VP, Operations

Juniper is hiring a VP, Operations to own the performance, scalability, and economics of our launch and delivery engine. This role is accountable for ensuring launches are delivered predictably and profitably as the business scales, while balancing client trust, operational constraints, and company priorities.

This is a senior, cross-functional leadership role with clear decision-making authority. The VP Ops reports to the CEO and partners closely with leadership and functional leaders to align priorities, capacity, and execution across the organization. This role has direct oversight of a ~45 person, globally distributed team across North America, China, and the Philippines, spanning Product Development, Operations, Client Success, Marketing, and Customer Experience.

About Juniper

Juniper is a crowdfunding and merchandise platform for independent creators. We don’t just run a funding platform (like Kickstarter); we also create the actual products, launch them on creator-branded storefronts, and ship to customers! Juniper has enabled creators to crowdfund specialized products like board games and lava lamps, and fund passion projects like animated shows and charitable initiatives. Since 2016, we’ve created and launched over 2,500 unique physical products and generated over $200M in revenue for creators. Click here to view some of our products and storefronts!

Key Responsibilities

Launch & delivery oversight

• Own the performance and reliability of Juniper’s launch engine across 100+ launches per year.
• Act as the approval authority for significant scope or timeline changes based on business impact.
• Lead Black Friday / Cyber Monday as a single, coordinated effort across teams.
• Turn launch learnings into system improvements that compound over time.

Escalations & risk management

• Serve as the senior escalation point for delivery and client incidents.
• Evaluate options, make decisions, and guide communication during escalations, balancing client context and business impact.
• Partner with the CEO on resolution of the most significant incidents ($50k+ business impact). 

Client relationship leadership

• Build executive-level relationships with Juniper’s largest clients through periodic, forward-looking check-ins.
• Use these conversations to spot risk early, strengthen trust, and inform planning across the business.

People & org leadership

• Lead and develop senior managers and directors across launch-supporting functions. 
• Provide clear feedback, coaching, and development support.
• Design and evolve team structures and resourcing plans to support scale while balancing cost and capacity.

Planning, capacity & economics

• Align cross-functional priorities with real delivery capacity so commitments are credible and achievable.
• Bring visibility to launch performance and economics, using data to drive better decisions and continuous improvement.

What Success Looks Like 

• Launches feel predictable, even as the business grows.
• Escalations are rare - and when they happen, they’re handled decisively.
• Teams trust plans, timelines, and leadership decisions.
• Leaders have clarity on capacity and launch economics.
• The organization scales without sacrificing quality or team health.

Qualifications

• Senior operational leader with 10+ years of experience owning complex, cross-functional delivery systems.
• Strong judgment in high-stakes situations and comfort making tradeoffs.
• Proven ability to lead leaders and design orgs for scale.
• Experience managing senior client relationships and navigating escalations.
• Financial and analytical fluency, with a track record of using data to drive decisions.
  
  

What We Offer

• Health and Wellness  - Our extended health plan includes fully paid premiums and coverage for you and your family for both physical and mental health.
• Annual Allowance – Invest in your wellness, education, home office setup, and more.
• Time Off – Three weeks of paid time off, with one additional day for each year worked, and a company-wide paid shutdown during the December holiday season.
• Remote-First Work Environment – Juniper has a head office in Toronto, however, we let employees choose what work setting works best for them.
• Flexible Work Schedule – We accommodate flexible hours, as long as you are delivering results and maintaining a seamless workflow with your team and cross-functional stakeholders.

Our Hiring Process

We believe in being clear about what to expect. If you’re selected, your journey will look like this:

• Initial Screening - A recruiter will connect with you to learn about your experience and share insights about our culture and team.
• Hiring Manager Interview – A deeper dive into your career journey, technical expertise, project, and what it’s like to work with our team.
• Show Us Your Skills – Work through a project tailored to the role so we can see how you approach challenges similar to those you’d face here.
• Live Project Debrief – Walk us through your project and decision-making to help us better understand your thinking and approach.
• Final Interview with  Our CEO – An open conversation about your journey and what drives you—both professionally and personally.

We know that experience comes in many different forms. If you do not meet all the specified qualifications but feel you're a great fit for this role based on your skills, interests, and vision, let us know why.

Juniper is an equal-opportunity employer. If you need an accommodation during the interview process, please let us know when you apply. Please note that only candidates who are selected for an interview will be contacted directly. 

AI Disclosure

No part of Juniper’s recruitment process uses Artificial Intelligence. All screening, assessment, and decision-making is handled by people.