Director, Strategic Operations

About the role

Partner directly with Zip’s US CEO to operationalize the most important strategic priorities and decisions for the US business. Bring top-tier strategy consulting experience and an operator mindset to complex, enterprise-level challenges. This remote-first opportunity is for US-based employees with the option to work in-person out of Zip’s Manhattan office. As Director, Strategic Operations you will work directly with the US CEO at the center of strategy, decision‑making and execution for Zip’s US business, serving as a trusted thought partner who helps shape priorities, pressure‑tests decisions, and turns strategy into action. You will keep the organization focused on what matters, surface issues before they slow us down, create alignment, translate executive priorities into action across the business, and drive critical work forward.

Responsibilities

• Shape the priorities that matter. Partner with the US CEO and senior leaders on annual and quarterly planning, translating strategy into clear priorities and helping enable decisions about what we pursue, pause or deprioritize.
• Tackle the highest‑impact business questions. Structure complex problems, pressure‑test assumptions, synthesize data and perspectives, and develop recommendations on Zip’s most important decisions and opportunities.
• Turn strategy into execution. Drive the operating rhythm behind company priorities, establishing clear goals, milestones, owners and accountability to keep execution moving.
• Move critical priorities forward. Carry context and decision principles into key conversations, enable progress across teams, and surface a clear and candid view of where the business needs attention.
• Create alignment when there isn’t an obvious answer. Bring the right leaders together when perspectives differ, decisions stall or ownership is unclear, helping teams resolve the issue and move forward.
• Spot collisions and constraints before they become blockers. Connect plans across the business to identify competing demands on people, budget and resources, then work with leaders to resolve the trade‑offs.
• Build the handful of metrics that matter. Develop and maintain the KPIs that give senior leadership a clear view of whether our strategy is working, where execution is drifting and when we need to change course.
• Own critical cross‑functional initiatives. Lead high‑impact work that spans teams, from defining the problem and aligning stakeholders through execution and measurable outcomes.
• Make complex ideas clear. Turn strategy, data and decisions into clear narratives that help senior leaders, teams and key stakeholders understand where we’re going, why it matters and what needs to happen next.
• Make the way we work smarter. Use AI and emerging tools to improve research, synthesis, analysis and workflows, while applying critical thinking and human judgement to the decisions that matter.

Requirements

• 15+ years of experience, including significant experience within a strategy consulting firm solving complex strategic, operational or transformation challenges.
• Experience working directly with CEOs, C‑suite executives or equivalent senior leaders on enterprise strategy, planning and high‑stakes decisions.
• A track record of moving from strategy creation through execution, with clear examples of personally driving measurable business outcomes.
• Exceptional critical thinking and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to structure ambiguous problems, identify what matters and develop a clear point of view.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including experience using KPIs and business performance data to evaluate trade‑offs and inform decisions.
• The judgement and executive presence to act as a trusted advisor while knowing when to challenge, when to facilitate and when to take ownership and move.
• A demonstrated ability to influence and align senior executives without formal authority and create alignment across senior leaders and cross‑functional teams, particularly when priorities or perspectives compete.
• Cognitive flexibility and collaborative adaptability, with the ability to move between strategist, confidante, challenger, facilitator and hands‑on operator depending on what the business needs.
• High ethical judgement and discretion, paired with the confidence to give senior leaders a candid perspective—even when the message is difficult.
• A continuous learning mindset, with the curiosity to build context quickly, question assumptions and evolve your thinking as new information emerges.
• Practical experience using AI to create efficiencies or improve workflows, with the critical thinking to assess outputs, understand limitations and recognize where human judgement is required.

Benefits

• Flexible working culture
• Incentive programs
• Unlimited PTO
• Generous paid parental leave
• Leading family support policies
• Company‑sponsored 401k match
• Learning and wellness subscription stipend
• Beautiful Union Square office with a casual dress code
• Industry‑leading, employer‑sponsored insurance for you and your dependents, with several 100% Zip‑covered choices available

Pay

The annual base pay range for this position is $174,000 – $218,000. Additional premium percentages may apply based on Zip’s tiered premium strategy, and the total compensation package may also include bonus and/or commission awards.

Schedule

Remote‑first opportunity for US‑based employees, with the option to work in‑person out of Zip’s Manhattan office.