Copy of Vice President of Operations

Job Title: VP of Operations

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

The Lighthouse, part of Whalar Group, is a first-ever creative campus and studio playground for the Creator Generation, offering Creators an I.R.L. platform to Learn, Make, and Belong. With Venice, CA already opened, and Brooklyn, NY opening in Fall 2025, and London/EMEA opening in 2026, the campuses are designed to empower and support career Creators and creative professionals, providing a dynamic environment explicitly tailored to their needs. Each campus features state-of-the-art, mixed-use content studios, and hosts impactful programming that empowers members to collaborate, learn, and grow their businesses within a thriving community. 

The Lighthouse expands opportunities and creative capabilities, offering Creators a dedicated space to co-create, connect, and lead the businesses shaping creative culture. Learn more: www.thelighthouse.com.

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

Our values:

At The Lighthouse, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) isn't just a statement, it's our collective strength. Our people are our superpower. A diverse team and inclusive leadership have shaped Whalar since our inception in 2016, fueling a constant evolution of growth. We champion a culture of respect and empathy, fostering a sense of belonging that transcends demographics. We hire individuals of all backgrounds and empower them to thrive, challenge stereotypes, and actively break societal barriers. 

The Lighthouse provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Equal opportunity extends to all aspects of the employment relationship, including hiring, promotions, training, working conditions, compensation, and benefits.