VP, Technical Operations- Live Events

Ansera; Gurnee (IL); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Ansera seeks a Vice President of Technical Operations to lead warehousing, equipment, field staff, and logistics. Reporting to the CTO, this role owns end-to-end accountability for a ~75-person technical operations organization and translates company strategy into safe, efficient execution.

Hybrid position at Boston or Chicago with regular travel to sites. The candidate will drive KPI dashboards, budget planning, and process improvements while fostering safety culture and cross-functional

Qualifications

• 7-10+ years leading audio-visual and rental operations across warehouse, equipment, field ops, and logistics.
• Direct people management of multi-site teams (~50-100+ employees) with budget ownership.
• Strong financial acumen, KPI development, and executive-level communication.

Responsibilities

• Own overall performance of technical operations including warehouse, equipment, and logistics against safety, quality, cost, and service targets.
• Set annual operating plan, staffing, capital needs, and budget for technical ops.
• Build KPIs and dashboards for throughput, uptime, and cost per unit; drive cost-reducing improvements.
• Directly manage senior managers across warehousing, equipment, tech, and logistics; plan succession.
• Oversee onboarding of technicians/engineers and safety culture.
• Lead logistics planning and carrier relationships; scale with growth and cost control.
• Collaborate with CTO and executives on strategy, budgeting, and risk/compliance.

Skills

People management

Operations leadership

Warehouse operations

Logistics management

Budgeting & KPIs

Cross-functional collaboration

Vendor management

Equipment maintenance

Strategic planning

Tools

Equipment rental systems

Staffing management systems

Logistics management systems

Job description

Ansera is looking for a Vice President of Technical Operations to lead the teams and systems that keep our physical operations running - warehousing, equipment, technical field staff, and logistics. Reporting to the Chief Technical Officer, this leader will own end-to-end accountability for a technical operations organization of roughly 75 people, translating company strategy into safe, efficient, and reliable day-to-day execution. This is a step-up opportunity for a strong operations leader ready to take on a full P&L-adjacent, multi-function leadership role and build lasting processes, not just manage them.

This is a hybrid position based either at Ansera Boston or Chicago with regular travel to warehouse and field sites. We are seeking an operations leader with 7+ years of experience in audio-visual and lighting rental environments. In this role, you will oversee end-to-end operations across warehouse distribution, technical field operations, and logistics while providing direct people management to drive team success.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Own overall performance of technical operations - warehouse management, equipment operations, technician/engineering teams, and logistics - against safety, quality, cost, and service-level targets.
• Set and drive the annual operating plan for technical operations, including staffing levels, capital and equipment needs, and budget.
• Build and track KPIs/dashboards that give the CTO and executive team visibility into throughput, uptime, cost per unit, and service reliability.
• Identify and lead process improvement and automation initiatives that reduce cost and improve reliability across sites.

People & Team Management

• Directly manage a leadership team of warehouse, equipment, technical, and logistics managers; provide coaching, performance management, and succession planning for a ~75-person organization.
• Establish staffing plans, training programs, and career paths for technicians and engineers to build bench strength and reduce turnover.
• Champion a strong safety culture across warehouse floors, equipment operations, and field/logistics work.

Warehouse & Equipment Operations

• Oversee warehouse operations, including inventory accuracy, space utilization, receiving/shipping workflows, and warehouse management systems.
• Set standards and oversight for equipment operations, including preventive maintenance programs, uptime targets, and lifecycle/capital replacement planning.
• Partner with procurement/finance on equipment purchasing, vendor management, and total cost of ownership decisions.

Logistics

• Own logistics planning and execution, including carrier/vendor relationships, routing, and on-time delivery performance.
• Ensure logistics operations scale with business growth while controlling cost per shipment/mile.

Cross-Functional & Strategic

• Partner closely with the CTO and other executive leaders to align technical operations with broader company strategy and technology roadmap.
• Represent technical operations in company-wide planning, budgeting, and risk/compliance discussions.
• Evaluate and recommend new tools, systems, or vendors that improve operational visibility and efficiency.

Qualifications

• 7-10+ years of experience in audio visual, lighting, and rental operations spanning warehouse/distribution, equipment or technical field operations, and logistics, including direct people management.
• Proven track record managing multi-function or multi-site teams of comparable size (~50-100+ employees).
• Strong operational and financial acumen - comfortable owning a budget, building KPIs, and reporting results to executive leadership.
• Experience managing technicians/engineers and equipment-heavy operations; familiarity with maintenance programs and equipment lifecycle management is a plus.
• Working knowledge of equipment rental systems, staffing management systems, logistics/transportation management systems, and general operational technology.
• Demonstrated ability to build and scale processes, not just run existing ones - this role is a step up to VP-level ownership.
• Strong communication skills, with experience presenting to and partnering with senior/executive leadership.