Vice President of Operations
Full-time/Benefits Eligible
Bilingual (English/Spanish) Preferred
Monday through Friday 8:30 pm to 5:00 pm *
Salary: $100,000/year (not negotiable)**
*Flexibility is needed for evening and weekend to assist with time sensitive matters and to provide adequate support to staff.
** Bilingual differential pay available
Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse has begun an organizational process of transforming philosophy and practice to acknowledge the root causes of violence as being embedded in multiple, intersecting systemic oppressions (sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, classism/poverty, able-ism, and anti-immigrant sentiment).
These conversations directly impact the climate and culture of our organization and are tied to the climate and culture in our community related to violence as a normalized experience. We are seeking team members across the organization who understand that humanizing the experience of all people is a radical act in a non-profit system and who are willing to be a part of transforming our organizational culture to be a more antiracist multicultural institution.
We are seeking job applicants who understand it is our responsibility to ensure that our responses to domestic abuse must include the experiences of those who are most in need and who have the least amount of access to help and support and who can work in an environment that is rapidly changing.
We’re committed to making our community a safer place for everyone. Join us!
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Vice President of Operations (VPO) is a key member of Emerge’s Senior Leadership Team and serves as a strategic executive leader responsible for ensuring that Emerge’s infrastructure, compliance systems, operational environment, and organizational support functions are strong, responsive, legally compliant, and aligned with the organization’s mission, values, and strategic priorities. This role leads organization-wide operational strategy across facilities, technology, safety, risk management, vendor oversight, data infrastructure, and operational continuity. The VPO ensures that Emerge’s internal environment effectively supports equitable, trauma-informed service delivery while protecting participant safety, staff effectiveness, and institutional resilience. The Vice President of Operations partners closely with executive leadership to strengthen organizational capacity, reduce operational risk, improve efficiency, and build scalable systems that support Emerge’s long-term sustainability and growth. This is a high-impact leadership role for an experienced systems-oriented executive who can translate strategy into sustainable structures, steward organizational risk, and maintain reliable infrastructure that supports both immediate service delivery and future transformation.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned to meet business needs.
RESPONSIBILITIES COMMON TO ALL AGENCY EMPLOYEES
- Commits to upholding the agency's mission, vision, community guidelines and values of safety, liberation, responsibility & repair, love, innovation, and joy. We value diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging in all that we do
- Engage in radical service to, and acceptance of, staff and participants as they are by committing to showing up with integrity and love and encouraging all to use their power to affect change
- Commits to creating and maintaining a safe, equitable, trauma-informed, and healing work environment for all participants and staff members
- Commits to a culture of understanding how our collective actions affect participants' efforts to regain their independence and rebuild their lives
- Assess potential crisis situations responding to, and accurately documenting, in an equity-centered and trauma-informed manner while notifying appropriate personnel as soon as possible
- Follow all protocols and practices of Emerge programs, as well as all city, county, state, and federal rules
- Displays an ability to identify problems and generate a range of solutions utilizing creativity, collaboration, open communication, and critical thinking skills
- Maintains confidentiality of shelter sites and information pertaining to all staff, participants, and visitors.
- Dedicated to personal development, furthering knowledge, services, and approaches to better meet needs of participants and staff
- Strives for innovation incorporating new tools, practices, and mindsets that support relationship building, rest, restoration, and healing; not only for collective liberation but also for our individual wholeness, freedom, and ability to thrive
- Attend all meetings and trainings as required
RESPONSIBILITIES COMMON TO ALL LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
- Ensures programs, services, and practices support the vision, mission, community guidelines, values, and philosophy of the agency
- Cultivates a culture of love, safety, liberation, responsibility and repair, innovation, anti-racism, and anti-oppression, and supports and promotes innovative practices aligned with these values
- Supports values-based leadership and actively builds an equity-centered culture where fairness, justice, and inclusivity are at the forefront of decision making, and organizational practices
- Promotes, embraces, and actively seeks to co-create spaces that are inclusive of employees from diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences
- Builds relationships and a sense of community among staff, with a focus on increasing equity, inclusion, and belonging through collaborative and co-creative practice
- Encourages power sharing and takes action to create a culture where staff feel valued, respected, and empowered to perform their best using their gifts, skills, knowledge, and lived experiences to transform the organization and the community we serve
- Ensures that the practices function in accordance with standards set forth in contracts and agency policy
- Fosters positive and effective, nonviolent communication that promotes transparency, responsibility, and inclusivity.
- Manages programs to ensure they are equitable, sustainable and results driven
- Stays informed about current domestic abuse information and regulations
- Continuously monitors and evaluates the organization’s progress
- Knowledgeable in the techniques used to plan, implement, and evaluate programs or initiatives.
- Ability to work well independently and be self-motivated
- Proficient computer skills including e-mail, calendars, document processing, spreadsheets, and database
- Able and willing to travel within a designated service area for work
ESSENTIAL DUTIES
Senior Leadership, Strategic Operations & Organizational Governance
- Serve as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to strategic planning, agency-wide leadership, organizational governance, and values-based decision-making
- Lead execution of organization-wide operational strategy in alignment with Emerge’s mission, values, equity-centered commitments, and strategic priorities
- Translate strategic direction into clear operational frameworks, systems, and implementation plans across all sites and departments
- Ensure operational systems effectively support participant services, staff effectiveness, compliance, and organizational sustainability
- Identify, assess, and mitigate agency-wide operational risks in partnership with senior leadership
- Provide executive guidance related to infrastructure, operations, systems capacity, continuity planning, and institutional resilience
- Support CEO and Senior Leadership Team decision-making through legal, operational, infrastructure, and systems analysis
- Represent operational priorities in strategic planning and organizational growth initiatives
Compliance, Risk Management & Organizational Protection
- Ensure organizational compliance with all applicable federal, state, local, contractual, and funder requirements, including DES, VOCA, VAWA, ADA/ADAAA, OSHA, confidentiality, and related standards
- Develop and maintain systems for compliance monitoring, corrective action planning, audit readiness, and continuous quality improvement
- Oversee agency-wide operational risk management, including safety systems, infrastructure security, confidentiality protections, insurance coordination, and liability reduction
- Partner with insurance brokers, carriers, attorneys, and executive leadership to maintain legally compliant and fiscally responsible organizational protections
- Ensure policies, procedures, and operational practices align with regulatory obligations and organizational standards
Facilities, Infrastructure, Technology & Systems Management
- Oversee management, maintenance, safety, accessibility, and long-term planning for all Emerge facilities, including shelter, community-based sites, administrative offices, and related infrastructure
- Ensure all facilities meet applicable health, safety, ADA, DES, confidentiality, and regulatory standards
- Lead facility upgrades, infrastructure improvements, maintenance systems, and capital-related operational projects
- Maintain broad oversight of fleet and vehicle management, preventative maintenance, and operational repair systems
- Oversee technology infrastructure, including IT systems, phones, internet, hardware, software, communication systems, and cybersecurity protections
- Serve as primary executive liaison for IT vendors and operational technology partners
- Ensure secure, stable, user-centered, and confidentiality-protected technology systems that support staff and participant needs
- Oversee emergency preparedness, operational continuity planning, communicable illness response, and infrastructure-related crisis response systems
- Ensure site security, maintenance workflows, protected location safeguards, access controls, and continuity systems are reliable, secure, and consistently implemented
Budget, Financial Stewardship, Vendor, Legal & Contract Oversight
- Oversee operational budgets related to facilities, infrastructure, technology, security, vendor contracts, and operational services
- Partner with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team to support resource generation, fund development, sound financial management protocols, internal controls, budget development, and responsible stewardship of organizational resources
- Identify cost-saving opportunities that preserve safety, compliance, and operational effectiveness
- Oversee vendor relationships, operational contracts, procurement systems, legal coordination, and service partnerships
- Monitor vendor accountability, service quality, compliance standards, and fiscal responsibility
- Support insurance strategy, contract integrity, and resource stewardship in alignment with organizational sustainability
Data, Funding Infrastructure & Organizational Accountability
- Oversee infrastructure supporting data integrity, grant compliance, funder accountability, and operational reporting systems
- Support accurate, timely, and comprehensive reporting to governmental and non-governmental funding sources
- Partner with executive leadership to strengthen operational readiness for grant compliance, donor systems, and funding sustainability
Process Improvement, Systems Innovation & Organizational Effectiveness
- Evaluate, strengthen, and optimize internal operational systems to improve efficiency, consistency, scalability, and organizational effectiveness
- Identify barriers impacting operations, infrastructure, coordination, workflow, or service support systems and implement strategic solutions
- Lead cross-functional operational initiatives that strengthen organizational performance and reduce inefficiencies
- Build sustainable systems that support organizational growth, innovation, and resilience
- Promote operational excellence through systems redesign, process improvement, and infrastructure modernization
External Representation & Stakeholder Engagement
- Represent Emerge with operational, regulatory, legal, infrastructure, and systems stakeholders as appropriate
- Participate in external committees, planning groups, operational partnerships, and community collaborations as needed
- Strengthen relationships with vendors, funders, legal systems, infrastructure partners, and external agencies
- Communicate operational priorities clearly to internal and external stakeholders
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS - Any combination of at least 7 years of work, professional or life experience (personal), in the following areas:
Note: Emerge recognizes that the required skills and knowledge needed to serve survivors of domestic abuse can be derived by formal professional experience as well as other life experience outside of a professional setting. Applicants will be asked to make direct connections between their work/life experience and the required qualifications. We value the added foundation of formal education, however, any years spent in an educational institution will not count directly toward the number of years required/preferred.
- Minimum seven (7) years of senior leadership experience, with strong preference for at least three (3) years within nonprofit, domestic violence, human services, or mission-driven organizations
- Demonstrated experience overseeing complex organizational operations, infrastructure, compliance systems, and cross-functional strategic initiatives
- Knowledge of the dynamics of domestic abuse and/or sexual violence
- Strong knowledge of financial management, internal controls, budgeting, resource stewardship, and operational accountability
- Knowledge of local, state, and federal funding systems, grant compliance requirements, and funding opportunities
- Experience functioning effectively within large, complex systems and institutions while maintaining adaptability and strategic problem-solving
- Demonstrated commitment and ability to actively interrupt racism, homophobia, transphobia, and systemic oppression within organizational and community settings
- Strong capacity to build authentic, trust-based relationships through listening, accountability, vulnerability, and collaborative leadership
- Ability to critically examine personal and systemic power, privilege, and oppression in service of equitable leadership
- Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
- Demonstrated consistency, accuracy, discretion, and thoroughness in leadership practice
- Strong technical proficiency with organizational systems, including email, calendars, spreadsheets, databases, and operational technology platforms
- Ability to manage competing priorities, shifting deadlines, crisis response, and evolving organizational needs while maintaining strategic focus
- Deep commitment to trauma-informed, equity-centered, survivor-centered, and purpose-driven leadership
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS - Any combination of at least 8 years of work, professional or life experience (personal), in the following areas:
- Preferred: Bilingual (English/Spanish)
- Expertise in domestic violence, gender-based violence, systemic oppression, and/or broader community violence prevention
- Experience in a nonprofit and/or social services setting
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
- Ability to obtain appropriate fingerprint clearance through the Arizona Department of Public Safety
- Ability to obtain CPR/First Aid certification
- Valid Arizona Driver License and proof of automobile insurance (as applicable)
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
- Must be able to sit or stand during an 8–10-hour workday
- Must be able to lift twenty-five pounds
WORK ENVIRONMENT
- Emerge staff provide high-quality, compassionate care to our participants, and we work together to ensure that survivors receive the support they need. We offer a range of services, including case management, lay legal assistance, housing support, and advocacy.
- We offer ongoing training and professional development opportunities to help our staff members grow and develop in their roles.
- Overall, our Community Based Services sites are a dynamic and rewarding place to work, where staff can make a real difference in the lives of others.
Emerge is an equal opportunity employer
Vice President of Operations
Full-time/Benefits Eligible
Bilingual (English/Spanish) Preferred
Monday through Friday 8:30 pm to 5:00 pm *
Salary: $100,000/year (not negotiable)**
*Flexibility is needed for evening and weekend to assist with time sensitive matters and to provide adequate support to staff.
** Bilingual differential pay available
Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse has begun an organizational process of transforming philosophy and practice to acknowledge the root causes of violence as being embedded in multiple, intersecting systemic oppressions (sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, classism/poverty, able-ism, and anti-immigrant sentiment).
These conversations directly impact the climate and culture of our organization and are tied to the climate and culture in our community related to violence as a normalized experience. We are seeking team members across the organization who understand that humanizing the experience of all people is a radical act in a non-profit system and who are willing to be a part of transforming our organizational culture to be a more antiracist multicultural institution.
We are seeking job applicants who understand it is our responsibility to ensure that our responses to domestic abuse must include the experiences of those who are most in need and who have the least amount of access to help and support and who can work in an environment that is rapidly changing.
We’re committed to making our community a safer place for everyone. Join us!
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Vice President of Operations (VPO) is a key member of Emerge’s Senior Leadership Team and serves as a strategic executive leader responsible for ensuring that Emerge’s infrastructure, compliance systems, operational environment, and organizational support functions are strong, responsive, legally compliant, and aligned with the organization’s mission, values, and strategic priorities. This role leads organization-wide operational strategy across facilities, technology, safety, risk management, vendor oversight, data infrastructure, and operational continuity. The VPO ensures that Emerge’s internal environment effectively supports equitable, trauma-informed service delivery while protecting participant safety, staff effectiveness, and institutional resilience. The Vice President of Operations partners closely with executive leadership to strengthen organizational capacity, reduce operational risk, improve efficiency, and build scalable systems that support Emerge’s long-term sustainability and growth. This is a high-impact leadership role for an experienced systems-oriented executive who can translate strategy into sustainable structures, steward organizational risk, and maintain reliable infrastructure that supports both immediate service delivery and future transformation.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned to meet business needs.
RESPONSIBILITIES COMMON TO ALL AGENCY EMPLOYEES
- Commits to upholding the agency's mission, vision, community guidelines and values of safety, liberation, responsibility & repair, love, innovation, and joy. We value diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging in all that we do
- Engage in radical service to, and acceptance of, staff and participants as they are by committing to showing up with integrity and love and encouraging all to use their power to affect change
- Commits to creating and maintaining a safe, equitable, trauma-informed, and healing work environment for all participants and staff members
- Commits to a culture of understanding how our collective actions affect participants' efforts to regain their independence and rebuild their lives
- Assess potential crisis situations responding to, and accurately documenting, in an equity-centered and trauma-informed manner while notifying appropriate personnel as soon as possible
- Follow all protocols and practices of Emerge programs, as well as all city, county, state, and federal rules
- Displays an ability to identify problems and generate a range of solutions utilizing creativity, collaboration, open communication, and critical thinking skills
- Maintains confidentiality of shelter sites and information pertaining to all staff, participants, and visitors.
- Dedicated to personal development, furthering knowledge, services, and approaches to better meet needs of participants and staff
- Strives for innovation incorporating new tools, practices, and mindsets that support relationship building, rest, restoration, and healing; not only for collective liberation but also for our individual wholeness, freedom, and ability to thrive
- Attend all meetings and trainings as required
RESPONSIBILITIES COMMON TO ALL LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
- Ensures programs, services, and practices support the vision, mission, community guidelines, values, and philosophy of the agency
- Cultivates a culture of love, safety, liberation, responsibility and repair, innovation, anti-racism, and anti-oppression, and supports and promotes innovative practices aligned with these values
- Supports values-based leadership and actively builds an equity-centered culture where fairness, justice, and inclusivity are at the forefront of decision making, and organizational practices
- Promotes, embraces, and actively seeks to co-create spaces that are inclusive of employees from diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences
- Builds relationships and a sense of community among staff, with a focus on increasing equity, inclusion, and belonging through collaborative and co-creative practice
- Encourages power sharing and takes action to create a culture where staff feel valued, respected, and empowered to perform their best using their gifts, skills, knowledge, and lived experiences to transform the organization and the community we serve
- Ensures that the practices function in accordance with standards set forth in contracts and agency policy
- Fosters positive and effective, nonviolent communication that promotes transparency, responsibility, and inclusivity.
- Manages programs to ensure they are equitable, sustainable and results driven
- Stays informed about current domestic abuse information and regulations
- Continuously monitors and evaluates the organization’s progress
- Knowledgeable in the techniques used to plan, implement, and evaluate programs or initiatives.
- Ability to work well independently and be self-motivated
- Proficient computer skills including e-mail, calendars, document processing, spreadsheets, and database
- Able and willing to travel within a designated service area for work
ESSENTIAL DUTIES
Senior Leadership, Strategic Operations & Organizational Governance
- Serve as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to strategic planning, agency-wide leadership, organizational governance, and values-based decision-making
- Lead execution of organization-wide operational strategy in alignment with Emerge’s mission, values, equity-centered commitments, and strategic priorities
- Translate strategic direction into clear operational frameworks, systems, and implementation plans across all sites and departments
- Ensure operational systems effectively support participant services, staff effectiveness, compliance, and organizational sustainability
- Identify, assess, and mitigate agency-wide operational risks in partnership with senior leadership
- Provide executive guidance related to infrastructure, operations, systems capacity, continuity planning, and institutional resilience
- Support CEO and Senior Leadership Team decision-making through legal, operational, infrastructure, and systems analysis
- Represent operational priorities in strategic planning and organizational growth initiatives
Compliance, Risk Management & Organizational Protection
- Ensure organizational compliance with all applicable federal, state, local, contractual, and funder requirements, including DES, VOCA, VAWA, ADA/ADAAA, OSHA, confidentiality, and related standards
- Develop and maintain systems for compliance monitoring, corrective action planning, audit readiness, and continuous quality improvement
- Oversee agency-wide operational risk management, including safety systems, infrastructure security, confidentiality protections, insurance coordination, and liability reduction
- Partner with insurance brokers, carriers, attorneys, and executive leadership to maintain legally compliant and fiscally responsible organizational protections
- Ensure policies, procedures, and operational practices align with regulatory obligations and organizational standards
Facilities, Infrastructure, Technology & Systems Management
- Oversee management, maintenance, safety, accessibility, and long-term planning for all Emerge facilities, including shelter, community-based sites, administrative offices, and related infrastructure
- Ensure all facilities meet applicable health, safety, ADA, DES, confidentiality, and regulatory standards
- Lead facility upgrades, infrastructure improvements, maintenance systems, and capital-related operational projects
- Maintain broad oversight of fleet and vehicle management, preventative maintenance, and operational repair systems
- Oversee technology infrastructure, including IT systems, phones, internet, hardware, software, communication systems, and cybersecurity protections
- Serve as primary executive liaison for IT vendors and operational technology partners
- Ensure secure, stable, user-centered, and confidentiality-protected technology systems that support staff and participant needs
- Oversee emergency preparedness, operational continuity planning, communicable illness response, and infrastructure-related crisis response systems
- Ensure site security, maintenance workflows, protected location safeguards, access controls, and continuity systems are reliable, secure, and consistently implemented
Budget, Financial Stewardship, Vendor, Legal & Contract Oversight
- Oversee operational budgets related to facilities, infrastructure, technology, security, vendor contracts, and operational services
- Partner with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team to support resource generation, fund development, sound financial management protocols, internal controls, budget development, and responsible stewardship of organizational resources
- Identify cost-saving opportunities that preserve safety, compliance, and operational effectiveness
- Oversee vendor relationships, operational contracts, procurement systems, legal coordination, and service partnerships
- Monitor vendor accountability, service quality, compliance standards, and fiscal responsibility
- Support insurance strategy, contract integrity, and resource stewardship in alignment with organizational sustainability
Data, Funding Infrastructure & Organizational Accountability
- Oversee infrastructure supporting data integrity, grant compliance, funder accountability, and operational reporting systems
- Support accurate, timely, and comprehensive reporting to governmental and non-governmental funding sources
- Partner with executive leadership to strengthen operational readiness for grant compliance, donor systems, and funding sustainability
Process Improvement, Systems Innovation & Organizational Effectiveness
- Evaluate, strengthen, and optimize internal operational systems to improve efficiency, consistency, scalability, and organizational effectiveness
- Identify barriers impacting operations, infrastructure, coordination, workflow, or service support systems and implement strategic solutions
- Lead cross-functional operational initiatives that strengthen organizational performance and reduce inefficiencies
- Build sustainable systems that support organizational growth, innovation, and resilience
- Promote operational excellence through systems redesign, process improvement, and infrastructure modernization
External Representation & Stakeholder Engagement
- Represent Emerge with operational, regulatory, legal, infrastructure, and systems stakeholders as appropriate
- Participate in external committees, planning groups, operational partnerships, and community collaborations as needed
- Strengthen relationships with vendors, funders, legal systems, infrastructure partners, and external agencies
- Communicate operational priorities clearly to internal and external stakeholders
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS - Any combination of at least 7 years of work, professional or life experience (personal), in the following areas:
Note: Emerge recognizes that the required skills and knowledge needed to serve survivors of domestic abuse can be derived by formal professional experience as well as other life experience outside of a professional setting. Applicants will be asked to make direct connections between their work/life experience and the required qualifications. We value the added foundation of formal education, however, any years spent in an educational institution will not count directly toward the number of years required/preferred.
- Minimum seven (7) years of senior leadership experience, with strong preference for at least three (3) years within nonprofit, domestic violence, human services, or mission-driven organizations
- Demonstrated experience overseeing complex organizational operations, infrastructure, compliance systems, and cross-functional strategic initiatives
- Knowledge of the dynamics of domestic abuse and/or sexual violence
- Strong knowledge of financial management, internal controls, budgeting, resource stewardship, and operational accountability
- Knowledge of local, state, and federal funding systems, grant compliance requirements, and funding opportunities
- Experience functioning effectively within large, complex systems and institutions while maintaining adaptability and strategic problem-solving
- Demonstrated commitment and ability to actively interrupt racism, homophobia, transphobia, and systemic oppression within organizational and community settings
- Strong capacity to build authentic, trust-based relationships through listening, accountability, vulnerability, and collaborative leadership
- Ability to critically examine personal and systemic power, privilege, and oppression in service of equitable leadership
- Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
- Demonstrated consistency, accuracy, discretion, and thoroughness in leadership practice
- Strong technical proficiency with organizational systems, including email, calendars, spreadsheets, databases, and operational technology platforms
- Ability to manage competing priorities, shifting deadlines, crisis response, and evolving organizational needs while maintaining strategic focus
- Deep commitment to trauma-informed, equity-centered, survivor-centered, and purpose-driven leadership
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS - Any combination of at least 8 years of work, professional or life experience (personal), in the following areas:
- Preferred: Bilingual (English/Spanish)
- Expertise in domestic violence, gender-based violence, systemic oppression, and/or broader community violence prevention
- Experience in a nonprofit and/or social services setting
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
- Ability to obtain appropriate fingerprint clearance through the Arizona Department of Public Safety
- Ability to obtain CPR/First Aid certification
- Valid Arizona Driver License and proof of automobile insurance (as applicable)
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
- Must be able to sit or stand during an 8–10-hour workday
- Must be able to lift twenty-five pounds
WORK ENVIRONMENT
- Emerge staff provide high-quality, compassionate care to our participants, and we work together to ensure that survivors receive the support they need. We offer a range of services, including case management, lay legal assistance, housing support, and advocacy.
- We offer ongoing training and professional development opportunities to help our staff members grow and develop in their roles.
- Overall, our Community Based Services sites are a dynamic and rewarding place to work, where staff can make a real difference in the lives of others.
Emerge is an equal opportunity employer
