Director of Strategy & Operations

Via is hiring a Director of Strategy & Operations to lead part of our West Coast portfolio. This is a significant regional P&L leadership role: you will start out by directly managing markets and a team of Field Operations Managers, then quickly grow to manage a team of General Managers and Operations Managers. You will be responsible for setting and executing regional operating strategy, and ensuring safe, reliable, high-quality service across a large, fast-growing, and increasingly complex book of business.

The West region is in high-growth mode—launching new markets, expanding existing contracts, and standing up new service types. We need a seasoned operator who can lead through scale and ambiguity, develop strong frontline leaders, and partner effectively with transit agency stakeholders, commercial teams, and Via central functions.

What You’ll Do:

• Regional leadership & people management
• Lead, coach, and develop a team set clear expectations, cadence, and accountability
• Run a consistent regional operating rhythm
• Build leadership depth: hire, promote, and performance-manage regional talent; Foster a culture of safety, compliance, operational excellence, and partner trust across the region
• P&L and performance ownership
• Own regional P&L outcomes in partnership with Finance and market GMs: revenue hours/rides, cost per ride, labor productivity, and margin improvement
• Set regional targets and be accountable to KPIs (service reliability, on-time performance, seat availability, safety, driver staffing, vehicle readiness, and customer experience)
• Drive root-cause problem solving on underperforming markets; escalate risks early with clear mitigation plans
• Partner on annual and quarterly operating plans, staffing models, and scenario planning for growth
• Regional strategy & growth
• Translate regional priorities into actionable market strategies
• Lead the region through new service types and operating models
• Prioritize resources across markets during launch surges, staffing constraints, and partner-critical periods
• Represent Operations in regional strategy discussions with Commercial, Service Design, Product, and Partner Success
• Partner & stakeholder management
• Serve as a senior operational counterpart to agency leadership on high-stakes markets
• Build trust through transparent performance reporting, proactive communication, and credible remediation when service misses occur
• Navigate complex regulatory and contractual environments
• Cross-functional leadership
• Partner with Commercial, Enablement, Service Design, Remix, Safety, Fleet, HR, and Finance to align ops capacity with growth and product roadmap
• Influence technology and process adoption to improve regional efficiency and visibility
• Contribute to company-wide ops priorities
• Who You Are: Proven experience in an operational leadership role, ideally with P&L responsibility.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute business strategies successfully.
• Track record leading high-growth or transformation environments—scaling teams, launching new lines of business, or integrating acquisitions/service expansions
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, capable of working with and influencing stakeholders at all levels.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills, you don’t accept the status quo and are always looking for creative solutions
• Strong comfort working in a fast paced environment, operating in ambiguity, managing multiple tasks simultaneously, and taking on responsibility
• Operational fluency across people-intensive, regulated, 24/7 businesses; comfort with labor planning, safety culture, and compliance
• 10+ years of experience, ideally with a combination of consulting and operating experience
• Hold a Bachelor’s Degree with a record of exceptional academic and professional achievement
• Willingness to travel extensively across the West Coast (~25%, higher during launch periods)