VP, Operator Selection & Experience

American Operator is hiring a VP, Operator Selection & Experience to build the network and development platform for exceptional leaders who want to become CEOs and owners of small businesses.

This role owns the full operator lifecycle: attracting and selecting outstanding leaders, preparing them for ownership, matching them with the right businesses, and supporting their success after placement. The mandate is broader than recruiting, it is to make the American Operator network a differentiated source of talent, community, and long-term value creation.

The ideal candidate is a strategic talent leader and hands-on builder with experience across executive talent, leadership development, and private-equity-backed businesses. This role will report to the CEO.

• Define American Operator’s operator talent strategy, aligned with its investment pipeline, industries, and geographies.

• Build and engage a high-quality operator network before specific acquisition needs arise.

• Own operator selection and matching, including success profiles, assessments, interviews, references, and final recommendations.

• Create a compelling experience and value proposition for prospective, qualified, and placed operators.

• Build pre-placement education, onboarding, and ongoing development programs, including peer learning, mentorship, and coaching.

• Partner with the investment and operating teams to support operator transitions, first-100-day plans, and long-term success.

• Track the health of the operator platform through measures such as bench quality, engagement, match quality, retention, and post-placement outcomes.

• Lead a small team while remaining personally involved with priority operators and critical selection decisions.

• 8 years in executive talent, leadership development, talent strategy, private-equity portfolio support, or a related field.

• Experience building a talent, leadership, or executive network, not only executing searches.

• Strong judgment in executive assessment, matching, and leadership transitions.

• Experience supporting leaders through onboarding, development, coaching, or peer programming.

• Strong business and financial acumen; familiarity with M&A and private-equity value creation is preferred.

• Executive presence and the ability to build trust with investors, business owners, and senior operators.

• A builder’s mindset and the ability to move between strategy and hands-on execution.

The anticipated base salary range for this position is listed below. Total compensation may also include a discretionary performance-based bonus and equity. Please note that compensation is determined based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, education, skills, and other qualifications specific to the role.

$150K - $200K

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance, a company-matched 401(k), unlimited PTO, paid holidays, and paid parental leave.

American Operator exists because we believe the American Dream is worth protecting, and that small businesses are the backbone of our communities. To do this well, we need a team that reflects the real world: operators, builders, investors, and problem-solvers from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.

We know that diversity of thought, discipline, and lived experience leads to better decisions and stronger businesses. We’re intentional about bringing together people who care deeply about ownership, stewardship, and keeping great companies in capable hands. Our work depends on collaboration, humility, and a shared belief in the value of Main Street.

We’re a team shaped by different industries, hometowns, and career paths, and we believe those differences are exactly what prepare us to serve small-business owners and future CEOs across the country.

Every company claims to be mission-driven, but our mission is simple, tangible, and urgent: preserve the legacy of America’s small businesses and create more pathways to meaningful ownership.

We partner with operators who want to step into leadership, take responsibility for great companies, and continue the work that founders spent decades building. When we succeed, communities keep their employers, families keep their livelihoods, and operators get the chance to build wealth through real ownership.

We work hard because we know what’s at stake: generational businesses that deserve to thrive, and talented operators who deserve the chance to lead them. And while we measure our success in deals closed and businesses grown, the real reward is seeing these companies continue to serve their people and their towns, stronger than before.

Where else do you get the opportunity to help someone become a CEO, preserve a founder’s life’s work, and strengthen a community, all in the same job? That’s what makes our work both serious and incredibly fulfilling.