Director, Operations

Job description

Titl e: Director of Operations Reports to: Senior Vice President, Operations Travel Required: Ability to travel to various industry events as well as various DAS business trips will be required on an as needed basis. Position Location: Scottsdale, AZ Position Overview: The Director of Operations is a full-time salaried position based in Scottsdale, AZ. This role serves as the critical operational layer between the Sr. VP of Operations and the teams executing day-to-day client work, while also overseeing Co-Op and Project Management. The Director of Operations will provide direct, hands-on ownership of team performance, career development, and service delivery across these functions, freeing the Sr. VP to focus on strategic and executive-level priorities. The ideal candidate combines strong people-leadership instincts with the operational rigor to manage SLAs, quality standards, and cross-functional coordination in a fast-moving digital marketing agency environment. Responsibilities: Directly manage and develop team leads and individual contributors across Client Activation & Support, the Audit team, the Social/Content/Creative organization, Co-Op, and Project Management. Serve as the primary escalation point for client activation, audit, and content execution issues, ensuring timely and effective resolution. Own performance management, coaching, and career development planning for direct reports and their broader teams, including implementation of a consistent leveling and career-pathing framework. Partner closely between in-office subject matter experts and the team executing tasks to ensure alignment across Content, Audit, and Client Activation & Support. Work in close partnership with the Director, Growth & Performance marketing to ensure staffing support needs are met without requiring escalation to the Sr. VP of Operations. Oversee day-to-day service delivery, SLA adherence, and quality standards across Content, Client Activation & Support and the Audit team. Lead organizational planning for the Content/Social team, including title consolidation, role definition, and career pathing. Support and/or own recruiting efforts for open roles within scope of oversight, partnering with the Sr. VP of Operations on strategy and prioritization. Drive process improvement, documentation and intelligent use of AI across teams, with particular attention to handoffs and cross-departmental workflows. Monitor, analyze, and report on team performance metrics and KPIs to the Sr. VP of Operations on a regular cadence. Support the Manager, Operations in the rollout of expanded responsibilities, including vendor invoice management and Client Activation KPI reporting (turn times, client blockers, stalled accounts). Manage transition plans for internal role changes and headcount actions, including onboarding new team members as needed. Participate in hiring decisions for open roles within span of control, including interviewing, assessment, and final selection recommendations. Foster a culture of accountability, quality, and professional growth across all teams under this role's oversight. Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field preferred. 7-10+ years of experience in operations leadership, with a proven track record managing managers or team leads, not solely individual contributors. Demonstrated experience overseeing multiple teams, including managing coordination between resources. Experience in a digital marketing agency environment strongly preferred; automotive industry familiarity a plus. Demonstrated ability to design or implement career pathing, leveling frameworks, and organizational structure for a growing or evolving team. Strong performance management, coaching, and conflict-resolution skills. Experience with vendor management, contract or invoice oversight a plus. Strong analytical skills, with comfort owning KPI and SLA reporting and translating data into action. Exceptional communication skills across all levels, from front-line specialists to executive leadership. Proven ability to manage competing priorities across multiple functional teams simultaneously.