Vice President of Operations and Legal

Before applying for this role, please read the following information about this opportunity found below.

About Hearth

Hearth exists because 50-80% of small businesses in the trades (Roofers, Plumbers, etc.) fail within their first five years.

Our mission is to change that forever, and empower small business contractors to build and grow successful companies.

In the last few years, we’ve built an all-in-one platform that helps SMBs grow sales, protect profits, and save time. With over 10,000 customers, Hearth is a vertical SaaS platform powered by a financial services layer that is currently powering billions in home improvement projects.

We are growing, profitable in our base case, and are working to disrupt a fragmented, underserved, $600B market.

Backed by the same investors as SpaceX, Stripe, Palantir, Airbnb, Rippling, Affirm, Brex, and OpenAI (Founders Fund, 8VC, Human Capital), we aim to protect small business entrepreneurship in America, redefine what is possible in running a trades business in today’s rapidly changing world, and bring forth a future where every small business owner in the trades can succeed, despite not having a fancy pedigree, special connections, or access to deep pockets.

The Opportunity

We're seeking a strategic, detail-oriented leader to become our Vice President of Operations and Legal. This role is crucial for our next phase of growth and offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of Hearth.

It serves as an excellent training ground for those with COO aspirations.

Your Mission

Inflect Hearth’s growth by transforming operations into a scalable, efficient machine while safeguarding our legal interests.

You'll directly create leverage for the CEO and senior leadership by :

• Leading & optimizing core functions : HR, Talent Acquisition, IT, Compliance, and Legal
• Driving company-wide operational excellence
• Serving as our primary legal expert and strategist

What You'll Do

Operational Leadership

• Build, lead, and manage high-performing teams across HR, Talent Acquisition, IT, Compliance, and Legal
• Develop and implement strategies to boost efficiency and effectiveness across these departments in the mission of supporting the larger business
• Ensure seamless integration and collaboration between different operational units and the broader business
• Manage budgets, resource allocation, and strategic planning for these departments
• Spearhead cross-functional initiatives to enhance company-wide operations and processes
• Develop and monitor KPIs to measure and improve operational performance
• Drive a culture of operational excellence and execution

Legal Strategy & Execution

• Serve as the primary in-house legal expert, providing guidance on employment law, contracts, risk management, and regulatory compliance
• Develop and implement scalable legal processes and procedures to minimize external legal costs
• Handle key legal matters internally and hire additional legal support as needed
• Provide expertise on employment law to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations
• Advise on employee relations and risk mitigation strategies
• Manage key vendor relationships, contract negotiations, and legal documentation
• Ensure company-wide compliance with all relevant laws and regulations

Business Operations (BizOps)

• Lead business operations initiatives that impact performance, culture, and employee experience
• Collaborate with leadership on change management and strategic planning
• Develop and execute strategic initiatives that drive business growth and operational improvements
• Implement best practices and standardized procedures to increase productivity and reduce costs
• Align operational strategies with overall business goals
• Work closely with the CEO to identify and execute on strategic opportunities

Who you are

You are a natural problem-solver with a unique blend of legal acumen and operational excellence. You thrive in dynamic environments and are passionate about building scalable infrastructure for high-growth companies.

Experience & Skills

• JD with 7-10 years of experience across legal, compliance, and business operations roles
• Strong knowledge of employment law and regulatory compliance, particularly in high-growth environments
• Proven track record in BizOps, focusing on efficiency, scaling operations, and leading cross-functional projects
• Experience building and managing legal processes that reduce external costs
• Familiarity with HR and Recruiting operations
• Exceptional leadership, organizational, and communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to manage confidential and sensitive information with discretion
• Experience in a fast-paced, scaling startup or similar high-growth environment

Personal Characteristics

• Meticulous and strategic thinker with strong attention to detail
• Passionate about operational excellence and process improvement
• Natural leader focused on building and developing high-performing teams
• Resilient and adaptable, able to thrive in a dynamic and fast-changing environment
• Proactive approach to identifying risks and solving operational bottlenecks

Why This Role Matters

As VP of Operations and Legal, you'll be the linchpin in Hearth's growth strategy. Your ability to optimize our operations and navigate legal complexities will directly impact our mission to empower small business owners in the trades.

You'll play a crucial role in scaling our operational capabilities to match our business expansion, ensuring that our internal processes and structures evolve efficiently as we grow.

This role offers the opportunity to have a significant impact on a steadily growing business, combining legal expertise with operational leadership.

If you're ready to make a substantial difference and grow with a dynamic company that's changing the landscape for small businesses in the trades, we want to hear from you.

Our Core Values

• Truth. We value honesty and data. We seek to understand what is reality, so we can effectively respond to it.
• Slope. Rate of change over time. We hire and reward based on a team member’s potential, capacity, and growth-mindset, rather than a fancy resume.
• Mutual Benefit. The best outcomes happen when everyone wins - customers, team members, and the company. We seek to understand each other’s aspirations and create alignment to get there.
• Competitive Greatness. We desire an opportunity and environment from which to pull the greatest versions of ourselves out into the world, rather than just a job .

Location

This role will be located in NYC along with the rest of the technical Hearth team, the CEO, and other key roles in the business.

Hearth believes in the energy, connection, and serendipity of in-person / hybrid work culture (3+ days / week) for builders who are committed to building innovative software and making a significant positive impact in the world.

Benefits

• Mission-driven, values-based culture.
• Competitive pay.
• Unmatched opportunities to learn and develop; front-row seat at a fast-growing tech startup
• Unlimited PTO, plus paid company holidays.
• Meaningful equity
• Medical, dental, and vision options.
• 401(k)
• Free Employee Assistance Program
• Parental Leave Program
• Pet Insurance

More About Us

Hearth embraces diversity. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and do not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, citizenship, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

We consider employment for qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Pay Range

The pay range for this role is : 200,000 - 250,000 USD per year (New York)

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