Full-Time | Remote | Cincinnati Preferred

Explorer Chick is a premium women’s adventure travel company with a 10+ year track record and a fiercely loyal community. We design transformative, high-touch adventure travel experiences for women around the world.

We are hiring a Director of Operations to run the operational engine of the company.

Explorer Chick has strong demand, a proven product, and an experienced team. As the company grows, we need operational leadership that can lead people effectively, maintain structure, and ensure the business executes consistently while delivering the exceptional guest experience our brand is known for.

This role reports directly to the CEO and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company.

What You Will Own

Operations Leadership

You will lead the operational side of the company, including teams responsible for:

• Destination Management
• Guest Services
• Guide Management
• Operations Systems
• HR administration

Your role is to ensure the team is aligned, supported, and executing at a high level.

Responsibilities include:

• Leading weekly operations meetings and maintaining team alignment
• Setting priorities and ensuring the team is focused on the most important work
• Removing operational bottlenecks and supporting team decision-making
• Structuring the team effectively as responsibilities evolve
• Ensuring work remains visible and deadlines are honored

You will act as the operational leader responsible for maintaining clarity, accountability, and execution across the organization.

Team Performance & Accountability

You will be responsible for maintaining a high-performing operations team.

This includes:

• Establishing clear performance expectations and role ownership
• Conducting employee evaluations and performance reviews
• Developing compensation structures and role clarity as the company grows
• Addressing performance issues directly and constructively
• Supporting hiring and onboarding as the organization evolves

You should be comfortable managing people, setting expectations, and maintaining strong professional boundaries.

Guest Experience & Trip Design Standards

Explorer Chick trips are designed to feel thoughtful, engaging, and premium. Operational decisions must protect that experience.

You will work closely with Destination Managers and Guide Management to ensure operational choices support both guest satisfaction and brand standards.

Responsibilities include:

• Reviewing and approving itinerary adjustments when needed
• Evaluating accommodations, trip pacing, and logistics through a hospitality lens
• Ensuring operational decisions enhance the guest experience rather than dilute it
• Maintaining high standards for lodging, service levels, and trip flow
• Supporting the team in designing trips that feel intentional, engaging, and memorable

Explorer Chick trips combine logistics, hospitality, and storytelling. Strong operational judgment is required to maintain that balance.

Project Management & Execution

Explorer Chick operates through structured projects and operational priorities. You will ensure the team focuses on the right work and that initiatives move forward consistently.

Responsibilities include:

• Leading operational projects with clear scope, ownership, and deadlines
• Ensuring projects move forward on schedule and reach completion
• Prioritizing initiatives based on business impact
• Eliminating work that does not support current priorities
• Evaluating and implementing the company’s project management system to support visibility, accountability, and execution

The goal is disciplined execution and consistent follow-through.

Systems, Playbooks & Operational Structure

Explorer Chick is building operational playbooks that support consistent execution across the company.

Playbooks are developed collaboratively across the team. Your role is to ensure they are built, maintained, and used effectively.

Responsibilities include:

• Maintaining playbook standards and documentation structure
• Ensuring operational processes are clearly documented
• Translating processes into repeatable routines and workflows within the project management system
• Improving processes where inefficiencies exist
• Ensuring systems remain simple, usable, and consistently followed

Playbooks should not simply document work — they should improve how the company operates.

Our goal is clarity and simplicity, not unnecessary complexity.

Operational Judgment & Risk Management

The operations team frequently brings forward questions, challenges, or proposed changes.

You will evaluate these situations and determine the best path forward.

Responsibilities include:

• Assessing operational risks and potential impacts
• Helping the team distinguish between real problems and lower-priority concerns
• Guiding the team toward solutions that balance guest experience, efficiency, and risk
• Ensuring operational decisions align with company standards and priorities

Strong operational judgment is essential in this role.

Trip Operations & Financial Performance

You will oversee the operational performance of the trip portfolio.

Responsibilities include:

• Understanding trip-level budgets and margins
• Monitoring operational spending and vendor terms
• Supporting Destination Managers in negotiations and cost control
• Identifying opportunities to improve margins, efficiency, and guest experience

Operational decisions should consider both return on investment and long-term sustainability.

How You Work

You are:

• Structure and systems-first, not reactive
• Focused on outcomes over activity
• Calm under pressure
• Direct, decisive, and proactive in communication
• Comfortable prioritizing and eliminating work that does not move the business forward
• Able to assess risk and make sound operational decisions
• Comfortable being handed a problem, not a process
• Willing to say, “This isn’t working. Here’s what I recommend instead.”
• Focused on execution and completion — not just ideas
• Curious about inefficiencies and motivated to improve them
• Data-literate and comfortable using metrics and performance data to guide decisions

You understand that operations requires balancing people leadership, systems, and judgment.

This is not a task-taker role. You are expected to lead, make decisions, and ensure the work and business moves forward.

You must also have experience operating in a fully remote team environment. Virtual work requires strong self-direction, communication discipline, and structured follow-through.

Required Experience

• 7+ years in operations leadership, business management, or operational roles in a service-based business
• Experience managing teams and performance systems
• Personal familiarity with outdoor or active travel experiences
• Ability to understand physical activity levels, trip flow, and the operational realities of adventure travel
• Strong operational judgment and risk awareness in dynamic environments
• Experience building or maintaining operational systems, processes, or playbooks
• Strong project management and execution skills
• Financial awareness, including budgets, margins, and operational spending
• Comfort working directly with a founder/CEO in a fast-moving environment
• Experience operating successfully in a fully remote team environment
• Experience implementing or managing project management systems

Preferred:

• Experience in travel, hospitality, tourism, or experiential businesses
• Experience managing logistics-heavy or multi-day guest experiences

Compensation & Structure

• Full-Time, Salaried Position
• Base Salary: $85,000–$95,000
• 3% IRA Match
• 100% Remote (Cincinnati-area preferred for occasional in-person strategy sessions)
• Travel opportunities

This is a senior leadership role with direct access to the CEO and real ownership over operational performance, team leadership, and the systems that support Explorer Chick’s growth.

Compensation is aligned with experience and demonstrated ability to drive operational excellence, accountability, and disciplined execution across the organization.

The Application Process

1. Complete the Application Form below.
2. Complete this 10 Minute Survey.

Both must be completed to be considered for the position. They are completed separately and can be completed in any order.