Operations leaders who build the engine the rest of the org runs on.
We place VP Operations and Head of Operations leaders at scale-ups, operator businesses, and supply-chain / service-heavy companies. Often the right hire before a COO.
The vp of operations market — the honest version.
VP Operations is the role that defines most scale-ups between $10M and $100M in revenue. Below a COO in title but often equivalent in scope for a single-business-line company, a strong VP Ops owns process design, cross-functional coordination, vendor management, and often supply chain or service delivery. Our calibration is explicit: we need to know what specifically this VP Ops will own — process, supply, service, or some combination — before we source.
What we actually screen for.
Every vp of operations candidate goes through a structured technical screen conducted by an ex-engineer recruiter before you see their profile.
- Scope history — process / supply / service / vendor — calibrated to your specific needs
- Cross-functional partnership — how they work with Finance, People, and revenue-side leadership
- System and tooling fluency — what they've implemented, not just used
- P&L partnership — operating-cost ownership, margin conversations
- Team building — named operators they hired and retained
- Crisis arc — a real operational crisis they navigated (layoff, supply failure, scale-up chaos)
How we run a vp of operations search.
Days 0–3
Intake + scope document
Clarify what this VP Ops owns vs what's owned elsewhere.
Days 3–18
Targeted sourcing
Candidates whose last scope matches yours. 40–80 mapped.
Days 18–28
Shortlist + references
4–6 candidates with written assessments and off-list references.
Days 28–42
Interviews + offer
Multi-round with CEO, CFO, and partner leaders.
Real salary bands across our three markets.
- Pakistan (multinationals)
USD $90K–$200K + equity
- Canada
CAD $220K–$400K + equity
- United States
USD $290K–$540K + meaningful equity
Titles we place under this role type.
- VP Operations
- Head of Operations
- Director of Operations
- SVP Operations
- Chief Operating Officer (for smaller orgs)
VP of Operations hiring — questions we hear.
Depends on scale and scope. Below ~$50M revenue with a single-business-line company, VP Operations is often the right title. Above that, or with multi-line or supply-heavy businesses, COO is usually right. We'll advise at intake.
Ready to run this search?
Submit a brief and a senior recruiter will reply within 24 business hours with a proposed timeline, calibrated fee structure, and sample profiles.
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