SVP, Operations

About the role

The SVP, Operations will play a pivotal leadership role in shaping how Nova Sky Stories scales globally. This is a rare opportunity to lead the operational engine behind some of the world’s most ambitious drone light experiences — combining aviation precision, live event execution, cutting-edge technology, and creative storytelling at massive scale.

This role is built for someone who thrives in fast-moving, high-growth environments and loves solving complex operational challenges alongside world-class creative, engineering, and production teams. One moment you may be helping scale systems for international expansion, and the next you may be backstage at a marquee production helping bring a once-in-a-lifetime experience to life.

At Nova, operations is not just about execution — it’s about building the future of a new entertainment medium.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute an integrated global operations strategy spanning Production, Logistics, and Flight Operations, aligned with Nova’s rapid growth trajectory and long-term vision.
• Own the operational P&L across these functions, including budget development, forecasting, resource planning, and margin accountability.
• Establish and continuously elevate the operational standards, systems, and safety frameworks that allow Nova to scale rapidly across new markets, show formats, and global productions.
• Build a culture of accountability, innovation, speed, and continuous improvement across globally distributed operational teams.
• Help shape what world-class operational excellence looks like within an emerging entertainment category.
• Lead the global Production organization, ensuring high-quality, on-time, and on-budget delivery across all show types — from touring productions and residencies to large-scale marquee events.
• Build scalable production frameworks, operational playbooks, and resourcing models that support Nova’s continued global expansion.
• Partner closely with Creative, Engineering, Flight Operations, and Commercial teams to ensure operational capabilities align with ambitious creative vision and client expectations.
• Own financial governance, production forecasting, and operational accountability across the company’s growing production portfolio.
• Maintain executive oversight of high-profile productions, key stakeholder relationships, and escalated operational matters.
• Continuously improve production systems, workflows, and execution standards to increase efficiency, scalability, and show quality globally.
• Scale and support Nova’s global Flight Operations organization through leadership of the Director, Global Flight Operations, ensuring safe, compliant, and consistent execution across all operating regions.
• Champion a proactive, deeply embedded safety culture that remains non-negotiable as the company scales.
• Ensure operational readiness across equipment, certifications, deployment systems, field execution standards, and operational infrastructure globally.
• Partner with Engineering and technical teams to help integrate new technologies, automation, and deployment innovations that keep Nova at the forefront of the industry.
• Support the evolution of operational systems capable of scaling alongside increasingly complex global deployments and productions.
• Serve as the connective tissue across Production, Logistics, and Flight Operations, ensuring seamless collaboration and alignment throughout the full show lifecycle.
• Partner closely with Engineering, Product, Creative, Legal, and Commercial teams to translate company strategy into scalable operational execution.
• Represent Nova in regulatory discussions, strategic partner conversations, industry forums, and key operational relationships globally.
• Lead post-show review processes and operational retrospectives, driving systematic improvements across teams, workflows, and execution standards.
• Bring clarity, alignment, and operational rigor to highly dynamic, fast-moving environments where priorities can shift quickly.
• Recruit, develop, and retain exceptional operational leaders and team members across Production, Flight Operations, and Logistics globally.
• Build the organizational structures, leadership layers, and development frameworks required to scale operations alongside company growth.
• Coach and mentor senior operational leaders, helping develop the next generation of leadership at Nova.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performance culture that balances accountability, creativity, operational discipline, and innovation.
• Help build an organization that can scale globally without losing agility, speed, or execution quality.

Requirements

• 15+ years of progressive operational leadership experience, including senior roles spanning event production or equivalent complex field operations.
• Demonstrated success leading multi-functional operations teams in fast-paced, high-growth environments.
• Deep knowledge of live event or entertainment production at scale, including client-facing and multi-market operations.
• Proven ability to build and scale organizational systems, SOPs, and operational frameworks across distributed teams.
• Executive-level financial acumen, including ownership of multi-million dollar budgets and operational P&Ls.
• Exceptional leadership presence—able to inspire teams, build trust across functions, and represent Nova with clients, partners, and regulators.
• Willingness to travel frequently, both domestically and internationally, and be present at live show operations.

Qualifications

• Direct experience in drone light shows, aerial entertainment, or UAS operations (a plus).
• Background spanning both technical/aviation and creative/entertainment disciplines (a plus).
• Experience leading operations through a period of significant company scaling or international expansion (a plus).

Skills

• Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
• Experience with project management tools and methodologies.
• Knowledge of industry best practices and trends.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) with company matching
• Flexible PTO and paid sick leave
• Paid parental leave
• Company-paid holidays
• Equity opportunities for eligible employees