HQ: Vice President of Operations

When you join the Pure Earth team, you will have the opportunity to make a profound impact on global health. We offer a collaborative work environment, opportunities for professional growth, and the chance to lead innovative research initiatives that protect the most vulnerable populations.

Pure Earth’s core strength is its team of nearly 100 passionate, skilled professionals working through nine offices across the globe. This team includes a diversity of professional expertise that spans the fields of medicine, engineering, toxicology, public health, behavioral and social sciences, communications, administration, and a host of other relevant disciplines.

Pure Earth ((Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).) is a global leader in improving public health and development outcomes by reducing exposure to lead and other toxic pollutants. We work closely with governments to embed evidence‑based, sustainable solutions into public systems at the national scale. By translating data into action and pairing technical expertise with local partnerships, Pure Earth designs and delivers practical interventions that reduce pollution and poisoning risks, strengthen public response systems, and support long‑term health and economic progress.

The Vice President of Operations is a senior leader responsible for driving operational excellence across Pure Earth’s global footprint. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this role translates organizational strategy into scalable, efficient, and compliant operational systems that enable program delivery and growth. The VP of Operations leads the design and continuous improvement of global operations, ensuring alignment across regions, functions, and strategic priorities.

As a key member of the senior leadership team, the VP serves as a strategic partner to the COO and a primary integrator across operational functions, country offices and Pure Earth global departments, ensuring that systems, processes, and organizational capabilities effectively support program impact at scale.

This role holds defined decision‑making authority across various operational functions (legal, IT/Tech, administration, operations, facilities management), including risk management, developing budget, financial approvals, and contracts (within established organizational thresholds). This role also has a leadership role in department strategy and activity planning, as well as a robust role in day‑to‑day project management and implementation of department activities.

This role currently leads a small but agile team, including:

• Operations Officer / Office Manager
• Digital Workspace Manager
• Director of Legal & Risk / General Counsel

• Own and continuously improve Pure Earth’s global operations to support strategic priorities and expansion
• Translate organizational strategy into multi‑year and annual operational roadmaps and execution frameworks
• Establish and drive organization‑wide performance management systems (KPIs, dashboards, and accountability mechanisms)
• Drive cross‑functional alignment across programs, regions, and support functions
• Play an active role in senior leadership forums, shaping organization‑wide decision‑making, strengthening cross‑functional feedback loops, and driving organizational change initiatives and strategic planning and prioritization
• Advise leadership on operational and budgetary implications of strategic operational decisions
• Lead operational planning, project implementation and readiness for geographic expansion and program growth in close collaboration with Program leadership.
• Drive initiatives to improve efficiency, cost‑effectiveness, and delivery performance
• Drive Operations department impact and performance and report the same to Leadership

• Approve and sign contracts above defined thresholds and in accordance with approved budgets, including vendors, consultants, contractors and sub‑grantees
• Approve financial transactions (POs) for Operations Department in line with internal controls and delegated authority and approved budgets
• Develop and manage the Operations department annual budget and support…