Marketplace Counselor Operations Manager

Job Description

Our Client is a fast-growing startup in the education consulting industry, dedicated to revolutionizing college admissions and career counseling. Their mission is to help students discover their passions and achieve their educational and career goals. As they scale, they are building a world-class marketplace of expert college counselors and career advisors to support students and families.

Our Client operates in a data-driven, fast-paced environment, prioritizing community, innovation, and operational excellence. If you’re passionate about building high-quality talent marketplaces, driving operational efficiencies, and enhancing community engagement, we’d love to meet you!

About the Role

They are looking for a Marketplace Operations Manager to continue to develop the operational framework of our counselor marketplace. This role will lead the recruitment, engagement, and retention of top-tier college counselors while ensuring the operational success of our platform. They will collaborate closely with the CEO, HR, Finance and Leadership Team to scale the marketplace and enable the 125+ expert counselors.

This position requires a deep understanding of scaling talent-based marketplaces, optimizing capability and capacity management, leveraging AI-driven automation workflows, and building engaged professional communities.

Key Responsibilities

1. Counselor Recruitment & Onboarding

• Attract, recruit, and onboard top-tier college counselors (W2, 1099, Part-Time, Full-Time) from elite universities, former admissions officers, and experienced IECs.
• Build and manage a strong talent pipeline using multiple sourcing channels (LinkedIn, job boards, referrals, direct outreach).
• Conduct initial interviews, assess cultural and skill fit, and manage negotiations and hiring workflows.
• Develop and implement effective onboarding and training programs to ensure high-quality service delivery.

2. Community Building & Retention

• Foster a thriving community among counselors to enhance engagement, collaboration, and retention.
• Develop structured retention strategies, including compensation adjustments and performance-based incentives.
• Implement mentorship, peer-learning, and engagement programs to maintain long-term counselor satisfaction.

3. Marketplace Operations & Performance Management

• Oversee counselor operations, ensuring a high-quality experience for both counselors and students.
• Monitor student ratings and counselor feedback, implementing improvement plans when necessary.
• Manage operational roles (FAOs, support teams) to ensure seamless counselor integration.
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance operational efficiency.

4. Recruitment Strategy & Employer Branding

• Design and execute recruitment strategies to attract top-tier talent in a competitive landscape.
• Represent client’s brand and mission to prospective candidates and industry partners.
• Stay up to date on market trends to refine recruitment and engagement strategies.

5. AI-Driven Automation Workflows & Data-Backed Decision Making

• Influence, leverage, and develop requirements for AI-powered automation workflows to streamline marketplace operations, talent engagement, and performance tracking.
• Collaborate with product, engineering, and data teams to enhance AI-driven decision-making, predictive analytics, and agentic AI systems that optimize hiring, capacity planning, and engagement strategies.
• Work cross-functionally to identify AI-enabled tools and platforms (e.g., AI-driven chatbots, LLM-powered candidate screening, automated performance tracking) that drive efficiency.
• Ensure seamless integration of AI-driven solutions with ATS, CRM, HRIS, and marketplace management tools to scale operations effectively.
• Stay ahead of AI and automation trends, identifying opportunities to optimize workflows, scheduling, and data-backed decision-making within the counselor marketplace.

Hiring Process

1. Sourcing Interview (25 min)
2. HR Advisor Interview (25 min)
3. Video Interview with Hiring Manager (25 min)
4. Panel Interviews with Operations & Leadership Team (1 hour total)
5. Final Interview with Executive Team (1 hour)
6. Reference Checks & Offer

How to Stand Out

• Be prepared to discuss marketplace scaling strategies, people management, automation, and AI-driven engagement initiatives.
• Show how you’ve successfully managed talent-based operations and improved engagement/retention.
• Provide specific examples of process efficiencies, AI automation, and workflow optimizations you’ve implemented.
• Demonstrate your passion for education, community building, and leveraging technology to enhance marketplace operations.

Requirements

• Bachelor's in Business, HR, Psychology, or related field.
• Master’s degree (MBA, MS) from a School of Management required
• 5+ years of experience in marketplace operations with strong people management skills and managing cross-functional projects
• Blends analytical (IQ) and relational (EQ) skills to drive business impact.
• Experience leveraging AI-driven automation workflows to streamline operations.
• Proven success in project execution, stakeholder management, and process improvement.
• Deep expertise in ATS, CRM, HRIS, and data-driven decision-making.
• Excels in ambiguous, high-growth environments, solving complex challenges.

Benefits

• High-Impact Role – Scale the talent marketplace at a fast-growing company.
• Leadership Exposure – Work closely with the CEO and operations leadership team to drive strategy.
• Competitive Benefits:
• Fully remote work environment - PST Time Zone
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) 
• Paid time off and holidays