated to you as a candidate.

Pursuit offers: 

• Great culture where transparency, respect, teamwork, and kindness are valued
• Competitive compensation in base, plus bonus and a full benefits package
• 401k Match
• Unlimited PTO and an all-Pursuit summer break the last week of August and a week-long holiday the last week of December
• Flexible, hybrid work schedule with catered lunches once a week and delicious snacks
• An opportunity to work at the intersection of tech and social impact, and make a direct impact on the communities of those we serve.

Pursuit values diversity: 

Our team has a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, and we value the richness that diversity brings to our organization. We welcome new perspectives and affirm that all employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, age, familial or marital status, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. Pursuit is an equal opportunity employer.