***DIRECT URGENT HIRE***AVP of Entertainment System Ops (CA / On-Site)

Traditional in office schedule M-F, No Remote or Hybrid option

The Associate Vice President (AVP) of System Operations provides oversees systems, support, and operational infrastructure serving entertainment industry clients within a PEO environment. This role leads teams of Support Specialists and System Experts, ensuring stable system performance, effective troubleshooting, rigorous system testing, standardized operating procedures, and comprehensive training that support complex entertainment payroll and workforce needs.

The AVP partners closely with executive leadership, technology, compliance, client services, and external vendors to drive operational excellence, mitigate risk, and support growth across entertainment verticals.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide executive oversight for entertainment system operations, including system support, issue resolution, testing, documentation, and training functions.
• Establish scalable service and support models that align with production schedules, touring demands, and episodic employment cycles.
• Define operational priorities, service levels, and performance metrics to ensure reliable, accurate, and compliant system operations.
• Ensure teams are structured to provide timely front‐line support, advanced troubleshooting, and system expertise for high‐volume, time‐sensitive entertainment clients.
• Oversee day‐to‐day and escalated system support for payroll, timekeeping, onboarding, and workforce management platforms.
• Act as an escalation point for critical, high‐impact, or client‐sensitive system incidents.
• Ensure comprehensive system testing strategies are in place, including user acceptance testing (UAT), regression testing, and productio.n readiness validation.
• Partner with Technology and Product teams to validate functionality against entertainment‐specific operational requirements.
• Oversee the creation, maintenance, and governance of standard operating procedures (SOPs) related to system support, payroll processing, exception handling, and compliance workflows.
• Ensure documentation is clear, current, and standardized across entertainment clients and operational teams.
• Ensure system support, testing, and operational processes comply with labor regulations, union/guild requirements, and PEO standards.
• Partner with Compliance, and Internal Audit teams to reduce operational risk and support audits or regulatory reviews.
• Identifies training needs and ensures proper training is developed and provided.
• Oversees the daily workflow of the department.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Deep knowledge of entertainment industry workforce and payroll operations, including film, television, live events, touring, and episodic employment models.
• Strong understanding of PEO operating models, co‐employment structures, and regulatory responsibilities.
• Expertise in enterprise payroll, timekeeping, onboarding, and workforce management systems, including system integrations and data flows.
• Working knowledge of union and guild agreements, complex pay structures, fringes, residuals, and multi‐jurisdictional labor requirements.
• Knowledge of system support operations, incident management frameworks, testing methodologies (UAT, regression), and release readiness practices.
• Advanced problem‐solving and troubleshooting leadership skills, with the ability to assess root causes and drive long‐term solutions.
• Strong system testing and validation leadership, ensuring operational requirements are met prior to production releases.
• Excellent process design and SOP development skills, with an emphasis on standardization, efficiency, and compliance.
• Strong cross‐functional collaboration skills, partnering effectively with Technology, Product, Compliance, Legal, Client Services, and Sales teams.
• Ability to anticipate operational risks related to system changes, compliance requirements, or workforce scale and proactively mitigate them.
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• Ability to translate business and client needs into system, support, and process requirements.
• Ability to lead through change, including system upgrades, regulatory shifts, and organizational growth.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Information Systems, Human Resources, or a related field required; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in system operations, payroll operations, HR technology, or workforce support within a complex, high‐volume environment.
• 5+ years of senior leadership experience managing managers, system experts, and/or support specialists across multi‐tiered support or operational teams.
• Demonstrated experience supporting enterprise payroll, workforce management, timekeeping, or HRIS platforms, including system support, troubleshooting, testing, and production readiness.
• Proven experience leading system support functions, including incident management, root‐cause analysis, escalation handling, and service level management.
• Strong background in system testing and operational readiness, including UAT coordination, regression testing, and validation of system changes prior to release
• Experience developing and maintaining standard operating procedures (SOPs), process documentation, and audit‐ready workflows.
• Experience working with or supporting entertainment industry clients (film, television, live events, touring, or production environments) highly preferred.
• Prior experience within a PEO, payroll service provider, or outsourced HR services organization a plus.