Vice President, Operations

Cohere Life, Inc.•Phoenix, AZ

21h•$150,000 - $175,000

About The Position

THE OPPORTUNITYAt Cohere, we believe community is life changing. We create and manage places where people find purpose and thrive together — doing that well requires operations that are just as human as they are efficient. We’re hiring a VP, Operations to own the systems and teams, and culture that make it all possible. This is not a process-maintenance role. It’s a leadership position for someone who thrives in operational infrastructure — someone who can build it, evolve it, and make it stick. WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE Leadership & People Operations Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team across people operations (human resources), legal operations, technology, training, and new client integration. Ensure people operations practices support compliance, culture, employee experience, and organizational performance. Champion equitable and consistent HR practices across multi-state operations, ensuring adherence to employment laws, regulatory requirements, and internal policies. Foster a culture of trust, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement. Operational Strategy & Execution Build, implement, and drive adoption of standardized operating procedures and a unified operating system across the company. Integrate AI, automation, and advanced technologies into operational workflows while protecting relational, human-centered practices. Identify, track, and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) to support data-driven decision-making across all operational functions. Own departmental budgeting, partner on forecasting, and manage operational expenses to support NOI and organizational goals. Technology & Systems Leadership Lead the organization’s technology strategy, including assessment, selection, implementation, and optimization of software platforms and tools. Oversee the performance and scaling of third-party IT service providers, ensuring efficiency, security, and alignment with business needs. Drive adoption of core systems (HRIS, project management, workflow, and client management tools), ensuring integration and usability across teams. Training, Learning & Development Oversee the design and execution of scalable digital training programs for 250+ staff. Ensure training systems support onboarding, skill development, compliance, and ongoing employee growth. Partner cross-functionally to build a consistent learning framework that supports organizational needs. Communication, Change Management & Collaboration Facilitate organizational communication, cross-department alignment, and change management initiatives. Collaborate with the executive leadership team to define strategies, set organizational priorities, and advance company-wide initiatives. Proactively identify operational risks and lead mitigation, business continuity planning, and compliance alignment across regulatory footprints. Client & Community Integration Lead end-to-end new client and community onboarding processes to ensure seamless integration, alignment, and operational readiness. Partner with cross-functional teams to support successful transitions, client satisfaction, and long-term partnership success. External Partnerships Manage key external business relationships that provide operational support, including technology partners, legal partners, and HR vendors. Ensure positive, cost-effective partnerships that support growth and operational excellence.

Requirements

15+ years of progressively responsible leadership experience in operations, HR, or related areas.
Experience leading multi-state people operations/HR teams with a strong grasp of employment law, compliance, and policy design.
Demonstrated success implementing HRIS, workflow, or enterprise systems (e.g., ADP, Paylocity, Yardi, Monday.com, Vantaca) and driving adoption across teams.
Proven experience leading process improvement, project management, and cross-functional operational initiatives.
Successful leadership or partnership on at least one AI/automation project (e.g., workflow automations, AI-enabled systems, or operational redesign using AI).
Bachelor's degree in business, HR, operations, or related field required; advanced degree preferred.
Exceptional leadership instincts, with the ability to develop talent and create psychologically safe, high-performing teams.
Strong strategic thinking and systems thinking with creative, solution-oriented problem-solving abilities.
Relational, collaborative, and people-first leadership style.
Ability to align cross-functional teams around shared goals and outcomes.
High emotional intelligence, strong interpersonal skills, and excellent communication abilities.
Strong financial literacy and orientation toward performance, KPIs, and sustainable growth.
High technical acuity with working knowledge of machine learning concepts and GenAI applications in business operations.
Familiarity with change management frameworks and organizational transformation.

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team across people operations (human resources), legal operations, technology, training, and new client integration.
Ensure people operations practices support compliance, culture, employee experience, and organizational performance.
Champion equitable and consistent HR practices across multi-state operations, ensuring adherence to employment laws, regulatory requirements, and internal policies.
Foster a culture of trust, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Build, implement, and drive adoption of standardized operating procedures and a unified operating system across the company.
Integrate AI, automation, and advanced technologies into operational workflows while protecting relational, human-centered practices.
Identify, track, and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) to support data-driven decision-making across all operational functions.
Own departmental budgeting, partner on forecasting, and manage operational expenses to support NOI and organizational goals.
Lead the organization’s technology strategy, including assessment, selection, implementation, and optimization of software platforms and tools.
Oversee the performance and scaling of third-party IT service providers, ensuring efficiency, security, and alignment with business needs.
Drive adoption of core systems (HRIS, project management, workflow, and client management tools), ensuring integration and usability across teams.
Oversee the design and execution of scalable digital training programs for 250+ staff.
Ensure training systems support onboarding, skill development, compliance, and ongoing employee growth.
Partner cross-functionally to build a consistent learning framework that supports organizational needs.
Facilitate organizational communication, cross-department alignment, and change management initiatives.
Collaborate with the executive leadership team to define strategies, set organizational priorities, and advance company-wide initiatives.
Proactively identify operational risks and lead mitigation, business continuity planning, and compliance alignment across regulatory footprints.
Lead end-to-end new client and community onboarding processes to ensure seamless integration, alignment, and operational readiness.
Partner with cross-functional teams to support successful transitions, client satisfaction, and long-term partnership success.
Manage key external business relationships that provide operational support, including technology partners, legal partners, and HR vendors.
Ensure positive, cost-effective partnerships that support growth and operational excellence.