Location: Pleasant Grove, UT
Company: Laurel Innovations, Inc.
About Laurel Innovations
Laurel is a fast-growing, AI-driven timing and tracking platform used by more than 220 races and 350,000 athletes, including Motiv US, the Boston 10K for Women, and the Houston Half. Instead of big, bulky timing mats, Laurel uses patent-pending micro-checkpoints placed as frequently as every quarter mile to track athletes with far greater accuracy. This gives spectators better live tracking and instant AI-driven race recaps, and gives race directors true course visibility—real-time insight into athlete location, elite-pack and lead-group surges, where the field is thinning, and when an athlete has stopped moving. Laurel’s Command Center adds Back-of-Pack monitoring, non-moving alerts, and critical safety insights, all while helping events operate at a lower overall cost.
Role Summary:
The Director of Operations leads all operational functions at Laurel Innovations, overseeing event delivery, staffing, hiring, project management, client satisfaction, and the execution of Laurel’s timing and technology services across 220+ partner races nationwide. This role is accountable for operational excellence, scalable processes, team performance, and Laurel’s #1 KPI: client satisfaction and NPS.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership
● Own the full operations lifecycle for all Laurel-timed and technology-supported events – from planning to race-day execution to post-event reporting.
● Establish and refine systems, SOPs, and workflows to ensure consistent, scalable, best-in-class service delivery across all events.
Team Management & Staffing
● Oversee, develop, and mentor the Operations Team, including Project Managers, On-Site Leads, and Timing Staff.
● Lead hiring, onboarding, and training programs to build a deep and reliable roster of timing professionals.
● Manage labor assignments for all events, ensuring proper staffing levels, equitable workloads, and optimal resource allocation.
Project Management Oversight
● Directly supervise Project Managers and Timers to ensure timelines, deliverables, setup needs, and client expectations are met.
● Implement project management tools and processes to drive accountability and visibility.
Client Experience & NPS
● Serve as the operational point of escalation for our largest partners and marquee events.
● Monitor client feedback and proactively address issues to maintain Laurel’s industry-leading reputation.
● Drive improvement plans in response to client NPS, feedback, and operational reviews.
Cross-Functional Coordination
● Collaborate with Engineering and Product teams to test, roll out, and operationalize new Laurel AI and timing features.
● Work closely with Sales, Finance, Executive Leadership to support pre-sales scoping, proposals, and post-sale implementation.
Operational & Financial Performance
● Own the operations budget, event labor forecasting, equipment allocation, and vendor relationships.
● Identify inefficiencies and drive continuous improvement initiatives to streamline operations and reduce costs.
Primary KPIs
● Client NPS Score (North Star Metric)
● Overall Client Satisfaction & Retention
● On-Time Delivery of Project Milestones and Deployments
● Staffing Readiness & Labor Utilization Efficiency
Ideal Candidate
● 5–10+ years of operations leadership experience, ideally in endurance sports, live events, logistics, SaaS, or technology-enabled services.
● Proven experience scaling teams, implementing systems, and driving process improvements.
● Exceptional communicator, problem-solver, and leader who thrives in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment.
● Passion for endurance sports and building industry-defining race technology is a strong plus.
Benefits
● 401(k) 4% Match
● Travel reimbursement
● Employee stock purchase plan
● 401(k)
● 401(k) matching
● Paid time off
● Employee discount
Work Location: In person