Strategic Initiatives Manager
About Toptal
Toptal is a global network of top freelance talent in business, design, and technology that enables companies to scale their teams, on-demand. With $200+ million in annual revenue and over 40% year-over-year growth, Toptal is the world’s largest fully remote company.
We take the best elements of virtual teams and combine them with a support structure that encourages innovation, social interaction, and fun. We see no borders, move at a fast pace, and are never afraid to break the mold.
Position Description:
We are looking for a Strategic Initiatives Manager that will work with the Business Operations team to identify areas of high impact across the company, define engagement scopes, and support the execution of comprehensive strategies to solve the underlying issues and execute.
In this role, you will organize and contribute to a wide variety of cross-business unit operations projects in accordance with the mission and objectives of the company. You will develop productive cross-functional relationships to identify action items, set priorities, and solve problems while maintaining a standardized communication cadence with stakeholders and adhering to project timelines. Your eye for process improvement opportunities will contribute to the identification of future initiatives geared toward the efficiency and effectiveness of processes and workflows. Your ability to drive order and create value by addressing root cause analysis will result in the scalability and desired business outcomes that prepare Toptal for continued hypergrowth.
This is a remote position that can be done from anywhere. Due to the remote nature of this role, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship. Resumes and communication must be submitted in English.
Responsibilities:
You will be responsible for assisting Business Operations leadership to manage the rhythm of the business, consolidate weekly reports, and create strategic decks. To ensure the Business Operations Team meets its goals, you will provide follow-up on action items and track dependencies between various stakeholders and teams. Using diplomacy and tact, you will interface with leaders across the company with action items and follow-up requests related to deadlines associated with a project and other deliverables.
As you gain experience and company knowledge, you will participate in presentation development and project updates that will go beyond the Business Operations function. You will bring a strong framework for organization and attention to detail to all of your projects while supporting the Business Operations leadership.
The nature of the projects that you will support, at a high level, will be: Dive into a problem, team, or initiative as an internal consultant, asking questions to learn everything you can about the subject. Remove constraints and use non-incremental thinking to determine how to frame the engagement such that the project can deliver an order of magnitude greater impact. Execute your plans, frequently do things yourself as an individual contributor, and lay a solid foundation that can be built upon. Ensure that the project can be sustainable within the function or company without you - either by recommending hiring the right leader or by implementing processes that allow for its success in the future.
Example projects may include:
- Planning and executing the launch of a new operational business unit.
- Working with cross-functional partners to optimize outcomes and execute strategic and operational initiatives for the team.
- Planning and implementing a better workflow for collaboration between two key teams.
In the first week, expect to:
- Onboard and integrate into Toptal.
- Rapidly begin learning about Toptal’s history, culture, and vision.
- Shadow Business Analysts across the company to learn the core of Toptal’s operations, goals, and measurable outcomes.
In the first month, expect to:
- Undergo a deeper training and mentorship period with Toptal’s Business Operations team, in key areas of the company that is of strategic importance.
- Begin working on projects, alongside Business Operations leaders, designed to provide you exposure and learnings about the multiple functions within Toptal.
In the first three months, expect to:
- Continue working alongside the Business Operations leaders to support current and new initiatives.
- Own the planning and execution of key meetings by ensuring the presentation and presenters are fully prepared to deliver clear messages that result in better alignment and decision-making.
- Begin partnering with company leaders to assist with problem resolution and other ‘change the business’ initiatives.
- Gain a detailed understanding of the primary functions within a two-sided marketplace - Revenue and Talent Supply.
- Work with the Business Operations team to continuously stay up-to-date on the status and evolution of ongoing operations projects and areas of need across the organization, contributing to team discussions by surfacing ideas and best practices from your current project focuses.
In the first six months, expect to:
- Experiment and learn rapidly as you begin to build solutions, adapting your approaches in real-time by incorporating your learnings and doing everything it takes to make sure the KPIs of your projects begin moving in the right direction.
- Complete your first major operations projects successfully, as evidenced by the associated teams operating efficiently and effectively, relevant KPIs trending up and to the right over time, and value-driven by this area of the company is a step function greater than it was when you started.
In the first year, expect to:
- Successfully completed 2-4 operations projects, each 3-6 months in length, and actively delivered impact for Toptal, enabling the organization to scale further.
- Work with the team members you partnered with to ensure their future success.
- Establish yourself as a trusted, general-purpose problem solver at Toptal, capable of tackling any high-impact problem through a rigorous, analytical, creative problem-solving methodology.
Requirements:
- 4+ years combined business operations and consulting experience.
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Economics, or a relevant field is required.
- At least 1 year working for a major consulting firm with expertise in the development of strategic operational frameworks and executive presentations.
- At least 1 year of project management experience in a fast-paced, multi-function environment, with a comprehensive understanding of project management, change management, and implementation processes.
- Creative problem solver with proven results in improving processes in business operations and/or sales environments.
- Ability to leverage data to perform root cause analysis and address the source of issues.
- Proven ability to develop creative solutions that result in measurable transformative outcomes that reach beyond incremental improvements.
- Strong collaboration skills and demonstrated ability to influence and execute effectively in a cross-functional environment.
- Impeccable organization skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to apply effective change management principles and consider the human element of change.
- A knack for being able to convey complex information and recommendations in a clear, logical, and understandable manner to stakeholders at all levels.
- Excellent presentation, written, and verbal communication skills.
- Must be a high-integrity, team player with the flexibility to meet the demands of changing business priorities.
- You must be a world-class individual contributor to thrive at Toptal. You will not be here just to tell other people what to do.
