Forward Deployed Operations

Description
The Forward Deployed Operations leader serves as a hands-on operator embedded across Shield’s portfolio companies, owning P&L performance and driving revenue growth, margin expansion, and overall operational improvement. This role partners closely with corporate finance and local leadership to manage forecasts, budgets, and key performance drivers, while identifying and executing on strategic growth opportunities such as sales enablement, service expansion, and efficiency gains.
Acting as a central point of contact, they support new company onboarding, lead cross-functional initiatives, and drive adoption of Shield’s technology and AI platform. With a strong bias toward action, this individual leverages data, automation, and modern tools to solve problems directly, while building strong relationships, driving accountability, and leading change within established organizations.

Strong preference for candidates based in the New York City or San Francisco area, with regular onsite office presence. This role requires frequent travel of up to 50%.

In addition to the posted base salary, this role is eligible for a target annual bonus and equity participation.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Performance

• Own the P&L for your Shield Companies. Deliver revenue growth, margin expansion, and EBITDA improvement.

• Partner with corporate finance and ShieldCo leadership on monthly financial tracking, budget and target setting, and ongoing business performance management.

• Develop a deep understanding of what's driving performance in each business: recurring revenue trends, client retention, utilization, and pipeline health.

• Manage forecasts and budgets in partnership with corporate finance. Hold ShieldCos accountable to them.

Strategic Growth & Operational Improvement

• Identify and execute on growth levers across ShieldCos: sales enablement, new service lines, cross-sell opportunities, and operational efficiency. Implement revenue playbook from Shield corporate,

• Standardize processes where it creates leverage, improves visibility to key metrics, and smooths adoption of Shield’s AI platform. Protect what's working at the local level.

• Support new ShieldCo onboarding — serve as a central operational point of contact and coordinate across internal teams to ensure a smooth integration.

• Identify and drive Shield-wide initiatives that create leverage across the portfolio.

Technology & Innovation

• Drive adoption and integration of Shield's AI platform across companies.

• Build solutions independently using modern tools (AI, automation, low-code/no-code) — not just coordinate with a technical team.

• Use data and technology as a primary operating lever, not a support function.

Organizational Leadership

• Serve as the primary relationship and operational point of contact for ShieldCo leaders.

• Drive change management in organizations with established cultures and long-tenured teams.

• Set and coach performance standards in partnership with ShieldCo leadership.

• Coordinate centralized resources — technology, growth, finance & accounting, HR — to support ShieldCo needs.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

Operator background. You've run P&Ls and managed teams in multi-site or multi-unit environments. You know how these businesses work from the inside.
Grit and resilience. You thrive in ambiguity, push through when things get hard, and don't wait to be told what to do.
Financial fluency. You understand how a P&L works and where to find the levers — margin, retention, utilization, pricing.
Growth track record. You've driven measurable revenue or operational improvement in the businesses you've been responsible for.
Strong relationships, high standards. You hold people accountable without burning bridges.
Clear communicator. You can move between a ShieldCo GM and a CFO and adjust accordingly.
Technologist mindset. Not an engineer, but someone who picks up tools like AI assistants and automation platforms, works closely with a tech team, and uses technology to solve problems firsthand.

About Shield

Shield Technology Partners is a national IT Services platform formed through the collaboration between Thrive Holdings and ZBS Partners. By combining Thrive Holdings’ technological expertise with ZBS Partners’ proven approach to supporting founder-led businesses, Shield Technology Partners is dedicated to accelerating growth, innovation and long-term value creation for IT services companies across the country.