Director of Business Operations & Executive Strategy
15 days ago
New York
Job Description:\n\nDepartment: Operations Management Function: Business Operations & Executive Strategy Reports To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Direct Reports: Cross-functional team leads; scope scales with organizational growth Location: Onsite, NYC (Full-Time) Travel: As required (est. 20-30%) Employment: Full-Time | Exempt ABOUT GESTURE Gesture is where technology meets humanity, a place where innovation, emotion, and impact collide.We're a fast-growing tech company using AI, machine learning, and intelligent logistics to power a first-of-its-kind platform that connects people and brands through real-world, tangible experiences. From our mobile app to our B2B Reach360 platform, Gesture blends data, emotion, and automation to build the future of human connection, at scale. Inside our NYC headquarters, you'll find an environment that moves with the pace and precision of Silicon Valley but with the heart of something far greater. We run on cutting-edge tools, creative experimentation, and raw ambition. Every project, every campaign, every moment you work on here matters because it's seen, felt, and experienced by real people around the world.At Gesture, you'll work alongside some of the smartest, most driven operators, engineers, and creatives in the industry, people who think big, move fast, and care deeply about the work they do. This is a front-row seat to the future of connection.If you want to help build something that's changing how the world interacts, welcome to Gesture. WHERE WE ARE HEADEDGesture is investing aggressively in AI-driven intelligence to power the next generation of marketing and commerce using a gift-centric approach. Our roadmap focuses on:We're building intelligence that anticipates, adapts, and compounds, predicting intent, optimizing campaigns in real time, and delivering deeply personalized experiences driven by real-world behavior, all through systems that continuously learn and improve with every interaction.This is not surface-level automation. We're building intelligence directly into the core of how campaigns are planned, executed, and measuredat scale.At Gesture, you're not joining a static MarTech company. You're joining a team building the infrastructure for how brands will compete in a post-digital-fatigue world. THE OPPORTUNITY Gesture is a late-stage, venture-backed technology company in full hyper-scale mode. We are past the experimental stage. The product works, the market is real, and the revenue target is aggressive. What we need now is execution at a pace and intensity that most corporate environments are simply not built for. Most companies separate the person who runs operations from the person who runs the CEO's agenda. We don't believe in that split. This role exists because we need one person who can do both, and who understands that those two mandates are inseparable at the pace we operate. The Director of Business Operations & Executive Strategy is the connective tissue of the company. You sit at the intersection of strategy and execution, translating the CEO's vision into an operating model that drives revenue, scales the business, and makes sure the right decisions get made, owned, and followed through on. This is not a back-office role. Every function you touch has a revenue implication. Your job is to make sure the entire organization is pointed at growth and moving fast enough to capture it. Let's be direct about the environment: this is not a place for corporate managers. It is not a place for people who manage up, protect their lane, or mistake activity for output. There are no layers to hide behind, no slow approval chains, and no tolerance for the kind of politics that makes big companies slow. If your instinct when things get hard is to call a meeting, stop reading here. If your instinct is to fix it, keep going. WHAT THIS ROLE ACTUALLY IS You will personally own:The company's operating rhythm: OKRs, KPIs, quarterly planning cycles, and weekly execution cadence, all anchored to revenue outcomesCross-functional project delivery: launches, expansions, sales enablement, and revenue-driving operational improvementsOrganizational accountability for all revenue-generating departments including Sales, B2B, Partnerships, and Consumer Mobile App, ensuring they have what they need to close, convert, and scaleMetrics, reporting, and operational visibility that give leadership real-time command of pipeline, revenue, and growth performance across all business linesThe CEO's most important strategic and revenue-critical projects, from concept through execution, without hand-holdingProcess and tooling that removes friction from the sales motion and accelerates time-to-revenue You will run point on execution. You will not "support" it. WHAT THIS ROLE IS NOT Let's be clear:This is not a "check in with teams and take notes" roleThis is not a project coordinator positionThis is not a "build decks and give status updates" jobThis is not a role for people who avoid conflict, accountability, or deadlinesThis is not a role for operators who need a large team or perfect conditions to be effectiveThis role crosses slightly into that of a Chief of Staff, doing what is necessary to free up the CEO to focus on capital strategy, key investor and board relationships, major partnerships, and the product and market bets that determine the company's trajectory, but make no mistake, the mandate here is significantly broader, the ownership significantly deeper, and the revenue accountability realIf you have never directly owned outcomes with real consequences, including revenue consequences, this will be painful WHAT YOU WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR You own:Revenue execution rhythm, pipeline visibility, sales cadence accountability, and cross-functional alignment to close across all business linesCompany operating cadence, weekly and monthly reviews, without exceptionCross-functional delivery and launch reliability across every function, measured by revenue impactRemoval of every internal barrier slowing down Sales, B2B, Partnerships, and the Consumer Mobile App from hitting numberOperational throughput and cycle time: idea to shipped, deal to closed, issue to resolvedStrategic initiative performance: on-time, on-budget, tied to growth outcomesQuality control: fewer errors, fewer escalations, fewer fires that cost revenueOrganizational clarity: who owns what, by when, and what "done" actually meansThe CEO's bandwidth. You expand it or you're not doing your job When revenue is up and execution is clean, you get credit. When the business misses and execution is the reason, it falls on you. WHAT YOU WILL OWN I. Revenue Operations & Sales AccountabilityOwn the cross-functional operating model that supports and accelerates revenue across all business lines, ensuring Sales, B2B, Partnerships, and the Consumer Mobile App are unblocked, resourced, and accountableDrive pipeline visibility across the organization: every leader knows where deals stand, what's at risk, and what needs to moveIdentify and eliminate internal barriers killing sales velocity and consumer growth, whether they live in process, product, ops, or peopleHold all revenue-generating teams including B2B, Sales, Partnerships, and Consumer Mobile App to their commitments in the weekly operating cadence; surface gaps early and drive corrective action fastPartner with Sales, B2B, and Consumer Mobile App leadership to translate revenue targets into operational plans with clear owners and timelinesEvaluate and implement tooling, workflow, and process improvements that reduce friction in the sales motion and consumer growth engine II. The Operating EngineDesign and own the company's operating rhythm: OKRs, KPIs, quarterly planning cycles, and weekly leadership cadenceDrive cross-functional execution, translating strategy into 90-day sprints with clear owners, milestones, and accountability checkpointsBuild the dashboards, reporting infrastructure, and review processes that give leadership real-time visibility into business healthIdentify operational drag before it becomes organizational failure. Fix it before anyone noticesLead monthly and quarterly business reviews; surface risks early and drive corrective action with urgency III. The CEO's LeverageExtend the CEO's bandwidth across strategic priorities, key relationships, and high-stakes follow-throughPrepare the CEO for every critical engagement: board meetings, investor updates, all-hands, and external partnershipsOwn the CEO's most important special projects, from concept through execution, without hand-holdingRepresent the CEO in leadership meetings and with external stakeholders when delegated. Show up fullyDraft and quality-control high-stakes communications: internal memos, board materials, investor decks, and partner correspondenceHold confidences, exercise discretion, and never let sensitive information become organizational noise IV. Organizational EffectivenessPartner with HR and functional leaders to build a culture where accountability, especially revenue accountability, is the norm, not the exceptionDrive headcount planning, team structure decisions, and role prioritization with a clear lens on revenue impact across both B2B and ConsumerIdentify gaps in organizational capability that are costing the business growth and close them fastBuild leadership bench strength by identifying and investing in high-potential operators across the business V. Financial DisciplinePartner with Finance to build and defend the operating budget; connect every dollar of spend to revenue outcome or strategic necessityOwn financial reporting for operational functions; hold OPEX efficiency and ROI accountability across the businessLead resource allocation decisions with a clear bias toward revenue-generating and revenue-enabling functions across all business linesBring a rigorous cost-benefit lens to build/buy/partner decisions VI. Strategic Planning & Market IntelligenceLead the annual strategic planning process end-to-end, with revenue growth across B2B and Consumer as the north starSynthesize competitive intelligence, market dynamics, and internal performance data into actionable growth recommendationsEvaluate new business opportunities, partnerships, and market expansion with a defined revenue thesis and risk frameworkTranslate long-range growth vision into near-term execution plans that teams can actually run VII. Legal, Compliance & RiskCoordinate with legal counsel on contracts, vendor agreements, regulatory compliance, and corporate governanceMaintain the company's risk register; surface legal, operational, and reputational risks to the CEO before they surface themselvesEnsure company-wide adherence to policies, regulatory requirements, and contractual obligations WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE In 30 days, you have command of the business: revenue, operations, people, and priorities. You've identified where execution is breaking down and have a plan to fix it. In 60 days, the major bottlenecks are gone, the operating cadence is running cleanly, and the CEO is getting a tight, reliable briefing every week. In 90 days, execution is predictable. Revenue teams are moving faster. Launches are reliable. The business has less noise and more output. This role has real influence, real impact, and real responsibility. It also has nowhere to hide. WHAT YOU MUST HAVE (NON-NEGOTIABLE) Do not apply unless you can honestly say yes to all of the following:You have personally owned cross-functional execution in a fast-moving, revenue-driven companyYou have held operational teams accountable to revenue outcomes, not just activity metricsYou have built operating cadences that produce real delivery and real revenue results, not just meetingsYou understand sales motion, pipeline dynamics, and what it takes operationally to help a sales team closeYou are excellent at forcing clarity: priorities, owners, timelines, and revenue outcomesYou know how to implement process without slowing the business downYou can work directly with Sales, B2B, Consumer Mobile App, Engineering, Product, Finance, HR, and Legal in the same weekYou have strong judgment under ambiguity and can make decisions quicklyYou are comfortable with direct accountability and high standards, including when the number is missedYou are financially fluent: P&L management, budget construction, unit economics, revenue modelingYou write and communicate with precision: memos, decks, and difficult conversations alikeYou are onsite in NYC, full-timeYou are willing to travel as needed BONUS POINTSMBA from a top-tier program or equivalent analytical rigor demonstrated through career trajectoryExperience in high-growth technology, SaaS, marketplace, or venture-backed environmentPrior P&L ownership or general manager experience with direct revenue responsibilityBackground in revenue operations, sales operations, or go-to-market strategyJD or legal background: contracts, governance, and risk management are part of this roleComfortable operating lean, resourceful and inventive when the playbook doesn't exist yet HOW YOU OPERATEStructural Clarity: You break complexity into structure, not the other way aroundRevenue Orientation: Every operational decision you make has a growth implication across both B2B and Consumer. You never lose sight of thatBias for Action: You decide with incomplete information and course-correct fastAccountability: You hold yourself and others to high standards, especially when revenue is on the lineEgo-Free: Your success is measured by the CEO's output and company results, not your own visibilityRange: Board deck in the morning, sales pipeline review at noon, consumer growth metrics by 3pm. You navigate all of itMetrics-First: Revenue metrics are your first language. Everything else follows WHO SHOULD NOT APPLY You should not apply if:You prefer coordination over ownershipYou avoid conflict, accountability, or hard conversations, especially with revenue teamsYou need perfect information to actYou rely on "process" as a substitute for executionYou have never been directly tied to a revenue number and felt itYou want remote work or low-touch responsibilityYou're looking for a polished corporate environment where someone else absorbs the pressureYou've never been the person a CEO actually depended on COMPENSATIONBase salary benchmarked competitively for a senior director-level executive mandatePerformance bonus tied to company revenue targets, OKR achievement, and individual contribution metricsEquity participation commensurate with scope and tenureProfessional development budget We are not looking for someone who manages things. We are looking for someone who runs things and drives growth while doing it. If you are the person in the room who sees what needs to happen before anyone else, steps into the gap without being asked, and holds execution standards high when everything around you is moving fast, we want to hear from you. OTH