Director of Strategy & Operations

We power people’s progress. At Preply, we’re all about creating life-changing learning experiences. We help people discover the magic of the perfect tutor, craft a personalised learning journey, and stay motivated to keep growing. Our approach is human-led, tech-enabled - and it’s creating real impact. We’ve just reached unicorn status with a $150M Series D, accelerating our vision to transform education through human-led, AI-enhanced learning. Today, 100,000+ tutors teach 90+ languages to learners in 180 countries - and we’re only getting started. As a category-defining company, we’re shaping what the future of learning looks like at global scale. Every Preply lesson sparks change, fuels ambition, and drives progress that matters. Joining Preply means helping define the future of education at global scale, and building something that truly matters for millions of people, every day. Meet the team! The CEO Office team sits at the heart of Preply, driving clarity, focus, and disciplined execution across the company. This role is reporting directly to our Chief of Staff / VP of Corporate Strategy. We work directly with the CEO and executive team to define priorities, run our operating rhythm, and translate strategic goals into measurable outcomes. From OKRs to board materials, we ensure alignment, insight, and accountability - helping the organization make faster, smarter decisions. As Preply scales globally and prepares for its next growth chapter, we’re looking for a Director of Strategy & Operations to elevate how the executive team operates - turning strategy into disciplined execution. What you'll be doing 1. Run the Operating Rhythm Own the overall Operating Rhythm for the company, including evolving how we meet, for what, who should join, and when - setting our annual Leadership calendar. Support the annual and long-range planning processes, linking strategic initiatives to financial outcomes, and lead the preparation and agendas for our Executive and Leadership Offsites. Lead OKR planning, quarterly business reviews (QBRs), and Board communication cycles, ensuring alignment across all departments. Own the weekly Executive Team meetings, including managing the agenda, coordinating with presenters, and follow-ups. Partner with the CEO and leadership team to track progress against company priorities and drive accountability. Serve as a trusted partner and thought leader to the Executive Team. 2. Strategic Initiatives Drive key transformation projects and strategic initiatives with high impact across the business, such as evolving our value proposition with new AI tools and services, evolve our business model, improve how we hire at scale, and more. Assess and prioritize new market segments, product offerings, potential M&A or partnership opportunities based on market potential and business impact. Conduct regular data-driven analysis and research to identify areas of improvement and recommend new growth initiatives. What you need to succeed 7+ years of experience in strategy, operations, or planning - ideally in a high-growth tech environment. Previous line management experience Proven track record running operating rhythms (e.g. OKRs, business reviews, or transformation programs). Strong organization and leadership presence - able to communicate with clarity and influence across executive audiences. Highly action-oriented and independent, with exceptional attention to detail. Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with experience crafting executive presentations. Comfort navigating ambiguity and balancing strategic and operational depth. Business modeling or financial acumen; analytics experience is a plus. Based in Barcelona or London, with a preference for Barcelona. Why you’ll love it at Preply: An open, collaborative, dynamic and diverse culture; A generous monthly allowance for lessons on Preply.com , Learning & Development budget and time off for your self-development; A competitive financial package with equity, leave allowance and health insurance; Access to free mental health support platforms; Access to Gympass-partnered wellness and gym centers to promote and support well-being and physical health; The opportunity to unlock the potential of learners and tutors through language learning and teaching in 175 countries (and counting!). Our Principles Care to change the world - We are passionate about our work and care deeply about its impact to be life changing. We do it for learners - For both Preply and tutors, learners are why we do what we do. Every day we focus on empowering tutors to deliver an exceptional learning experience. Keep perfecting - To create an outstanding customer experience, we focus on simplicity, smoothness, and enjoyment, continually perfecting it as every detail matters. Now is the time - In a fast-paced world, it matters how quickly we act. Now is the time to make great things happen. Disciplined execution - What makes us disciplined is the excellence in our execution. We set clear goals, focus on what matters, and utilize our resources efficiently. Dive deep - We leverage business acumen and curiosity to investigate disparities between numbers and stories, unlocking meaningful insights to guide our decisions. Growth mindset - We proactively seek growth opportunities and believe today's best performance becomes tomorrow's starting point. We humbly embrace feedback and learn from setbacks. Raise the bar - We raise our performance standards continuously, alongside each new hire and promotion. We build diverse and high-performing teams that can make a real difference. Challenge, disagree and commit - We value open and candid communication, even when we don’t fully agree. We speak our minds, challenge when necessary, and fully commit to decisions once made. One Preply - We prioritize collaboration, inclusion, and the success of our team over personal ambitions. Together, we support and celebrate each other's progress. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Preply.com is committed to creating an inclusive environment where people of diverse backgrounds can thrive. We believe that the presence of different opinions and viewpoints is a key ingredient for our success as a multicultural Ed-Tech company. That means that Preply will consider all applications for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age or veteran status.