Vice President Operations

Confidential Search | Grand Rapids, Michigan Metro Area

A growing, founder-led, privately held, multi-site services organization is seeking a Vice President of Operations to join its executive leadership team and help lead the business through its next stage of growth.

The company has built a strong reputation, attractive culture and successful operating model through a highly entrepreneurial approach. As the organization expands into additional locations and markets, leadership is looking for an experienced operator who can help introduce greater structure, consistency and accountability without losing the speed, culture and hands‑on mindset that have driven the company’s success.

This is a newly created position reporting directly to the CEO and represents an opportunity to have a meaningful impact on the future direction of the business.

The Vice President of Operations will have broad responsibility for multi-site operating performance, field leadership and organizational development. The role will focus on building the operating infrastructure required to support a significantly larger organization while remaining closely connected to the people and locations delivering the customer experience every day.

Key priorities will include:

• Leading operating performance across a growing network of locations
• Developing, coaching and strengthening regional and site‑level leaders
• Creating scalable operating processes, management routines and performance standards
• Establishing practical KPIs and greater accountability across the organization
• Improving workforce planning, employee retention and leadership development
• Supporting new‑location openings and geographic expansion
• Partnering with the CEO and leadership team on growth, organizational structure and strategic priorities
• Maintaining a high‑quality and consistent customer experience as the company scales
• Building stronger communication and alignment between field operations and the corporate team
• Identifying opportunities to improve productivity, financial performance and overall execution

The ideal candidate will be a builder, operator and developer of people who has helped scale a multi‑location, people‑intensive service organization.

Direct industry experience is helpful but not required. Relevant backgrounds may include education, childcare, healthcare services, behavioral health, senior care, fitness, hospitality, franchise operations, consumer services, field services or other distributed operating environments.

Strong candidates will bring:

• Significant multi‑site operational leadership experience
• P&L responsibility and strong financial acumen
• Experience leading through regional, district or location‑level managers
• A track record of helping organizations scale locations, markets and teams
• Experience building processes and accountability in an entrepreneurial environment
• Strong instincts around talent development, culture and frontline leadership
• The ability to balance operating discipline with speed and flexibility
• A practical, hands‑on and highly collaborative leadership style
• Comfort working closely with founders, ownership and senior leadership

This role is best suited for an executive who enjoys building rather than maintaining: someone energized by the opportunity to take a successful entrepreneurial platform and help create the leadership structure, operating discipline and organizational capabilities required for the next chapter.

The position is based in the Grand Rapids metropolitan area and will require regular travel to company locations.