Senior Vice President, Operations (Community Bank)

This is a senior operations leadership role at a small, growing commercial bank in the San Francisco / San Mateo market. The position was recently split from compliance to create dedicated operational leadership and is now an immediate priority. The bank is currently operating without a head of operations, with the CEO covering the function. This role is critical to stabilizing and building the operational infrastructure moving forward.

What you’ll be doing

You will take ownership of the bank’s full operational function, including:

Overseeing day-to-day operations across both front and back office

Managing policies, procedures, and overall operational workflow

Supporting two branch locations and coordinating staff across locations

Overseeing wires, deposit operations, and BSA-related processes

Working closely with leadership to improve execution and efficiency

This is a hands-on role. You will be expected to step in where needed, solve problems directly, and keep the operation moving.

What you’re walking into

A long-tenured team (many employees with 15–30 years at the bank)

Capable staff who understand the business but have not been fully trained or developed

A lack of cross-training and over-reliance on prior leadership for institutional knowledge

An opportunity to build structure, train the team, and create a more scalable operation

This is not a turnkey role. It is a build and stabilize environment.

What they’re looking for

Community bank operations experience (required)

5–10+ years of experience in banking operations

Proven experience managing operations across multiple functions (not siloed)

Strong understanding of:

Deposit operations

Loan operations

Cash management products

Policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements

Player-coach mindset—willing to lead and do the work

Ability to train, develop, and cross-train staff

Comfortable operating in a lean, hands-on environment

What will make you successful

You’ve worked in a small bank where you had to figure things out yourself

You’ve stepped into environments that needed structure and built it

You’re comfortable leading long-tenured teams and improving performance

You don’t rely on large teams or layers of support

What won’t work

Big bank, highly specialized backgrounds

Candidates who haven’t been hands-on in operations

Individuals who prefer structure over building

Why this opportunity

Direct exposure to an experienced leadership team

Opportunity to build and shape the operations function

High visibility role with impact across the bank

Path to a Chief Operations-level position over time

Strong work-life balance relative to larger institutions

Compensation & structure

Base salary around $150K, with flexibility based on experience

SVP-level title

In-office role (San Francisco / San Mateo area)