Vice President, Operations

Ridwell•Seattle, WA

18h•$180,000 - $220,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Ridwell is seeking an exceptional operations leader to serve as a key member of its executive team. Reporting to the CEO & co-founder, this role is responsible for leading and sustaining a 200+ person operations organization, enabling Ridwell to deliver exceptional service today while thoughtfully scaling its impact for the future. The company has established a successful, multi-state operation across its pick-up service and growing mail-in recycling business. This leader will build on that success, bringing strategic thinking, operational rigor, and leadership to scale operations while maintaining exceptional service levels and operational stability. The role involves leading a distributed operation through a team of leaders, setting strategy, building organizational capability, and driving performance. Key responsibilities include ensuring the right people, vehicles, and systems are in place for operational excellence and sustainable growth. The ideal candidate is an experienced executive leader who has scaled a high-growth or early-stage company, grown multi-site operations, and built high-performing leadership teams. Experience leading a predominantly hourly workforce, developing frontline leaders, driving employee engagement, and delivering operational excellence at scale is crucial. Founder or startup executive experience is strongly preferred, and experience in unionized environments is a plus.

Requirements

Experience as an executive leader within a high-growth or early-stage company.
Founder or startup executive experience strongly preferred.
10+ years of progressive operations leadership experience.
Demonstrated ability to connect with and inspire frontline employees.
Significant experience scaling multi-site operations across multiple geographies.
Ownership of large portions of a company's P&L.
Experience leading operations organizations that include represented, unionized employees, with a demonstrated ability to build productive labor-management relationships while maintaining strong operational performance.
Demonstrated success in building operational systems, teams, and processes that support rapid growth.
Experience in one or more of the following areas: logistics, transportation, fulfillment, warehouse operations, marketplace businesses, subscription services, or complex service operations.
Strong analytical skills and a data-driven approach to decision-making.
Experience leveraging technology and product solutions to improve operational performance.
Experience leading leaders, including regional or market-based management structures.
Exceptional communication, leadership, and organizational development skills.
Passion for sustainability, circular economy solutions, and mission-driven businesses.
Ability to travel nationally to support company operations, growth initiatives, and leadership engagement, generally averaging one trip per month.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in unionized environments is a plus.

Responsibilities

Oversee all operational functions supporting Ridwell's doorstep pick-up service, including transportation, warehouse operations, fleet support, field leadership, operational safety, and operational performance across all markets.
Develop and execute an operations strategy that supports Ridwell's continued growth, increasing complexity, and long-term scalability.
Ensure operational decisions support sustainable performance across efficiency, quality, and safety objectives.
Ensure Ridwell's operational network is structured and scaled to efficiently support the continued growth of our mail-in recycling business.
Leverage data to set priorities, identify opportunities, test hypotheses, and drive continuous improvement.
Advance the use of technology and AI to improve operational performance, decision-making, and scalability.
Own key operational performance metrics and deliver predictable, high-quality results.
Partner closely with Product, Finance, People Operations, Partnerships, and Member Success to align operational capabilities with company objectives.
Evaluate customer density, transportation costs, processing capacity, and operational efficiency to inform strategic investments.
Determine how Ridwell's doorstep pickup and mail-in operations can most effectively leverage shared infrastructure and resources.
Partner with the executive team to evaluate and execute network growth opportunities, while owning facility strategy, warehouse planning, and capacity optimization.
Lead operational planning and execution for new warehouse, market, and site launches.
Build systems and processes that allow the business to scale efficiently while maintaining a strong member experience.
Maintain a strong connection to frontline employees and operational realities.
Regularly spend time in markets, warehouses, and field operations to understand challenges firsthand.
Ensure operational decisions support both business performance and employee success.
Foster a culture where employees at all levels understand how their work contributes to Ridwell's success.
Foster positive labor relations by partnering effectively with union representatives, operational leaders, and frontline employees to support a safe, engaged, and high-performing workforce.
Champion a culture of safety across all operations, ensuring employees have the training, resources, accountability, and leadership support needed to work safely while continuously improving safety performance.
Lead and develop a team of operational leaders responsible for driving performance, execution, and results across the business.
Ensure the organizational structure remains effective and scalable as the business grows and operational complexity increases.
Effectively manage leaders with different skill sets while creating alignment around company priorities and goals.
Identify, develop, and advocate for top performers across the organization.
Establish clear accountability, strong communication, and high-performance standards throughout the operations organization.
Serve as a role model for Ridwell's values and leadership expectations.
Influence company strategy as a member of the executive team, championing the needs of operations team members as part of Ridwell’s goals.