Title: Vice President, Operations
Austin, TX, US, 78735
At Exacta Systems, we’re not just shaping the future of gaming—we’re redefining it. As a leader in historical horse racing (HHR) technology, we create cutting-edge gaming solutions that power thrilling player experiences nationwide. Now part of the Churchill Downs family, we’re backed by a storied legacy of excellence in racing and gaming. This new chapter brings exciting opportunities for growth, stability, innovation, and impact. If you're looking for a career where technology meets tradition and where your ideas drive the future, let’s explore the possibilities together!
JOB SUMMARY
The Vice President of Operations is a key member of the Exacta Systems Executive Leadership Team and a strategic partner to the President. This role oversees the full operational infrastructure of the company, ensuring the seamless delivery of products, services, and systems across three divisions:
- Gaming Operations – encompassing logistics, regulatory compliance, customer installations, and field services;
- Technical Operations – management of all aspects of customer implementation including cross departmental coordination, customer requirements gathering, hardware specification, go live support, training, and initial post-go live system support. In addition, technical operations is responsible for non-typical issue triage and resolution;
- IT Operations – overseeing network infrastructure, systems performance, information security, operational uptime, and server/network hardware assembly and testing.
This leader will ensure operational excellence through a combination of disciplined process management, strategic foresight, and people-centric leadership. The ideal candidate is a seasoned operations executive who thrives in a fast-paced, technology-driven environment and has a proven ability to scale systems and teams responsibly.
Long Description
Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership
- Provide strategic direction and leadership across all facets of Gaming Ops, Technical Ops, and IT Ops.
- Develop and execute operational strategies that support Exacta’s growth objectives and uphold the company’s regulatory, safety, and quality standards.
- Define and document operational processes.
- Oversee daily operations to ensure efficiency, scalability, and reliability across all departments.
- Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and reporting frameworks to measure, track, and improve operational outcomes.
Gaming Operations
- Ensure compliance with all state and federal gaming regulations including licensing.
- Facilities management.
- Billable support time tracking and customer reporting.
Technical Operations
- Responsible for all aspects of technical project management including project planning, customer equipment specification and quotes (when appropriate), server hardware build, configuration, and testing, site install of all hardware and proprietary system software, coordination of cloud services implementation (backups, monitoring, automated reporting, etc.), post major project support prior to transfer to Gaming Operations.
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives in manufacturing and integration processes to optimize quality and throughput.
- Partner with product and engineering teams to ensure seamless hardware/software alignment and readiness for deployment.
- Project coordination for major issue triage.
IT Operations
- Oversee enterprise IT infrastructure, networking, data management, and cybersecurity.
- Ensure robust uptime, secure network operations, and effective incident response protocols.
- Drive modernization and scalability of IT systems to support growth and compliance requirements.
- Consulting services for customer networking.
- System Engineering
- Networking and server hardware specification, testing, and certification for use in production implementations.
- Internal systems selection, implementation, monitoring, and management.
Executive Partnership
- Serve as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, collaborating on strategy, planning, and cross-functional initiatives.
- Act as a trusted advisor to the President, providing data-driven insights and recommendations on operational and strategic matters.
- Contribute to company-wide initiatives involving innovation, growth, and continuous improvement.
People & Culture Leadership
- Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing operations organization spanning multiple technical disciplines.
- Foster collaboration, accountability, and professional development across all teams.
- Champion a culture of transparency, inclusion, and operational excellence consistent with Exacta’s values.
Long Description
(continued)
Qualifications
Required:
- 10+ years of leadership experience in operations, preferably within gaming, technology, or other regulated, high-reliability industries.
- Proven track record of managing complex operations across multiple technical domains (logistics, manufacturing, facilities, support, IT).
- Strong people leadership experience, with a history of building and mentoring cohesive, high-performing teams.
- Demonstrated success implementing process improvement frameworks (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma).
- Understanding of regulatory and compliance frameworks, particularly in gaming or similar environments.
- Excellent communication, analytical, and organizational skills.
- Bachelors degree in Business, Engineering, Operations Management, or related field.
Preferred:
- MBA or advanced technical degree.
- Experience leading operations during a period of high growth or post-acquisition integration.
- Familiarity with historical horse racing systems or broader gaming technology platforms.
Competencies
- Strategic and analytical thinking with a strong execution orientation.
- Exceptional people management and team-building skills.
- Operational rigor and attention to detail.
- Collaborative and transparent leadership style.
- Ability to make decisions under pressure while maintaining focus on long-term objectives.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability.
Nearest Major Market: Austin