Senior Vice President Operations

About the role

The Senior Vice President (SVP), Play Operations is a mission-driven executive leader responsible for the strategy, execution, and continuous improvement of KABOOM!’s national delivery portfolio. This role ensures the successful delivery of playgrounds and play spaces across the country through strong construction project leadership, deep municipal partnership experience, and a commitment enabling community-centered outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead with Mission, Equity, and Impact
  • Champion KABOOM!’s commitment to ending play space inequity by embedding equity, inclusion, and community voice into all delivery strategies and construction practices.
  • Ensure projects are delivered in ways that honor funder, KABOOM! and community priorities, cultural context, and long-term sustainability.
  • Serve as a values-driven executive leader who models KABOOM!’s commitment to trust, accountability, and joyful impact.
  • Translate equity commitments into operational practices and measurable delivery standards.
• Strategic & Results-Oriented Leadership
  • Set and execute a national delivery strategy that supports KABOOM’s organizational goals, growth plans, and impact targets.
  • Establish clear goals, metrics, and accountability systems to ensure projects are delivered safely, on time, on budget, and to quality standards.
  • Use data, learning, and continuous improvement to strengthen delivery models and scale impact nationwide.
• Construction & Delivery Excellence
  • Oversee end-to-end delivery of playground and play space projects, including planning, design coordination, procurement, construction, and closeout.
  • Ensure compliance with safety standards, risk management practices, and municipal permitting and contracting requirements.
  • Bring deep construction leadership expertise to manage complex, multi-site projects across diverse geographies.
  • Maintain visible presence in the field through regular site visits and direct engagement with on-the-ground teams and partners.
• Community-Powered & Municipal Partnerships
  • Build and sustain strong relationships with municipalities, school districts, parks departments, and other public-sector partners.
  • Collaborate with community organizations and local leaders to support inclusive, community-powered build processes.
  • Represent KABOOM! as a trusted partner with funders, corporate sponsors, and public agencies related to delivery and construction.
• Collaborative & Enterprise Leadership
  • Partner closely with peers across Development, National Partnerships, Data, Community Engagement, and Finance to ensure integrated planning and execution.
  • Contribute as a member of the executive leadership team to organizational strategy, budgeting, and decision-making.
  • Navigate complexity with a collaborative mindset, aligning teams around shared goals and outcomes.
  • Act as a key bridge between strategy and execution - ensuring organizational commitments are operationally realistic and deliverable.
• People Leadership & Culture Building
  • Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing, geographically distributed delivery organization.
  • Foster a culture of ownership, learning, psychological safety, and accountability aligned with KABOOM!’s leadership expectations.
  • Build leadership capacity, succession plans, and inclusive talent practices within the Delivery function.
• Financial Stewardship & Operational Integrity
  • Oversee delivery budgets, forecasting, and cost controls in partnership with Finance.
  • Manage contractor, vendor, and supplier relationships with transparency and accountability.
  • Identify and mitigate operational, financial, and safety risks across the delivery portfolio.

Qualifications & Experience Required

• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in construction, capital project delivery, or large-scale program implementation.
• CCM licensure preferred.
• Executive-level experience leading complex, multi-site delivery operations.
• Demonstrated success working with municipalities or public-sector partners.
• Prominent ability to lead senior leaders and distributed teams.
• Strong alignment with KABOOM!’s mission and equity-centered approach.

Preferred

• Experience delivering playgrounds, parks, or community-based public infrastructure.
• Background in nonprofit, mission-driven, or public–private partnership environments.
• Experience integrating community engagement into construction or delivery models.