Vice President of Operations - Digital Agency

This role is for someone who has led delivery or operations inside a digital agency or studio that builds websites, web apps, or custom software for clients. That experience is the core requirement.

Who We Are

Urban Insight is a leading digital agency creating innovative websites and web applications for organizations that make a difference. We specialize in solving complex problems through website strategy, design and development using open source content management systems (primarily, Drupal and WordPress, and headless architectures). Our clients include some of the most well known museums, nonprofits, universities, cities and more.

Urban Insight has been in business for 25+ years and continues to expand each year. We thrive on having a professionally rewarding environment where team members are encouraged to grow.

Opportunity

The Vice President of Operations (remote, U.S. based position) reports directly to the CEO and is the company's number two. As the VP of Ops you will have two core responsibilities: (1) be the operational catalyst and strategic navigator of our organization and (2) lead the delivery organization as our core revenue engine.

In this pivotal role, you will be a thought partner to the CEO and executive team in driving the company forward. You will lead the efficient execution of our business strategies, ensuring the seamless integration of our operations, and fostering a culture of excellence and innovation. Revenue functions sit within your view from day one, but they are a secondary priority. Your first mandate is to strengthen delivery and internal operations. As those mature, you will take on a larger operational role across the revenue functions.

This role is ideal for a motivated, energetic leader with a high sense of urgency who wants to help take an organization to the next level.

Responsibilities

• Delivery Leadership: Own the delivery organization as a revenue-generating engine: accountable for project execution quality, on-time and on-budget performance, resource allocation, and margin. Define delivery standards, own capacity planning against project demand, and ensure the PM function is structured and resourced to lead complex engagements end to end.
• Business Cadence & Strategic Execution: Own and operate the company's planning and execution system (EOS) annual goal-setting, quarterly rock planning, and weekly leadership rhythms. Translate strategic direction into clear execution plans, drive the leadership team to results, and hold leaders accountable to their commitments. Serve as a thought partner to the CEO on strategy and the operational levers that enable sustainable revenue growth.
• Internal Operations: Develop and scale internal processes and systems across the business (tooling, workflow, and admin), ensuring the organization runs efficiently and can support continued growth.
• Talent & Culture: Own recruiting, onboarding, and performance management to consistently hire and retain A players at every level. Lead employee engagement and culture as an ongoing operational function. Own the employee experience from hire to departure, including the HR processes that support it.
• Operations & Business Metrics: Own the company's operational performance metrics including utilization, project margin, revenue mix, pipeline health, and capacity. Build visibility into the right agency levers, interpret trends, and drive data-informed decisions that optimize how the business performs with its current resources.
• Leadership & Management: Coach and develop the next layer of leaders into effective department owners. Close the gap between strategy and execution by ensuring leaders have clear plans, the right support structure, and real accountability for results.
• Revenue Functions: As a secondary priority to delivery, coach and manage sales, business development, marketing and estimating functions to drive profitable new business via RFPs and direct sales, and harmonious and consistent handoff from sales to delivery.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of operations and leadership experience, including time operating as a senior leader reporting to a COO or CEO.
• At least half of those years in a digital agency or studio that builds websites, web apps, or custom software for clients (such as a web or digital design agency, software consultancy, or product studio), with 20 to 150 employees. Experience with WordPress and/or Drupal projects is a plus.
• Direct experience leading the delivery of complex website and web application projects, including client interactions and relationships.
• Demonstrated success building and running internal and people operations that supported profitable growth.
• Proven leadership of a multi-team organization, with accountability for managing managers (not only individual contributors).
• Exposure to revenue functions in an agency context.

Success Metrics

In the first 90 days:

• Develop gap analysis of key areas for improvement and investment for the Company, with a focus on delivery.
• Deliver a one-year project plan with a clearly prioritized set of initiatives to improve and enhance key functional areas that you lead.
• Ownership of short-term and long-term forecasting.

In the first year:

• Delivery: Project margin improved by 3 to 5 percent year over year. On-time and on-budget delivery measured consistently and trending up.
• Operations: Utilization, capacity, and pipeline health measured and reported on a regular cadence, with clear targets in place.
• Client operations: Gross and net client and revenue retention consistently measured and held at 90 to 95 percent. A growing roster of reference-able clients and strong client satisfaction scores.
• People and culture: Top performers engaged and retained, with employee retention consistently measured and maintained.
• Leadership: Development plans created for each direct report, with accountability for completion.
• Revenue Functions (as the secondary mandate activates): A consistent, documented sales-to-delivery handoff, a clear business development process and operations, and timely, high-quality completion of estimates and proposals.

Location & Availability

• This position is available for fully remote or hybrid work. Our office is located in sunny Los Angeles, CA.
• We ask for core overlap from 9am to 3pm Pacific so the leadership team can collaborate in real time; the balance of the day is flexible across U.S. time zones.

Compensation

• Total annual compensation $160,000-200,000 (salary + target bonus [based on company and personal performance])
• Paid time off (20 days off)
• Holiday time off (10 days per year).
• Health, Dental and Vision insurance (95% employer-paid for you).
• Company-sponsored 401(k) plan with employer match (after 90 days).

About Urban Insight

• Urban Insight is a Los Angeles-based digital agency with ~30 team members. https://www.urbaninsight.com/
• We are on a path to profitably 10x revenue in 10 years while working on meaningful projects for clients that make a difference.
• We work with some of LA’s best-known institutions, such as LACMA, The Broad, University of Southern California, City of Los Angeles, and the Japanese American National Museum.
• We’re the top-ranked Web development and Drupal agency in Los Angeles, according to Clutch, an independent analyst. Have a look at what our clients say about us: https://clutch.co/profile/urban-insight
• We help our clients with beautiful and flexible websites and web apps. We do this by providing strong project leadership, honest advice, thoughtful user-centered design, and technical best practices.
• We take on cutting edge, challenging projects for appreciative clients, and have a supportive and team-based approach to projects.
• We plan, design, and create innovative websites, and we often use open source web content management systems like Drupal and WordPress, with headless architectures.
• We have a clearly-defined project management methodology and case management system. We strive to be the most organized environment in which you've ever worked.

Why Work at Urban Insight

• Join a dynamic and collaborative team where your leadership makes an impact.
• We offer a flexible working environment - work from anywhere in the United States.
• Average employee tenure is 6.5 years.
• We're stable and growing. We've been in business for 25+ years, and continue to grow each year.
• The right candidate will find numerous opportunities for growth.
• We allocate resources and time for training and professional development.
• We have regular events to keep the team connected: Lunch & Learns, Office Hours, Game Breaks.
• There are many more reasons: https://www.urbaninsight.com/careers

To Apply

Please apply on this page. This position is open until filled.

Thank you for your interest in working with us at Urban Insight.