Head of Service Operations

Posted Mar 8

Coursera was launched in 2012 by two Stanford Computer Science professors, Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, with a mission to provide universal access to world-class learning. It is now one of the largest online learning platforms in the world, with 142 million registered learners as of December 31, 2023.

Coursera partners with over 325 leading university and industry partners to offer a broad catalog of content and credentials, including courses, Specializations, Professional Certificates, Guided Projects, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Institutions around the world use Coursera to upskill and reskill their employees, citizens, and students in fields such as data science, technology, and business. Coursera became a B Corp in February 2021.

Join us in our mission to create a world where anyone, anywhere can transform their life through access to education. We're seeking talented individuals who share our passion and drive to revolutionize the way the world learns.

We at Coursera are committed to building a globally diverse team and are thrilled to extend employment opportunities to individuals in any country where we have a legal entity. We require candidates to possess eligible working rights and have a compatible timezone overlap with their team to facilitate seamless collaboration. As a remote-first company, our interviews and onboarding are entirely virtual, providing a smooth and efficient experience for our candidates.

Job Overview:

The Services team works to empower learners, partners, and enterprise customers to achieve their goals on Coursera. The team is made up of four sub-teams: Service Operations, Platform Services, Scaled Support Operations and Technical Professional Services. We help learners succeed by implementing innovative systems and processes that solve problems. As strong advocates for the Coursera community, we work to align cross-functional teams and build scalable solutions to continuously improve the Coursera experience. 

As the Director of Service Operations, you will lead a large team of operational specialists focused on driving leverage and fostering growth within the company. This position is cross-functional and requires deep knowledge of all three of our business lines (consumer, enterprise, and degrees) as well as a comprehensive understanding of the platform. The objective of this role is not only to direct, but to innovate and inspire, pushing the boundaries of what our operations team can achieve in line with a center of excellence model.

Responsibilities:

  • Lead a large team of operational specialists including managers and steer the activities towards continuous innovation and improvement.
  • Maintain a deep understanding of Coursera’s 3 business lines (consumer, enterprise, and degrees) and the platform, to promote strategic decision-making and operational excellence.
  • Initiate cross-functional collaboration for operational alignment with corporate goals, ensuring seamless communication and coordination.
  • Build long term vision, strategic plan and objectives for the team that is aligned with the company’s mission and vision, and contribute to their successful execution.
  • Oversee the efficiency of operational processes, fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation. 
  • Handle hiring and team engagement, facilitating recruitment, training, mentorship, and career development opportunities.

Basic Qualifications

Extensive business knowledge with comprehensive understanding of the organization and functional area(s). Advanced leadership skills. Resolves critical issues and contributes to organizational development.

  • Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations Management, or related field; or equivalent work experience
  • Minimum 10 years of experience in operations leadership within a similar industry, with demonstrated experience with a center of excellence model.
  • Proven expertise in managing and navigating complex businesses particularly within the SAAS/tech industry
  • Excellent leadership abilities, backed by experience managing large and diverse teams towards accomplishing business objectives.
  • Strong analytical abilities with the capacity to strategically handle complex data, identify trends, and make informed business decisions.
  • Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to negotiate and deliver on multi-faceted projects efficiently.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Advanced degree (MBA or relevant field) with specialization in Operations Management or Business Administration.
  • Significant experience in a Center of Excellence, demonstrating the ability to drive innovation and lead a culture of continuous improvement.
  • Proven track record in leading cross-functional teams and working in a fast-paced, ever-evolving environment with consumer, enterprise, and degree business lines.

If this opportunity interests you, you might like these courses on Coursera:

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Coursera is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and considers all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected class.

If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, please contact us at accommodations@coursera.org.

For California Candidates, please review our CCPA Applicant Notice here.

For our Global Candidates, please review our GDPR Recruitment Notice here.

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