Client Onboarding Operations Manager

Athena

Client Onboarding Operations Manager JDRole: Manager, Onboarding OperationsManager: VP, Delegation ExperienceDirect reports: Team Leads, Onboarding OperationRole OverviewAs Manager of Client Onboarding Operations, you will be responsible for leading the planning, execution and ongoing optimization of the client onboarding function across Athena s Delegation Experience (DX) teams. This includes owning end-to-end performance, workforce planning, and client journey outcomes. You will manage and develop Team Leads, ensure high-quality and consistent onboarding delivery at scale, and champion the development of automation and tech-enabled solutions to streamline analyst workflows.This role sits at the intersection of people leadership, operational excellence, and systems innovation. You will work closely with cross-functional stakeholders to improve onboarding pathways and proactively manage capacity across DX functions. You bring both the strategic foresight and operational rigor to evolve the function, while supporting a world-class client experience.High-level ResponsibilitiesTeam Leadership & People ManagementManage and develop a team of Onboarding Operations Team Leads, each overseeing onboarding analysts, ensuring alignment with team performance goals and client SLAs.Foster a strong culture of coaching, continuous improvement, and frontline ownership through regular performance reviews, mentoring, and career development.Lead structured routines to track team KPIs, pipeline health, and identify training or capacity needs.Serve as the voice of Onboarding Operations across internal stakeholder groups, bringing qualitative and quantitative insights to weekly meetings and progress reports, quarterly business reviews and other high-visibility forums. Automation & Tech EnablementOwn the identification and development of automation opportunities across the onboarding journey in partnership with product and tech teams.Evaluate tech tooling and process gaps, collaborating cross-functionally to deploy scalable solutions that reduce manual overhead and improve turnaround times.Champion the onboarding team s role in testing and refining tech-enabled workflows, with a focus on seamless analyst experience and client benefit.Forecasting & Workforce PlanningBuild and maintain forecasting models for team capacity, work volume, and resource planning across all onboarding teams.Partner with Delegation Experience leadership, Sales, and Operations to ensure appropriate headcount and readiness for growth targets.Monitor pipeline velocity and drive resourcing decisions to ensure effective client funnel progression and minimal bottlenecks.Operational & Process ExcellenceDrive continuous improvement in onboarding SOPs, playbooks, and quality assurance frameworks.Use data and frontline insights to refine workflows, optimize analyst productivity, and remove sources of client friction.Establish operational dashboards and reporting systems for real-time visibility into performance trends, risks, and opportunities.Cross-functional PartnershipAct as the primary liaison between Delegation Experience, Product/Tech, Sales, Billings, and other stakeholders to align onboarding strategies with broader company goals.Lead initiatives to integrate onboarding success metrics into wider business OKRs.Contribute to strategic planning efforts that enhance the entire delegation lifecycle.StakeholdersDelegation Experience Team, Sales Team, Billings Team, Operations Team, Clients, XPsQualifications5+ years of experience in operations, customer onboarding, customer success, or program management roles, ideally in high-growth or tech-enabled service environments3+ years of experience directly managing people managers or multi-level teamsDemonstrated experience owning or heavily contributing to tech automation discovery and implementation, preferably in collaboration with product/engineeringProven track record developing process playbooks, change management strategies, or organizational scaling frameworksStrong proficiency with forecasting, capacity planning, and workforce modeling using tools like Google Sheets, Airtable, or BI dashboardsExperience working in or with startups, B2B SaaS, service marketplaces, or tech-enabled services is a strong plusFamiliarity with CRM systems (e.g. Salesforce, HubSpot), support tooling (e.g. Zendesk), and collaboration platforms (e.g. Glue, Slack, Notion, Asana)Competencies and SkillsLeadership & Coaching: Ability to mentor, support, and drive results through others while fostering team accountabilityClient-Centric Thinking: Deep empathy for the client journey; able to anticipate and respond to needs with agility and careOperational Rigor: Strong process orientation and ability to improve workflows through data, feedback, and insightCommunication: Clear and thoughtful in both verbal and written communications across diverse audiencesCross-functional Collaboration: Skilled at working across departments to align on shared outcomesProactivity & Ownership: Takes initiative, solves problems before they escalate, and is committed to continuous improvementAnalytical Thinking: Able to identify patterns in data, draw conclusions, and inform process improvementsTech Fluency: Comfortable working within CRMs, spreadsheets, and other team collaboration tools