Director of Operations (Marketing Agency Integrator / Head of Delivery)

Director of Operations (Agency Integrator / Head of Delivery)

Location: Irvine, CA (In-Office)
Type: Full-Time
Compensation: Competitive base + performance bonus (based on delivery KPIs)
Schedule: Monday–Friday (PST hours)

About Black Stag Digital

Black Stag Digital is a high-output digital agency supporting a fast-growing portfolio of brands. We operate with a remote-first delivery team primarily in the Philippines and Eastern Europe, and we move fast. We’re hiring a senior operator to become the agency Integrator / Head of Delivery - the person responsible for building the operating system, stabilizing execution, and ensuring projects ship on time at a consistently high standard.

This role has CEO-backed authority to set priorities, enforce process, and drive accountability across departments. You will not be a note-taker, you will run delivery.

This role is critical. If you’re the type of leader who creates order, installs structure, and gets teams executing cleanly, this is for you.

Read This First: What This Role Is (and Isn’t)

This role IS:

• Agency Operations + Delivery leadership
• Building and enforcing the operating cadence (planning, accountability, QA)
• Running cross-functional execution across creative, web, paid, lifecycle, SEO, ops
• Turning tribal knowledge into repeatable systems (SOPs, checklists, templates)
• Creating predictability, speed, and A+ output

This role is NOT:

• A hands-on media buyer role
• A channel specialist role (SEO-only, Ads-only, Email-only, etc.)
• A creative director role
• A “do everything yourself” marketer position

You will not be the primary point of contact for all client communication. You don’t need to be the world’s best Google Ads buyer. You do need to be elite at agency delivery, execution systems, and operational leadership.

Outcomes You Own (This is how you’ll be measured)

30 Days

• Audit current workflows, bottlenecks, and root causes of missed deadlines/rework
• Implement a single source of truth for delivery (ClickUp/Monday/Asana - one tool, enforced)
• Establish weekly planning + daily execution rhythm
• Install clean intake, prioritization, and escalation paths

60 Days

• Launch SOP/checklist library for the top recurring workflows (minimum 15 documented)
• Establish “Definition of Done” and QA gates for key deliverables (creative, web, ads, email, etc.)
• Improve visibility into capacity, resourcing, and workload (WIP limits enforced)
• Reduce rework and improve cycle time from request → shipped

90 Days

• Delivery becomes predictable (owners, deadlines, dependencies, QA gates)
• PMs function as delivery controllers - not message passers
• Department owners operate with standards and accountability
• Keyman risk decreases (processes live in systems - not in one person’s head)

Core Responsibilities

1) Agency Operations & Delivery Leadership (Primary)

• Own day-to-day execution and delivery across departments: creative, web, paid, lifecycle/email/SMS, SEO/content, ops
• Implement and enforce the agency operating system:
• intake & prioritization rules
• weekly planning and production schedules
• daily execution rhythm
• dependency tracking and escalation
• QA gates and approval pathways
• WIP limits (stop starting, start finishing)
• Lead internal delivery meetings and hold teams accountable to timelines and standards
• Build capacity planning and resourcing visibility (who’s overloaded, what’s blocked, what ships next)
• Identify bottlenecks early and fix them before they become emergencies
• Establish consistent internal reporting: what shipped, what’s in flight, what’s blocked, what needs decisions

2) Systems, Documentation, and Repeatability (Non-Negotiable)

We are intentionally removing “keyman syndrome.” This role must build systems that outlast individuals.

• Convert tribal knowledge into process:
• shadow workflows, record Looms, capture the “how”
• convert into SOPs, checklists, templates, brief forms, QA checklists
• Create and maintain a central internal knowledge base (SOP library)
• Standardize deliverables using templates and “Definition of Done” by department
• Ensure recurring work is systemized:
• repeated tasks become checklists
• repeated processes become SOPs
• no “one-off heroics” as the normal operating mode

3) Project Management / PMO Leadership

• Lead and develop the PM/Delivery function to ensure clean coordination across teams
• Ensure project managers drive delivery (timelines, dependencies, handoffs), not just communication routing
• Establish consistent project hygiene:
• clean briefs
• owners + deadlines
• dependency clarity
• QA gates before client delivery

4) Client-Facing Coordination (Secondary)

You are not the primary account manager, but you must ensure client work is executed cleanly.

• Partner with Client Success / Account Leads to translate priorities into executable plans
• Help enforce scope clarity, deadlines, and realistic scheduling
• Ensure the agency presents a consistent, high-quality delivery rhythm to clients

5) Marketing Oversight (Strategic, Not Hands-On Channel Execution)

• Ensure marketing initiatives align with goals/KPIs and meet quality standards
• Pressure-test strategies and execution plans created by channel specialists
• Identify capability gaps (skills, tools, training) and implement solutions

Decision Rights (You must have authority to do the job)

• Own internal delivery schedule and resourcing visibility
• Can re-sequence work and enforce prioritization when competing priorities exist
• Can enforce WIP limits and stop uncontrolled intake
• Can require proper briefs/templates before work begins
• Can escalate conflicts to CEO for final prioritization when needed
• Owns the internal “delivery ready” standard (QA gate) before client-facing release

Who You’ll Work With

• Reports directly to: CEO
• Works closely with: senior leadership and cross-functional department owners
• Leads: the delivery function (PMs/PMO) and coordinates across all departments
• Operates with remote teams primarily in the Philippines and Eastern Europe (strong async leadership required)

Required Experience (Hard Requirements)

• 7–12+ years in a digital agency environment OR equivalent high-velocity marketing org
• Proven experience leading operations, delivery, or PMO across cross-functional teams
• Demonstrated history building execution systems:
• cadence, SOP libraries, templates, QA gates, accountability rhythms
• Strong project execution background:
• timelines, dependencies, resourcing, prioritization, risk management
• Experience managing remote teams across time zones with strong async communication
• Strong leadership presence—can hold people accountable without drama
• High standards - cares about quality, speed, and clarity

· “Has implemented SOP/checklist systems and enforced adoption (not just created docs).”

Nice-to-Haves (Not Required)

• Familiarity with: paid media, email/SMS (Klaviyo), SEO, Shopify, analytics
• Systems/automation experience (Zapier, workflows, dashboards)
• Experience building internal “quality systems” for creative + web deliverables

Traits We’re Looking For (If this isn’t you, don’t apply)

• You’re a builder: you create process, structure, and repeatability
• You don’t tolerate chaos as a permanent operating mode
• You don’t “hero” everything yourself - you build systems so teams execute
• You’re direct, organized, calm under pressure, and accountable
• You can push back respectfully and protect delivery quality

Compensation & Performance Bonus

Comp includes a base salary plus performance incentives tied to measurable delivery KPIs such as:

• on-time delivery rate
• cycle time (request → shipped)
• rework rate reduction
• SOP/checklist completion and adoption
• project hygiene compliance (briefs, owners, deadlines)

How to Apply

Send your resume and a short note explaining:

• The largest agency/team you helped operationalize
• The operating cadence/systems you’ve implemented (tools + process)
• A specific example where you reduced chaos and improved delivery predictability

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $10,000.00 - $15,000.00 per month

Application Question(s):

• 1. Walk me through the operating cadence you’ve installed in a fast-moving agency.

2. What tool(s) did you use as the single source of truth, and how did you force adoption?
3. Give a specific example where projects were always late—what did you change to fix it?
4. How do you prevent PMs from becoming message passers between client and team?
5. How do you handle a client that constantly changes priorities mid-week?
6. Explain how you build SOPs when the ‘key person’ won’t document anything.
7. What are your core delivery KPIs and how often do you review them?
8. Describe how you run cross-functional QA for creative and web deliverables.
9. Tell me about your experience leading remote teams across time zones.
10. I’m going to give you a scenario: 30 urgent requests hit at once. What do you do in the first 60 minutes?

Work Location: In person