The Opportunity

Our client is one of the Triad’s most respected staffing firms, with back-to-back record-setting years and a third tracking up more than 20% over prior. The firm places approximately 2,000 associates per week across nine branches in light industrial, customer service, clerical/office, and professional direct hire, with a stated goal of reaching 5,000 lives weekly.

This seat is the operational architect of that growth. It owns end-to-end execution from recruiting strategy through onboarding on the delivery side, to technology, HR, compliance, and back-office functions on the broader operational side. The right person has built before: they know what it takes to construct processes, systems, and teams from the ground up, and they bring that instinct to a firm that is growing fast and needs its operational foundation built to last.

Position Summary

The Vice President of Delivery and Operations owns the full execution engine of the business. Delivery side: recruiting strategy, sourcing, screening, placement, onboarding, and the technology connecting them. Operations side: IT infrastructure, HR, compliance, back-office functions, vendor management, and the reporting that gives leadership a live read on performance across the enterprise.

This is not a manage-what-exists role. Our client is a growing firm, and this leader will build the operational infrastructure that makes that ambition achievable. The right operator delivers on the delivery mandate first, then earns expanded functional ownership and executive responsibility over time.

Key Responsibilities

Delivery Operations

  • Lead approximately 35 light industrial delivery team members across nine branches through two Directors of Delivery.
  • Set, document, and enforce the standard end-to-end recruiting and placement process across all branches.
  • Own delivery KPIs: order fill rate, time-to-fill, candidate quality, retention, fill ratio, and recruiter productivity.
  • Lead the structured evaluation and execution of centralized vs. branch-led delivery for the light industrial business.

Technology, HR & Back-Office Operations

  • Own the full technology stack: ATS, sourcing tools, dashboards, and broader IT infrastructure. Audit, fix, and scale it.
  • Lead pragmatic AI adoption where it makes recruiters more effective. Manage technology vendors and contracts.
  • Oversee HR and compliance functions across all branch locations, including onboarding, I-9/E-Verify, and associate documentation.
  • Manage back-office operational functions: vendor relationships, facilities, and administrative processes across the branch network.

People Leadership

  • Develop two Directors of Delivery into stronger regional general managers with written development plans and measurable outcomes.
  • Set and hold the standard for what a fully trained recruiter looks like at this firm. Hire to fill gaps; address underperformance directly.

What Success Looks Like

Day 30

  • Written current-state assessment of the delivery operation delivered to the President, with the three to five highest-leverage fixes identified.

Day 90

  • Standard end-to-end delivery process documented and validated against actual branch practice. Twelve-month operating plan with named owners, milestones, and KPIs presented to the President. Weekly operating cadence running.

Day 180

  • Order fill rate, time-to-fill, and recruiter productivity are trending favorably on a like-for-like basis. Tech stack audited; one or two consequential fixes shipped; AI pilot underway. Centralized vs. branch-led recommendation delivered. HR and back-office transition plan in place.

Day 365

  • Delivery organization runs to a documented, trained-to-standard. Technology, HR, compliance, and back-office functions are operating under this leader’s ownership. This leader is positioned for continued advancement within the organization.

Required Experience

  • Eight or more years in the staffing industry with meaningful delivery, recruiting, and operations leadership. Light industrial depth is strongly preferred.
  • Multi-site or multi-branch delivery leadership of at least 20 people across two or more locations.
  • Demonstrated ability to build processes where little or none existed, not just improve what is already there. Candidates who have only ever inherited infrastructure are not the profile.
  • Background that includes both a larger, well-trained organization and a smaller environment where the candidate had to build with limited resources and make it work.
  • Direct involvement in HR, compliance, or back-office functions beyond branch delivery operations.
  • Working comfort with technology: ATS, sourcing tools, dashboards, and a defensible point of view on AI in a recruiting workflow.
  • People leadership with a track record of developing recruiters and managers. References should confirm this without coaching.
  • Demonstrated comfort operating in rural and small-metro markets. Cultural fit with the firm’s geography is non-negotiable.

Why This Role, Why Now

  • A rare opportunity to build, not just manage. Most senior ops roles offer the chance to run what someone else built. This one offers the chance to be the person who builds it, at a firm with real order flow, a strong brand, and a clear growth trajectory.
  • A genuine growth platform. High performers who deliver on this mandate will find meaningful opportunities to expand their scope and seniority within the organization.
  • A firm that wins on quality. Our client has a regional reputation as the firm clients choose when they are tired of being a number. That reputation is the platform for the next chapter.
  • Values that are practiced, not posted. Integrity, Respect, Commitment, Accountability, used as filters in hiring, coaching, and leadership decisions every day.
  • A purpose with a number on it. Our client’s goal is to reach 5,000 lives a week on assignment. The firm is approaching 2,000 today. The Vice President of Delivery and Operations is the leader most directly responsible for closing that gap.