Vice President of Operations

Overview

Summary

• The Vice President of Operations leads day-to-day operational execution, scales processes and teams, and ensures efficient delivery of products/services to meet business objectives and customer expectations.

Key Responsibilities

• Operational leadership: Design, implement, and optimize core operational processes (fulfillment, customer support, production, logistics, service delivery).
• Strategy execution: Translate company strategy into operational plans, KPIs, and quarterly roadmaps; monitor progress and adjust resources.
• Team management: Build and lead operations teams, set org structure, define roles, hire managers, and run performance reviews.
• Process improvement: Implement continuous improvement (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen), standard operating procedures, and automation to raise quality and reduce cost.
• Supply chain & vendor management: Oversee procurement, inventory, supplier relationships, contracts, and cost optimization.
• Customer operations: Ensure high-quality customer experience across onboarding, support, SLAs, returns, and escalations.
• Metrics & analytics: Define and track KPIs (on-time delivery, cycle time, OEE, cost per unit, CSAT); run business reviews and corrective actions.
• Financial stewardship: Partner with finance on budgeting, forecasting, cost controls, and margin improvement initiatives.
• Technology & systems: Own/partner on selection and implementation of operational systems (ERP, WMS, CRM, OMS) and integrations to improve efficiency.
• Risk & compliance: Ensure compliance with regulatory, safety, and quality standards; manage business continuity and incident response.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Work closely with Product, Engineering, Sales, Finance, and People to align operations with company priorities.
• Change management: Lead scaling initiatives, process rollouts, and post-merger integration activities.
• Culture & talent development: Promote accountability, operational rigor, safety, and continuous learning.

Qualifications

• Experience: 8+ years in operations or supply chain roles with progressive leadership; 3–5+ years in senior management preferred.
• Industry: Domain experience beneficial (manufacturing, e-commerce, logistics, SaaS service operations, healthcare).
• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or operations certification (Lean, Six Sigma) preferred.
• Skills:
• Operational strategy and process design
• Data-driven decision making and KPI management
• Supply chain, procurement, and vendor negotiation
• Systems implementation and tech fluency (ERP/WMS/OMS)
• Financial acumen and P&L awareness
• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management
• Personal attributes: Results-oriented, pragmatic, analytical, decisive, and collaborative.
• Success metrics (examples)
• On-time delivery rate, order cycle time, inventory turns
• Cost per order/unit, operating expense as % of revenue
• Customer satisfaction (CSAT/NPS), first-contact resolution
• Quality metrics (defect rate, returns)
• Employee engagement and retention in operations teams
• Project delivery on-time and within budget
• Reporting & structure
• Reports to: COO, CEO, or Head of Operations (varies by company)
• Direct reports: Operations Managers, Supply Chain Lead, Customer Ops/Support Head, Facilities/Logistics Managers, Program/Project Managers
• Works closely with: Finance, Product, Engineering, Sales, People/HR

Compensation & Perks (Sample)

• Competitive base salary + performance bonus; equity possible for senior roles
• Benefits: health, retirement, flexible PTO, professional development
• Onboarding priorities (first 90 days)
• Audit operations: review core processes, KPIs, major issues, and key vendor contracts.
• Stabilize critical bottlenecks and implement immediate quick wins to reduce cost or improve service.
• Deliver a 6–12 month operational plan with prioritized initiatives, owners, and measurable targets.

Variants

• Head of Operations (SMB): More hands-on execution and vendor management.
• VP Operations (Scale-up): Focus on scaling processes, systems, and people.
• VP Operations (Enterprise): Emphasis on governance, compliance, and cross-business alignment.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent