Director of Operations

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are looking for someone to be the operational second in command at Provato Marketing. You are the person who brings obsessive attention to detail, operational discipline, and execution precision to complement a high-energy, relationship-driven, big-picture Persuader CEO. You are not a support function. You are a co-leader who owns the operations side of the business while the CEO owns brand, sales, strategy, and relationships.

You will build systems from a blank page, do hands-on work in early months, and scale the operation and team as the client base grows. The platform is already built. Launch clients are committed. Capital is in place. Your job: bring the structure, discipline, and execution that turns a vision into a durable, profitable firm - with the urgency and ownership a startup demands. You are the detail anchor. The CEO is the visionary. Together, you are unstoppable.

ABOUT PROVATO

Provato is a fractional CMO and marketing operations firm for founder-led companies that have been burned by agencies. We are not an agency. We are the marketing operator inside the founder's business - we lead strategy, execute the work, and train your team so you eventually own it.

Co-founded by the CEO Hollembaek (CEO) and backed by SteelPoint Capital Holdings, a Pittsburgh-based private investment platform with $120M in assets across six companies. Provato sits inside the SteelPoint Portfolio Council, which means real backing, a built-in client base, and an ecosystem most marketing firms never have. Publicly launched May 28, 2026. Five SteelPoint ecosystem companies already contracted at launch ($25K/month combined revenue). Learn more at getprovato.com

What We Do

• Service: Fractional CMO leadership marketing operations
• Who we serve: Founder-led companies, $500K-$5M revenue, up to 50 employees
• Model: Marketing Audit, Setup Engagements (Brand Build, Structure Setup, CRM Build-Out), and three retainer tiers (Builder, Operator, Studio)
• Structure: Fully remote, nationwide. EOS-run. Portfolio Council member of SteelPoint Capital Holdings.

WHAT YOU'LL OWN

Operations & Systems

Build the operating infrastructure from scratch: client onboarding playbook, project management system, delivery workflows, time and capacity tracking, reporting cadence, and processes that let a small team punch far above its weight. You own how the work gets done. Every detail matters because details compound.

Client Fulfillment (Hands-On, Early Stage)

In early months, you don't just manage the work, you do the work. You sit on internal client engagements, execute deliverables, keep commitments moving. As the firm scales, this transitions to fractional CMO contractors and execution staff, and your role becomes pure operations. Wearing multiple hats is the job, not a temporary inconvenience.

Fractional CMO Bench Recruiting & Management

Provato scales through a network of senior fractional CMO contractors (7-10 years marketing experience, prior CMO/VP Marketing background). You own the recruiting, vetting, onboarding, and matching of that bench. This is one of the highest-leverage things you will build. You are responsible for finding, training, and deploying the senior marketing talent that lets Provato grow without bloating fixed cost.

Onboarding & Delivery Quality

Own the client onboarding playbook and delivery standard. Every client should feel the same level of senior, in-the-room attention regardless of which tier they're on or who is assigned. You build and enforce that consistency. Clients should never feel like they're working with an agency; they should feel like Provato is a partner with skin in the game. This is your obsession.

Vendor, Tools & Back-Office Coordination

Manage the firm's tool stack, software, and outsourced vendors (including the paid media specialists we oversee on behalf of clients - Provato does not run ads in-house). Coordinate with SteelPoint back office on accounting, billing, and reporting. Ensure all systems support scalability and profitability.

Reporting & The Scorecard

Build and run the company scorecard. Track metrics that matter: utilization (are fractional CMOs booked?), client health (NPS, churn risk, engagement), delivery on time, capacity, and profitability. Surface issues before they reach the CEO. Live in the numbers and own the narrative. You are the measurement system.

THE PARTNERSHIP

The CEO is a Persuader. She leads vision, drives sales, builds relationships, moves fast, and makes big strategic bets. She is energized by people, culture, and growth. You are her operational complement. You bring detail obsession, process discipline, and execution precision. The CEO sets the direction. You make sure every detail of the execution is done right. She has your back. You have hers. This is a genuine partnership where both people are equally essential.

You are not here to slow her down or ask permission. You are here to enable her vision by making sure everything is built to last. You will have disagreements - healthy ones. You push back with clarity and data, not ego. You understand that her speed and your precision make each other better.

WHO YOU'LL WORK WITH

• Danielle Hollembaek (Co-Founder & CEO): Your direct manager and partner. Runs Provato as Integrator. High-energy, relationship-first, moves fast. Will give you operating authority and get out of your way. You are her second. She trusts you completely.
• Casey Quinn (SteelPoint): Platform leadership. Engages primarily through Portfolio Council. Visionary investor in Provato.
• Executive VA: Peer/shared resource. Transfers in with the CEO. Handles scheduling, content support, organization.
• Fractional CMO Contractors: You recruit & manage them. The senior delivery bench you will build and scale.
• SteelPoint Portfolio Company Leaders: Internal clients. Five companies on contract at launch. Your first delivery relationships. Set the standard.
• SteelPoint Back Office / CFO Function: Coordination. Accounting, billing, allocation, reporting support.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

You are not just an operations person. You are an operational leader who thrives in ambiguity, loves building from nothing, and understands that the details ARE the strategy. You complement a Persuader perfectly because you don't need the spotlight - you need the satisfaction of knowing every detail is right.

Essential Traits

• Operational builder: You've stood up systems, processes, and workflows from scratch, not just maintained someone else's. You know what it takes to turn nothing into a working machine.
• Obsessively detail-oriented: Process obsessed. Organized. Follow-through obsessed. You make sure things get done, on time, to standard. You don't let things slip. Details are not constraints to you - they are the foundation of excellence.
• AI-native: You already use AI to run your work and you push the people around you to use it. This is current practice, not a future ambition.
• Comfortable doing the work: Early on this is a roll-up-your-sleeves fulfillment role as much as operations. You are not above the work.
• Remote-disciplined: You have worked remotely effectively, manage your own time, and communicate proactively without being managed.
• Complement to a Persuader CEO: The CEO is high-energy, relationship-first, moves fast. You bring structure and detail underneath that. You push back with clarity, not ego. You understand that your job is to make her vision actually happen.
• EOS believer: You have run EOS or are a true believer willing to operate within it. You understand the power of clear systems and metrics.
• Marketing services or agency operations background: Strong plus. You understand how client work gets scoped, delivered, and kept profitable. You know how to scale a services delivery model without bloating costs.

Experience

5-10 years of progressive operations, agency operations, client delivery, or professional-services management experience in a marketing-related field or business. Title matters less than track record. Someone who has been operating above their title in a fast-moving environment is absolutely worth a conversation.

WHY JOIN PROVATO

• Ground Floor: You are the first hire and you build the operating machine of the company from day one.
• Real Ownership: Genuine authority over how the firm runs, from day one. The CEO wants to focus on brand, sales, and client strategy. She will give you operating authority and get out of your way.
• De-Risked Startup: Backed by an established private equity platform with five committed clients and capital in place at launch. Startup upside without the cold-start risk.
• Clear Growth Path: As Provato scales, the operations function and team scale under you. Growth into VP Operations / COO role within 2-3 years is realistic.
• AI is Already the Strategy: You will help define what an AI-native marketing operation looks like. Build future-ready systems, not legacy processes.
• Fully Remote: Work from anywhere, judged on output and delivery.
• Compensation with Upside: $90K-$110K base salary annual performance bonus tied to firm performance and operational milestones (utilization, client retention, profitability). This is a floor, not a ceiling. Compensation structure grows with the firm.

CORE VALUES

• Let's Go!: Action, action, action. Progress over perfection. Focus on priorities.
• Extreme Ownership: Say it, do it. Learn fast, fix faster. Results matter, always.
• We Got Your Back: 1+1 > 2. Serve instead of being served. Thoughtfully challenge.
• Lead with Heart: Respect, care, and compassion. Authentic and genuine. Contagious positivity.

CONTACT

Danielle Hollembaek - Co-Founder & CEO, Provato Marketing

Please introduce yourself with a brief note on your background, what draws you to this role, and the best way to reach you. We move quickly with the right people.

You WILL NOT be able to interview for this position until you take the Predictive Index. It will be emailed to you after we review your resume and reach out to schedule an interview.