Director, Strategic Initiatives

Orion180 is seeking a Director of Strategic Initiatives to serve the Office of the CIO supporting both the Chief Innovation Officer and the VP of Innovation & Technology.

This role is the operational and strategic nerve center for the technology organization - driving accountability across strategic initiatives managing the rhythm of business coordinating cross-departmental alignment and ensuring leadership has the information and preparation they need to make decisions and execute at speed.

The technology organization is in a period of significant growth and transformation. The Director of Strategic Initiatives will play a central role in orchestrating this transformation - tracking multiple concurrent workstreams managing communication across stakeholders preparing executive-level deliverables and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. As the transformation matures the role evolves into the ongoing operational backbone of the CIOs office.

This is a hands-on role for someone who thrives in ambiguity moves fast and takes ownership. You wont wait to be told what to do - youll see gaps and fill them. Youll be equally comfortable preparing a board-level presentation and chasing down an overdue deliverable from a director. We value leaders who lead from the front and roll up their sleeves.

WHAT YOULL DO:

• Strategic Initiative Management: Track and drive accountability across the technology organizations strategic initiatives. Maintain the initiative tracker follow up on milestones flag risks and ensure workstreams stay on timeline. You are the person who makes sure things dont stall.

• Rhythm of Business: Own the operating cadence for the CIOs office - monthly business reviews quarterly planning sessions annual budget cycles and leadership team meetings. Build agendas prepare pre-reads capture action items and drive follow-through.
• Executive Communications: Prepare executive-level presentations briefings and decision packages for the CIO and VP I&T. Translate complex operational details into clear concise narratives for the CEO board and senior leadership team. Youll be the person who turns a 50-page plan into a 5-slide executive summary.
• Cross-Departmental Coordination: Serve as the connective tissue between the technology organization and other business functions - Product Sales Finance Operations Compliance and HR. Make sure the CIOs priorities are understood across the company and that cross-departmental dependencies are managed proactively.
• Transformation Orchestration: During the current organizational transformation serve as the program manager for the restructure itself - tracking recruiting pipelines partner onboarding milestones communication plan execution workforce transition sequencing and operational readiness. Make sure all workstreams are coordinated and leadership has visibility into overall progress.
• Leadership Support: Support both the CIO and VP I&T with meeting preparation stakeholder management and ad hoc analysis. Represent the CIOs office in meetings when neither leader can attend. Provide a trusted sounding board for strategic decisions.
• Budget and Resource Coordination: Support the annual budgeting process track spend against budget and provide variance analysis. Coordinate resource allocation discussions across the technology organizations pillars. Board and Investor Preparation: Assist in preparing technology updates for the board and investors. Ensure technology narrative metrics and strategic positioning are clear and compelling.
• Special Projects: Own high-priority special projects that dont fit neatly into any single pillar - market analysis organizational assessments process improvements competitive intelligence or partnership evaluations. These are the projects that the CIO or VP I&T need done right and done fast.
• Information Flow: Ensure critical information flows up down and across the organization efficiently. The CIO and VP I&T should never be surprised by something they should have known. Directors should never be confused about priorities. You manage the information architecture of the leadership team.

WHAT WERE LOOKING FOR:

• Education: Bachelors degree in Business Information Systems Finance or related field. MBA or Masters degree preferred.
• Experience: Minimum 5 years in Chief of Staff strategy management consulting program management or senior operations roles within technology organizations.
• Demonstrated experience operating at the intersection of strategy and execution - you can think at the 30000-foot level and execute at the ground level in the same day.
• Exceptional communication skills - written and verbal. You can write a board-level memo present to a C-suite audience and have a direct conversation with a director about a missed deadline with equal confidence.
• Strong analytical skills - comfortable with financial analysis operational metrics and data-driven decision-making.
• Experience managing complex multi-workstream initiatives with many stakeholders and moving parts.
• High emotional intelligence and political awareness - you understand organizational dynamics know when to push and when to listen and can navigate ambiguity without creating confusion.
• Extreme ownership mentality - you dont wait for direction you identify what needs to happen and make it happen. You hold yourself to a higher standard than anyone else holds you to.
• Experience in technology organizations - you dont need to be an engineer but you need to understand how technology organizations operate how delivery works and how to translate technical concepts for business audiences.
• Discretion and confidentiality - this role has access to sensitive organizational information including workforce planning performance assessments and strategic decisions. Absolute trustworthiness is non-negotiable. Experience in insurance financial services or other regulated industries is a plus.
• Military management consulting or startup background is a plus - environments that value speed adaptability and getting things done with limited resources.

WHATS IN IT FOR YOU:

Join Our Team & Make an Impact! At Orion180 we dont just meet expectations we exceed them. If youre ready to take your career to the next level and be part of a growing forward-thinking company apply today!

• Dynamic Environment: On-site role with a fast-paced and collaborative team culture. Results-driven office where your contributions make a real impact.
• Compensation: Competitive base pay and performance bonuses.
• Career Growth: Mentorship growth tracks and professional development.
• Benefits: Medical dental vision 401k paid holidays PTO and more!

ACTION Required: As part of our hiring process we ask applicants to complete a brief assessment designed to provide insight into work style preferences and alignment with the role and our team. The assessment takes approximately 20 minutes and request that you complete this prior to your scheduled screening time of your choice. You can access the assessment here: TRAITS Assessment

The office environment is fast-paced and collaborative. An employee must be willing and able to work their regularly assigned work schedule onsite and in times of need be able to work an extended schedule depending on company or departmental needs project requirements or customer demands.

While performing general duties for this position the employee is regularly required to sit stand and/or walk around (including the use of stairs). Other demands include the ability to openly communicate with others by talking listening comprehending and reading; being able to lift light objects (<25 lbs); and using standard office equipment such as computers printers and addition there is an occasional need to bend twist or squat down to open/close cabinets and reach for files or other standard office-type objects.

Orion180 is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color religion sex sexual orientation gender identity national origin disability or protected veteran status.

Reasonable accommodations are available for qualified individuals with disabilities during the application process. Applicants who need accommodations may email to request assistance.

Required Experience:

Director