VP Operations

VP Operations

Are you an experienced senior operator with start-up experience who’s lived through Series As, Bs or beyond? If so, we want to meet you!

About the Role

As our first ever VP of Operations, you’ll be the connective tissue across our company, ensuring Pok Pok is set up for success and scale. You will build the operational backbone for our next stage of growth! We are a fast-growing startup, so we’re looking for someone who’s been in roles like this before and can jump right in—a seasoned, strategic builder who has scaled a consumer or subscription business. If you care deeply about culture, creativity and people as much as metrics, margins and performance, keep reading! You’ll work directly with our CEO, founders and leadership team to design and implement systems that support sustainable growth, operational clarity, and yield high team performance. This role demands someone who thrives in ever-changing start-up environments and can bring flexibility, organization and innovation to the position.

This is a hybrid, Toronto-based position. Candidates must be available to come into our downtown office regularly and be legally allowed to work in Canada.

What You'll Do

• Build and optimize operational frameworks that support our next stage of growth across finance, HR, data, and business operations.
• Translate company strategy into actionable plans, OKRs, and cross-functional KPIs that keep teams focused, accountable and doing their best work.
• Own business performance, working closely with the CEO and finance team to manage company KPIs, forecasts, and dashboards
• Support people operations by overseeing hiring processes, performance reviews, and organizational design, helping us grow a joyful, inclusive, high-performing team.
• Work hand-in-hand with all departments to bring operational function to creative work, without ever killing the magic.
• Act as a force multiplier by identifying blockers, streamline communication, and make sure the leadership team’s time and energy are spent where they matter most.

You Are

• An experienced executive operator with 8-10+ years in operational roles at the senior level in a startup (ideally venture-backed)
• Data-driven and financially fluent—you’re a spreadsheet wiz, have ample experience managing budgets, forecasting, and optimizing for subscription metrics.
• Someone who thrives in small teams, wears many hats, and wants to build a company that genuinely makes the world better for families.
• A people-first leader who puts individuals first and supports employee growth.
• Highly organized, proactive, and calm under pressure with a love for finding clarity in chaos.
• A person with a true “yes” attitude and willingness to go the extra mile. The words “that’s not my job” are not in your vocabulary
• Exceptional written and oral communication. You communicate well with ease and know how to be direct and kind at the same time
• Incredible integrity, can respect discretion and confidentiality in in all interactions, especially with sensitive matters
• Relentless initiative that lets you thrive working independently and see steps ahead at all times
• An optimist who brings positivity to the room, even when things are challenging
• A strict moral compass with an ethical, kind and inclusive way of interacting with others

Additional things that will be very useful on the job:

• Deep knowledge of subscription businesses
• Experience working with kids, family or brands whose core customer is a mother is a plus
• A robust business network in the startup ecosystem
• Experience leading companies through venture capital fundraising

More About Us

We’re a small team of passionate, experienced creators based in Toronto. We love dogs, music, travel, video games, kids, cooking, yoga, building robots, going to museums, talking about things we’re watching right now and playing with old toys. We’re from all walks of life and are convinced that’s our secret sauce. We’re a mom-founded company, too!

Some awesome things about this role:

• You’ll have the unique opportunity to build, grow and make your mark joining a fast-growing start-up early on.
• Work from our beautiful brick-and-beam office in the downtown core within walking distance to the Eaton Centre, St. Lawrence Market and Union Station.
• Enjoy flexible working hours and arrangements, including working from home.
• We offer 5 weeks of paid vacation, because life outside of work matters!
• Competitive compensation including health benefits
• We love field trips and like to go playtest with kids in our community, go on fact-finding trips for toy research, and learn about cool stuff at science centres, museums and toy stores. We have no fun at all.

How to apply:

Email our CEO Melissa and tell her something interesting about yourself that we can’t find on your resume. If you include a short video intro, we’ll guarantee she watches it!

Send your resume to jobs@playpokpok.com where a real human will read your application. If we’re interested in moving forward, you’ll get a very enthusiastic message from us to invite you to meet our team and chat more.