Senior Manager, Strategic Operations

About the role

This Senior Manager role at Coinbase focuses on strategic operations within Physical Security. The person in this position will be responsible for setting the strategy and planning for physical security, including objectives and key results (OKRs) and quarterly/annual business reviews. A core aspect of the role is translating physical security efforts into measurable business outcomes, assessing risk-adjusted investments, and integrating key risk indicators (KRIs) into enterprise dashboards for clear visibility.

The role requires building scalable operational systems for reporting, service catalogs, metrics, and governance to provide consistent executive oversight of risk, incidents, and capacity. This includes evaluating the risk and return of the entire Physical Security portfolio, leading headcount, budget, and vendor strategies, and making informed recommendations to start, stop, or scale initiatives. The successful candidate will drive the execution of complex, multi-region projects in collaboration with other security and privacy programs and stakeholders.

Success in this position means consistently aligning physical security initiatives with broader company priorities and ensuring their effective execution. It involves demonstrating strong business-level risk management by quantifying risk and return, linking investments to the company's risk appetite, and communicating trade-offs to senior leadership. The role also emphasizes identifying and implementing AI and automation opportunities to enhance efficiency and operational leverage within physical security processes.

The listed salary range for this role is between $201,365 and $236,900 USD, with total compensation potentially including equity, bonuses, and benefits.

Skills that matter here

• generative AI tools: This role requires responsible use of AI tools like LibreChat, Gemini, and Glean to improve efficiency, reduce manual work, and deliver business-ready outputs.
• Physical security ops and risk: Fluency in physical security operations and risk, including GSOC, EP, threat intelligence, EHS, and security systems, is essential for effective stakeholder communication.
• Business-level risk management: The role involves quantifying risk and return, aligning investments with enterprise risk appetite, and communicating trade-offs to senior leadership even with incomplete data.
• Operational excellence: Designing and scaling OKRs, QBRs, KRIs, dashboards, and governance frameworks in high-stakes environments is a key responsibility.
• Executive communication: The ability to create clear written and verbal narratives is necessary to convey risk, impact, and required decisions to leadership.
• Program/portfolio leadership: This position demands leading multi-quarter, cross-functional delivery and managing multiple programs and stakeholders to successful completion.

Who this role suits

• Someone with 8+ years in strategy, operations, chief of staff, risk, or security roles, with at least 5 years at a senior manager level in tech, security, or financial services.
• An individual who excels at influencing others without direct authority, capable of aligning teams, enforcing standards, and driving behavior change across various groups.
• A person who can effectively communicate complex risk and operational information to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, including executive leadership.
• Someone who is adept at designing and implementing scalable operational systems and governance frameworks in high-pressure environments.

From the employer

• Own strategy and quarterly/annual planning (OKRs, QBRs, MBRs) for Physical Security, ensuring alignment with Security & Privacy and company priorities.
• Translate physical security initiatives into measurable business outcomes, risk-adjusted investments, and integrated KRIs reflected in enterprise dashboards.
• Build scalable operating systems — reporting, service catalogs, metrics, and governance — that provide consistent executive visibility into risk, incidents, and capacity.
• Evaluate risk and return across the Physical Security portfolio; lead headcount, budget, and vendor strategy with clear start/stop/scale recommendations.
• Drive cross-functional execution of complex, multi-region initiatives in partnership with S&P programs and stakeholders.
• Identify and implement AI and automation opportunities to reduce manual work and increase operational leverage.

• Demonstrates the ability to responsibly use generative AI tools and copilots (e.g., LibreChat, Gemini, Glean) in daily workflows, continuously learn as tools evolve, and apply human-in-the-loop practices to deliver business-ready outputs and drive measurable improvements in efficiency, cost, and quality.
• Experience: 8+ years in strategy/ops/COS/risk/security; 5+ years at senior manager+ in tech, security, or financial services.
• Security domain fluency: Physical security ops and risk (GSOC, EP, threat intel, EHS, systems); effective with technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Business‑level risk management: Quantify risk/return, tie investments to enterprise risk appetite, and communicate tradeoffs to L7+/ET with imperfect data.
• Operational excellence: Design/scale OKRs, QBRs, KRIs, dashboards, and governance (P/PS, RAPIDs) in high‑stakes environments.
• Executive communication: Crisp written/verbal narratives that convey risk, impact, and required decisions.
• Program/portfolio leadership: Drive multi‑quarter, cross‑functional delivery; manage multiple programs and stakeholders to completion.
• Influence without authority: Align, enforce standards, and drive behavior change across teams you don’t manage (senior ICs, managers, XFN).

• Competitive salary range: $201,365—$236,900 USD.
• Total compensation may also include equity and bonus eligibility and benefits (including medical, dental, vision and 401(k)).
• Commitment to Equal Opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities.