Pelago is the leading specialty substance use care provider, built on the belief that effective treatment means matching care intensity to what each member actually needs rather than defaulting to the most expensive intervention. Our programs guide members through every stage of the substance use spectrum, from unhealthy habits to active use disorders, delivering personalized treatment for tobacco, alcohol, opioid, cannabis, and stimulant use based on individual health, habits, genetics, and goals.
With Sona, our voice-first AI Mental Health Specialist, Pelago now applies that same clinically-driven model to mental health, pairing deep clinical expertise with technology to expand access without compromising care quality. We believe technology should make clinical care more precise and more human, not replace the judgment behind it.
Pelago has scaled to helping hundreds of employers and health plans and has already helped more than 750,000 members better manage their substance use. If you're passionate about AI and making an impact on the health of others, join us and make it happen!
Overview of the Role:
Pelago is looking for a Director of Business Operations to serve as a strategic right hand to our SVP of Operations and a force multiplier across the business. This person will lead Pelago's shift to an AI-native operating model, drive cross-functional initiatives that don't fit neatly inside any one function, and drop into the business wherever clarity or momentum is missing.
This isn't a process-builder role. The right candidate understands how businesses actually work — how functions connect, how each leader operates, and what best-in-class looks like across them. They can read a P&L, connect financials to operating levers, and translate that understanding into the right priorities. They use that knowledge to design what doesn't exist yet, not just fix what's broken, and they have the analytical muscle and organizational instincts to bring others along with them.
This is a hybrid role with a high-collaboration rhythm (3 days/week in our NYC office).
In this role you will:
Lead AI Transformation
- Own Pelago's shift to an AI-native operating model and serve as the internal product manager for Archie, Pelago's AI agent platform — defining use cases, managing the roadmap across functions, and measuring impact.
- Build repeatable AI-powered workflows across the business; keep a sharp external point of view on where the AI landscape is moving and bring it to leadership.
Own Governance & Operating Rhythm
- Own KPI and OKR governance — build accountability structures that work without becoming bureaucracy.
- Structure and run the analytical frameworks leadership uses for high-stakes decisions: performance dashboards, scenario analyses, business cases. You don't need to build the models, but you need to know how to commission, interpret, and act on them.
- Surface upstream risks and downstream consequences that individual teams miss; represent senior leadership in cross-functional forums with clarity.
Drive Cross-Functional Initiatives
- Own Pelago's highest-leverage strategic projects from framing through execution — the ones that cross functions and don't have a natural home.
- Parachute into any area facing complexity or underperformance, diagnose root causes, and drive to resolution.
- Build senior and IC-level relationships across every function; move quickly without formal authority by earning trust at every level.
The background we are looking for:
- 7–10 years in management consulting, corporate strategy, or a high-bar BizOps role at a growth-stage company, with a track record of leading cross-functional initiatives in complex organizations.
- Systems thinker with strong business acumen — you understand how each function operates, what good looks like across them, and how financials connect to operating levers. You design new operating models from scratch, see what's missing before others do, and influence leaders to reshape how the org works without formal authority.
- Data savvy and AI-native — comfortable structuring and running analyses using SQL and BI tools, and a power user of AI including prompt engineering and building AI-driven workflows across a team, not just personal productivity.
- Exceptional communicator across all levels — board to IC — with low ego, high standards, and the ability to influence without authority and push back with data.
- Healthcare or digital health experience a plus; genuine curiosity about the space required.
What you'll love about us:
We strive to ensure Pelago employees have equitable access to healthcare, wellbeing, time away, and then some.
- Generous and meaningful equity package
- Full Medical, Dental, & Vision coverage
- 401k Plan
- Unlimited PTO Policy, 10 paid holidays, & company wide "Me Time" Days
- Paid maternity, paternity & new parent leave
- Annual Learning and Development stipend
- Daily lunch in NYC office
- Wellness Reimbursement Program
- Access to Reproductive & Family Planning Care
- Substance Use Support for employees and family members
At this time, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position.
Please note that Pelago is dedicated to providing accommodations to candidates upon request. If you need accommodations at any point throughout the interview process, please reach out to your recruiter.
The provided range reflects our US target salary range for this full-time position, which is part of our broader total compensation package, including incentive bonus program, stock options, comprehensive benefits, and incentive pay applicable to eligible roles. Individual pay within the range will vary based on a variety of factors like role-related experience and education, internal pay equity, and other relevant business factors. At Pelago, we are committed to an equitable and fair pay philosophy and review total compensation for our employees at least twice a year.
Base Pay Range$200,000—$220,000 USD