Director of Operations

Key Responsibilities

• Lead recruiting for all Philippine engineering roles from entry to senior level.
• Assess candidates on culture fit and behavioral alignment with Rocket's core values. Curiosity, Initiative, Follow Through, and Growth — not on technical aptitude. Technical assessment is owned by engineering leadership.
• Build and sustain a talent pipeline to support growth from 30 to 40+ engineers.
• Partner with the HR Manager on offer structures, onboarding, and Philippine labor law compliance.
• Serve as the primary cultural anchor for 30+ engineers across experience levels.
• Motivate, influence, and retain entry-level, junior, and senior developers through direct presence and relationship, not through hierarchy.
• Identify team morale and engagement issues early and resolve them before they affect delivery or retention.
• Maintain a working environment aligned with Rocket's values and the expectations of a US-headquartered professional services firm.
• Provide leadership and decision-making support to the HR Manager and Finance Manager, who handle execution of their respective functions.
• Maintain oversight of payroll, benefits, compliance, and facilities for a 40+ person engineering office.
• Ensure operational infrastructure scales appropriately as the team grows.
• Maintain visibility into project delivery performance across Manila-based engineering teams.
• Collaborate with the CIO to make decisions on team augmentation, restructuring, or resource allocation when delivery optimization is required.
• This is a strategic oversight function, not day-to-day project management. Project delivery accountability sits with engineering leadership.
• Represent Rocket Partners professionally in client-facing and business development contexts.
• Interface with CTOs, CMOs, and CEOs of client and prospect organizations on behalf of Rocket.
• Support APAC business development initiatives by leveraging the Manila office presence for regional engagement and RFP participation.

Required Experience and Qualifications

• 8 or more years of progressive leadership experience, with at least 3 years in a general management, country management, or office leadership role.
• Prior experience in at least one of the following: offshore technology delivery center management, BPO operations leadership, technology consulting, or enterprise SaaS operations.
• Demonstrated track record of building and scaling teams in a high-growth technology environment.
• Meaningful professional exposure to western executive stakeholders — US, UK, or Australian — including direct interfacing at the C-suite level.
• Proven ability to recruit for culture and behavioral fit, not just technical credentials.
• Working knowledge of Philippine labor law, HR compliance, and local business regulations.
• Strong command of business financials at the office or cost-center level.
• Availability to work second shift hours: 2:00 PM to 11:00 PM Philippine time. This schedule aligns with US business hours and is a firm requirement of the role. Work-from-home flexibility of 1 to 2 days per week is available at the Director’s discretion.