Vice President of Operations

Whalar$180K — $220K *
Hospitality & Recreation
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10+ years of leadership experience in multi-disciplinary businesses.
  • Experience leading cross-functional teams in operations, hospitality, and finance.
  • Proven ability to build operational infrastructure in fast-growing organizations.
  • Strong commercial acumen with a track record of improving revenue and customer experience.
  • Experience partnering with CEOs to shape business strategy.
  • Exceptional leadership skills with experience coaching senior leaders.
  • Confidence in making decisions in ambiguous environments.

Responsibilities

  • Lead operational performance to maintain consistency and unique character at each location.
  • Partner with the CEO to execute strategy and unlock new commercial opportunities.
  • Build systems and processes for current and future global operations.
  • Lead and develop General Managers, fostering a culture of accountability and hospitality.
  • Drive operational excellence across multiple business dimensions, including memberships and events.
  • Collaborate with business leaders to enhance financial performance through data-driven planning.
  • Provide executive leadership across diverse business functions, ensuring cohesive operations.

Benefits

  • Medical, Dental, Vision insurance
  • Generous paid time off, sick days, and paid holidays
  • Health savings and flexible spending accounts
  • Company-paid life and disability insurance
  • 401k with employer matching and no vesting period
  • Monthly work-from-home stipend
  • Yearly professional development stipend
Full Job Description
Job Title: VP of Operations

Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY or Venice Beach, CA

About the role:

The Lighthouse exists to serve the Creator Generation, bringing together creators, entrepreneurs, artists, innovators, and cultural leaders through world-class spaces, experiences, and community.

We're looking for a Vice President of Operations to help build the operating engine behind that vision.

Reporting directly to the CEO, you'll be responsible for translating ambitious ideas into operational excellence. You'll lead the strategy, systems, and teams that power every Lighthouse campus while ensuring we continue to grow without losing what makes us special.

You'll be an executive partner to the CEO, helping shape company strategy, improve commercial performance, and build the infrastructure that allows The Lighthouse to scale globally. From hospitality and member experience to finance, technology, and business operations, you'll ensure every part of the business works together to deliver exceptional experiences and sustainable growth.

If you love building businesses, thrive in fast-moving environments, and believe great operations should accelerate creativity-not constrain it-we'd love to hear from you.
Here's what you'll do day-to-day:
  • Lead operational performance across every Lighthouse campus, creating consistency while preserving the unique character of each location.
  • Partner closely with the CEO to execute company strategy, scale the business, and unlock new commercial opportunities.
  • Build the operating systems, playbooks, and processes that support both today's business and future global expansion.
  • Lead and develop General Managers, creating a culture of ownership, hospitality, accountability, and commercial thinking.
  • Drive operational excellence across memberships, events, partnerships, hospitality, studio productions, food & beverage, content, and emerging revenue streams.
  • Partner with business leaders to improve financial performance through forecasting, KPI reporting, operational planning, and data-driven decision-making.
  • Provide executive leadership across Finance, HR & People, Technology, Facilities, Business Operations, Hospitality, Vendor Management, and Compliance.
  • Evaluate and implement technology, systems, and workflows that improve efficiency while enhancing the member experience.
  • Build repeatable operating models that allow The Lighthouse to expand without sacrificing creativity, culture, or hospitality.
  • Serve as a key member of the executive leadership team, helping solve complex business challenges, shape long-term strategy, and guide the company's next stage of growth.
  • Travel regularly across existing and future Lighthouse locations, partnering with campus leadership, supporting new openings, and ensuring every location delivers a consistently exceptional member experience
Here's what we're looking for:
  • 10+ years of leadership experience scaling complex, multi-disciplinary businesses.
  • Experience leading large cross-functional teams across operations, hospitality, finance, people, or commercial functions.
  • A proven ability to build systems, processes, and operational infrastructure inside fast-growing, entrepreneurial organizations.
  • Strong commercial acumen with experience improving revenue, profitability, operational performance, and customer experience simultaneously.
  • Experience partnering directly with CEOs or executive leadership teams to shape business strategy and organizational growth.
  • Exceptional leadership skills with a track record of coaching senior leaders and building high-performing teams.
  • Confidence making decisions in fast-moving environments where ambiguity is the norm.
  • A balance of strategic thinking and hands-on execution-you enjoy building businesses, not simply managing them.
  • A passion for hospitality, creativity, and building experiences that people genuinely love.
  • Experience within hospitality, premium consumer brands, media, entertainment, creative industries, experiential businesses, or other high-growth environments is highly valued.
The Perks:

The Lighthouse provides flexible benefits and collaborative work environments and experiences so employees can work productively in a setting that best and uniquely suits their needs:
  • Medical, Dental, Vision
  • PTO + Sick Time + Paid Holidays
  • HSA, FSA, and Commuter + Parking Benefits
  • Company Paid Life & Disability Insurance
  • Voluntary Life Insurance Policy
  • Voluntary Hospital and Critical Illness Insurance
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • 401k with Employer Matching. No Vesting Period.
  • Monthly Work from Home Stipend
  • Yearly Professional Development Stipend

About Whalar

Whalar is a marketing services company that connects brands with social media influencers. The company uses a proprietary platform to match brands with influencers who have a large following on social media. Whalar also provides creative services to help brands develop content that resonates with their target audience. The company was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in London, England.
Learn more about Whalar
Size
50 employees
Industry
Founded
2016

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