Head of Strategy and Operations (New York)

About Joyage

Joyage is an ultra-luxury travel agency that creates bespoke itineraries for high-end clientele who seek experiences, not just travel. Our globetrotting clients turn to us because they know we can take their adventure to the next level through carefully curated, high-touch, authentic experiences and accommodations unavailable to the general set of luxury travelers. We focus on cultivating a group of contacts that can create true exclusivity for UHNWIs and cater to every whim, allowing for the kind of flexibility in travel our clients are used to in their day-to-day lives.

At Joyage, we understand that our clients seek more than just luxurious accommodations. They

crave excellent service, insider experiences, and genuine connections. That's why we take pride in personally visiting many of the destinations our clients travel to, viewing them through the same ultra-discerning lens. This unique approach allows us to provide first-hand recommendations, a personal touch that goes a long way in building trust with our clients.

Beyond our standard offerings, we thrive on requests for large, complex trips. Whether it's a 50-person family retreat in the Caribbean or a large group of friends on a journey to a lesser-known part of Asia, we have the expertise to handle it all. 

As the business has grown significantly, we are looking for a strategic and operationally minded leader to serve as a true right hand — helping drive business strategy, build scalable systems, and keep the engine running smoothly as we continue to scale.

About the role

The Head of Operations lead will serve as the founder's strategic partner and operational backbone. They will own the systems, processes, and day-to-day coordination that keep a high-growth travel advisory running at its best. This is a hybrid role that blends strategic thinking with hands-on execution: one day you might be analyzing business performance and identifying growth opportunities, and the next you're building a workflow, coordinating with suppliers, or ensuring a seamless client experience.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives at the intersection of strategy and operations, is energized by building structure in a fast-moving environment, and wants to make a meaningful impact on a growing business.

Responsibilities

Strategy & Business Operations

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to Founder on business planning, growth initiatives, and key decisions
• Lead the end-to-end build-out of new business segments and verticals, from initial opportunity assessment and business case development through budgeting, planning, and hands-on launch execution.
• Analyze business performance (revenue trends, client pipeline, conversion, and operational efficiency), and surface insights and recommendations
• Identify opportunities to improve workflows, reduce friction, and scale the business sustainably
• Own internal project management: maintain trackers, manage priorities, and keep initiatives moving forward
• Research and implement tools and systems (including AI) to increase efficiency across the business

Client Experience & Communications

• Evaluate client experience to ensure a seamless, high-touch client experience from inquiry through post-trip follow-up
• Streamline the management of CRM data and maintenance of accurate, up-to-date client records and documentation

Operational Coordination

• Design, implement, and continuously improve internal workflows, SOPs, and operational systems
• Own the operational calendar ensuring deadlines, follow-ups, and milestones are tracked and met
• Manage vendor and supplier relationships, including rate checks, reconfirmations, and contract follow-ups
• Maintain organized records of bookings, communications, and partner materials
• Coordinate across team members, partners, and clients to ensure timely and clear communication

Team & Administrative Support

• Support Founder in managing and coordinating any team members, contractors, or assistants as the business scales
• Lead team syncs, maintain internal trackers, and flag urgent client updates or operational issues
• Support marketing efforts as needed (social media coordination, email campaigns, content planning)
• Manage administrative tasks: scheduling, expense tracking, vendor communications
• Maintain discretion and professionalism with sensitive financial and client information

Qualifications

Required

• 5-7 years of experience in strategy, project management, chief of staff, or a similar role (preferably in a high-service or client-facing business)
• Strong strategic thinking combined with a willingness to roll up your sleeves on execution
• Exceptional organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to draft polished, on-brand client-facing correspondence
• Strong interpersonal and people skills — you build trust quickly and work well across different personalities
• AI fluency — you actively use AI tools (Claude Code, automation platforms, etc.) in your daily work and are excited to leverage technology for efficiency
• Proven ability to build workflows, SOPs, and systems from scratch and improve existing ones
• Experience launching new business lines, products, or ventures from 0-to-1 (startup, corporate innovation, or consulting background all fit well)
• Strong business case development and financial modeling skills (P&L thinking, budgeting, ROI analysis)
• Strategic thinking paired with willingness to execute tactically (this role isn't just strategy — it's building and launching)
• Comfort operating with ambiguity — able to define scope and process where none exists yet
• Discretion and professionalism with confidential client and financial information

Preferred

• Experience in the travel industry, hospitality, a family office, or a luxury services business
• Familiarity with travel booking platforms, supplier networks, and the luxury travel ecosystem
• Background working directly with a founder or business owner in an entrepreneurial environment
• Experience managing or coordinating a small team, even informally

Who You Are

You're the kind of person who sees both the big picture and the details, and can move fluidly between the two. You're proactive, anticipating what's needed before being asked. You're a systems thinker who loves building structure, but you're equally comfortable jumping into the weeds to get things done. You have a genuine interest in travel and understand what it takes to deliver a premium client experience. Most importantly, you bring strategic thinking, strong people skills, a doer mentality and the kind of operational horsepower that lets a creative, client-focused founder do what they do best.