Cialfo

Strategic Operations Manager (COO’s Office)

Singapore Full Time

Cialfo is a leading platform connecting students, higher education institutions, and counselors through technology-driven solutions. Launched in 2017 with a mission to make education accessible to 100 million students, Cialfo provides a range of mobile and web solutions to students, K-12 institutions, and higher education institutions. We’re one of the fastest-growing tech startups in the region, consistently charting new heights!

About this role

We are seeking a Strategic Operations Manager for the Strategic Operations division to work directly with the Chief Operating Officer (COO) on high-impact initiatives across the organization. This role sits at the intersection of strategy, execution, and operational excellence, acting as an extension of the COO’s office to drive critical projects, manage key priorities, and ensure organizational alignment.

The ideal candidate is a highly organized operator with strong analytical thinking, excellent communication skills, and the ability to execute complex initiatives across multiple stakeholders. This role is best suited for someone who enjoys solving ambiguous problems, driving cross-functional projects, and managing both strategic and operational workstreams.

This role is critical to the success of the COO’s office and the broader organization, helping translate leadership priorities into operational outcomes, ensuring that key initiatives are executed effectively and efficiently.

What You Will Be Doing

  • What You Will Execute on a Day to Day Basis:
    • You shall operate as a force multiplier for the COO by driving operational priorities, coordinating cross-functional execution, and ensuring decisions taken in leadership forums are followed through and implemented.
  • Strategic Initiatives & Special Projects
    • Lead and execute high-priority strategic projects initiated by the COO across business units.
    • Conduct internal diagnostics to support decision-making.
    • Translate leadership priorities into structured plans, timelines, and deliverables.
    • Track progress of strategic initiatives and ensure timely execution.
  • COO Office Operations
    • Act as a force multiplier for the COO, managing operational priorities and follow-ups.
    • Prepare briefing notes, executive presentations, reports, and dashboards for leadership meetings.
    • Support the COO in structuring internal initiatives and cross-team collaboration.
    • Ensure decisions taken in leadership forums are followed through and implemented.
  • Cross-Functional Project Management
    • Coordinate projects across departments such as product, marketing, finance, and operations.
    • Identify operational bottlenecks and propose process improvements.
    • Drive accountability across teams to ensure project milestones and outcomes are achieved.
  • Administrative & Execution Support
    • Manage project documentation, meeting preparation, and action tracking for COO initiatives.
    • Support the COO in organizing leadership reviews, strategic planning sessions, and operational updates.
    • Ensure smooth coordination between the COO and internal stakeholders.
  • What You Will Lead, Strategize & Develop On A Regular Basis:
    • Strategic execution focuses on enabling leadership priorities through structured planning, performance tracking, and decision-ready reporting that supports organizational alignment and operational excellence.
  • Data, Reporting & Insights
    • Build and maintain operational dashboards and performance tracking systems.
    • Analyze business metrics and provide insights to guide strategic decisions.
    • Prepare monthly and quarterly business review materials.

About You

You must be a highly organized operator with strong analytical thinking, excellent communication skills, and the ability to execute complex initiatives across multiple stakeholders. You should be comfortable working in ambiguity, managing multiple priorities simultaneously, and balancing strategic thinking with hands-on execution.

  • Qualifications:
    • 7+ years of experience in roles such as:
    • Experience working closely with C-Suite or Founders is strongly preferred.
  • Skills:
    • Strong project management and execution skills
    • Excellent analytical and structured problem-solving ability
    • Ability to work across multiple teams and drive alignment
    • Strong written and verbal communication
    • High attention to detail with strong organizational discipline
  • Knowledge:
    • Highly proactive and comfortable working in ambiguity
    • Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution
    • Strong ownership mindset with high accountability
    • Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
  • You Are A Notch Above If You Have
    • Prior experience working closely with senior leadership or founders.
    • Demonstrated experience driving ambiguous, cross-functional initiatives end-to-end.
    • Strong comfort operating across both strategic workstreams and operational execution, with high ownership and accountability.