Director, Analytics & Business Operations

Careers at the World Surf League

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Playa Del Rey- HQ Until 9/20/2026 5+ years exp First posted July 22, 2026 Last posted July 22, 2026
Job description

The Director, Analytics & Business Operations will work closely with the World Surf League executive team to drive strategic initiatives, enhance organizational performance, and support data-informed decision-making across the WSL. This role will serve as a key partner to leadership, translating business priorities into actionable strategies and insights that drive growth and success across the organization. 

The ideal candidate is a highly autonomous, entrepreneurial, and strategic thinker with exceptional problem- solving, communication, leadership, and organizational skills who thrives in a dynamic environment. 

This role will report into the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer and will be based at the WSL Headquarters in Los Angeles, California, in a hybrid working environment with 3 days per week in office (Tuesday - Thursday). 

Responsibilities include (but not limited to):

  • Partner with the executive team and cross functional leaders to drive strategic priorities, develop long-term plans, and lead key initiatives that enhance organizational performance 
  • Develop, manage, and continuously improve the company-wide OKR process, ensuring alignment across departments, clear accountability, measurable outcomes, and consistent progress toward organizational priorities
  • Lead the WSL analytics function and serve as a strategic insight partner to the organization, translating date and complex business questions into actionable insights that inform decision making across product, marketing, partnerships, social media, content, and other key areas
  • Establish and evolve reporting, dashboards, KPIs, and analytical frameworks that provide leadership and cross-functional teams with clear visibility into business performance, audience behavior, operational trends, and opportunities for growth
  • Oversee key third party vendors and external partners, ensuring strong relationships, effective performance management, and alignment with WSL’s business objectives and operations needs 
  • Lead the strategic and operational oversight of WSL’s sports betting and prediction market initiatives, working cross functionally and with external partners to support the development and execution of these programs 
  • Identify opportunities to improve processes, productivity, and organizational effectiveness while working across teams to connect strategy, operations, and analytics and support informed, high impact decision making 

Qualifications & Experience:

  • 5-10 years of relevant experience in strategy, business operations, consulting, analytics, corporate development, IB/PE, or related fields
  • Expert in Microsoft Excel and Powerpoint or Google Suite
  • Demonstrated experience partnering directly with executive leadership
  • Experience building, leading, and developing high-performing teams
  • Strong analytical capabilities with experience translating complex data into actional business insights and executive-level recommendations
  • Experience designing executive dashboards or performance management frameworks
  • Experience managing complex, cross-functional strategic initiatives from concept through implementation
  • Experience managing external vendors, agencies, or strategic partners
  • Exceptional project management and organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize multiple initiatives in a fast-paced environment
  • Working knowledge of SQL and modern data ecosystems is preferred
  • Bachelor’s degree in business, economics, finance, statistics, data science, or a related field

Personal Attributes:

  • Above all, integrity and honesty
  • Entrepreneurial; willingness to work independently with the best business practices in mind
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills, including the ability to influence senior stakeholders and simplify complex topics
  • Incredibly proactive and action-oriented 
  • Enjoys working in a fast-paced environment and willing to take on a challenge
  • A high degree of self-awareness of one’s own personal style, strengths and weaknesses and motivational triggers.
  • Intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm for learning
  • Passion for surfing is a plus

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: equal opportunity employer M/F/D/V

Base Salary Range: $150,000.00 - $175,000.00 based on relevant experience

About this role

Summary

Lead analytics, strategy, and operations, partner with leadership, improve processes, manage vendors.

Job title

Director, Analytics & Business Operations

Experience level

5-10 years

Minimum experience

5+ years exp

Industry

leisure

Location requirements

Hybrid in Los Angeles, 3 days office, remote allowed

Salary

$150k–$175k

Management role

No

Skills & keywords

Required skills

excelpowerpointsqldata ecosystemsvendor management

Preferred skills

leadershipcommunicationproject managementdata visualization

Specializations

analyticsbusiness operationsstrategydashboardsvendor management
Locations

Structured locations inferred from the posting.

Playa Del Rey, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Hybrid City