Vice President of Operations

Description

The YMCA of Central Florida is seeking a mission-driven, results-oriented operations leader to serve as Vice President of Operations. The VP of Operations is a senior leader who thrives in a matrixed environment, balances strategy with execution, and brings a strong operational mindset grounded in people leadership, community engagement, and philanthropic culture. This position offers a unique opportunity to lead at scale, influence association-wide outcomes, and help shape the future of the YMCA of Central Florida. Qualified candidates with a proven track record of experience are encouraged to apply.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Vice President of Operations oversees strategic operations for the assigned Family Centers, providing leadership in service delivery, client engagement, leadership development, community engagement, and philanthropic culture at the site and district level. This role is accountable for the overall performance of all assigned Ys while aligning strategies with the YMCA’s mission of inclusion and impact. 

The Vice President of Operations coordinates and unlocks resources for their assigned family centers by working through our matrixed network of content matter specialists in membership, programs, philanthropy, and association resources. This person is a strategic leader with a “get things done” operational focus who will build lasting systems and develop the leaders who can build upon that work.

Our Culture

Our mission and core values are brought to life by our culture. In the Y, we strive to live our cause of strengthening communities with purpose and intentionality every day. We are welcoming: we are open to all. We are a place where you can belong and become. We are genuine: we value you and embrace your individuality. We are hopeful: we believe in you and your potential to become a catalyst in the world. We are nurturing: we support you in your journey to develop your full potential. We are determined: above all else, we are on a relentless quest to make our community stronger beginning with you. We are the Y.

Job Responsibilities

1. Achieves assigned Family Center goals and objectives in alignment with the Association’s strategic plan, including but not limited to financial sustainability, budget margin/EBITDA targets, revenue growth, employee engagement and retention, community impact, and expanding equitable access for all individuals and families.
2. Partners with Association membership leadership to ensure consistent execution of membership strategies and initiatives. Holds Family Centers and staff accountable to membership goals, retention targets, and service standards while reinforcing centralized policies, systems, and pricing models.
3. Drives member engagement and retention through strong activity usage, participation, and program quality across Wellness, Aquatics, Sports, Youth and Family Programs, Camp, and Volunteer engagement.
4. Builds, develops, and sustains a strong leadership bench by recruiting, selecting, developing, and retaining senior leadership and programmatic talent for assigned Family Centers. Actively owns succession planning, identifies leadership gaps, and ensures individualized development plans are in place to prepare future leaders and mitigate risk associated with leadership transitions.
5. Ensures leadership development and talent pipeline strength by establishing training, coaching, and career pathways that support readiness for next-level roles, with intentional focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and volunteer leadership development.
6. Leads philanthropic results within assigned Family Centers, ensuring annual Family Center campaign goals are achieved and supporting capital campaigns for the assigned Family Centers. Builds a culture of philanthropy by engaging staff, volunteers, and community leaders in advancing the Y’s cause.
7. Provides leadership and accountability to Family Center staff and Association subject matter experts through clear communication, goal setting, and performance expectations. Conducts regular performance assessments, annual evaluations, and facilitates staff meetings that reinforce accountability and continuous improvement.
8. Operates effectively within the Association’s matrix model, collaborating closely with centralized membership, philanthropy, HR, finance, and program teams. Ensures Family Center execution of association-wide strategies while holding local teams accountable for operationalizing goals, standards, and performance metrics.
9. Develops, implements, and evaluates high-quality programs and schedules that respond to member and community needs. Actively seeks and incorporates member feedback to continuously improve program quality and impact.
10. Collaborates with Association resource development teams to execute fundraising strategies, donor engagement, stewardship efforts, and volunteer-led fundraising activities aligned with Association priorities.
11. Cultivates key community relationships and partnerships that advance the YMCA mission, strengthen visibility, and respond to pressing community needs. Engages local partners, agencies, and civic leaders to generate support for sustainable, community-driven impact.
12. Identifies and applies best practices in systems, technology, and operations to support efficient and effective management of Family Centers. Leverages data, audits performance, and iterates for continuous improvement.
13. Maximizes facility and equipment utilization during operating hours by innovating space usage, expanding program capacity, and increasing access for members and prospective members.
14. Ensures implementation of all Association standards, policies, and best practices, including safety, risk management, certification compliance, emergency procedures, disciplinary processes, and child abuse prevention. Ensures accurate and timely reporting of all employee and member incidents and accidents.
15. Promotes a culture of safety and risk awareness, partnering with Association support teams to reduce claims, improve compliance, and safeguard the well-being of employees, members, and volunteers.
16. Supports Association-wide program quality and standardization efforts, including research, site visits, evaluations, data collection, and outcome tracking. Shares learning and best practices across membership, philanthropy, and program disciplines.
17. Represents and advances the YMCA of Central Florida mission and core values within the Family Center, across programs, and in the broader community.
18. Serves as a member of the Association Management Team, collaborating with senior leadership and executing initiatives that advance Association-wide objectives.
19. Leads special projects and Association initiatives as assigned, contributing to organizational growth, innovation, and strategic priorities.
20. Performs other related duties as assigned to support the mission and operational excellence of the YMCA of Central Florida.

Requirements

Qualifications

1. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required; degree in business, management, nonprofit leadership, or a related field preferred.
2. Minimum of five to seven years of progressively responsible experience in operations management within health and wellness or a related field required; YMCA experience highly preferred. 
3. Minimum of five years of experience in business operations, revenue growth and development, community engagement, relationship building, and program or business line development.
4. Minimum of five years of experience in staff selection, supervision, retention, and development required. Demonstrated experience establishing training and career succession plans to ensure a strong and diverse pipeline of staff and volunteer leaders is essential.
5. Supervision of large YMCA Family Center operations exceeding $3M in operating revenue, including at least $2M in membership revenue, preferred.
6. Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in fiscal management, achieving EBITDA/Net targets, and driving organizational performance. Demonstrated experience supporting fundraising and philanthropic efforts, including annual campaigns or donor engagement, along with a proven track record in membership growth, retention, and program management, is required.
7. Experience working closely with nonprofit Boards of Directors and volunteer leadership committees, including recruiting, leading, and retaining a high-performing and diverse volunteer leadership structure reflective of the community.
8. Proficiency in Microsoft Office required, with the ability to learn, adapt, and effectively utilize new technology and systems.
9. Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills with the ability to interpret and leverage data for planning, forecasting, and decision-making.
10. Demonstrated ability to effectively engage, adapt, and collaborate with diverse individuals, teams, perspectives, and cultures.
11. Ability to obtain and maintain required certifications within 60 days of employment, including CPR, First Aid, AED, and Oxygen Administration.

Working Conditions

1. Must be willing to work a flexible schedule, which may include weekends and holidays as needed.
2. Must be willing to work an on-call schedule rotation as required.
3. Must be willing to travel within Central Florida. Must have a valid Driver license. The employee is required to have visual acuity to operate motor vehicles.
4. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud. 
5. The physical activities of this position include: stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, grasping, feeling, and repetitive motions. Talking is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels, with or without correction.
6. Required to sit or stand for extended periods of time while demonstrating manual dexterity in order to accurately work on the phone, computer keyboard, and other equipment. 
7. The employee must be able to perform light work: exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.
8. The employee is required to have close visual acuity, along with the visual acuity to determine the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work assigned, preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing, viewing a computer screen, extensive reading, or to make general observations of facilities or structures. 
9. Must possess auditory and verbal capabilities in order to adequately communicate via phone and in person.
10. The employee is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

Disclaimers

1. Must complete successful background screening, which includes criminal and drug screening.
2. All of the above duties and responsibilities are essential job functions subject to reasonable accommodation. The YMCA promotes an equal employment opportunity work place which includes reasonable accommodation of otherwise qualified disabled applicants and employees. Please see your manager should you have any questions about this policy or these job duties.
3. This job description may not be all-inclusive and employees are expected to perform all other duties as assigned and directed by management. Job descriptions and duties may be modified when deemed appropriate by management

Third Party Staffing Agencies: The YMCA of Central Florida is not accepting unsolicited support from third party staffing agencies or search firms for this employment opportunity at this current time. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at the YMCA of Central Florida via-email, the Internet, careers page or in any form and/or method without a valid written consent for this position from the YMCA HR Leadership will be deemed the sole property of the YMCA of Central Florida. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired be as a result of the referral or through other means.