Fora is the modern travel agency, empowering anyone with a passion for travel to build a thriving advisory business. We're modernizing the $100B+ travel agency industry by combining powerful technology, data, and community to enable thousands of entrepreneurs to build on our platform. Our business-in-a-box platform gives travel entrepreneurs everything they need to launch and scale, from cutting-edge tools and personalized training to a vibrant community and exclusive industry partnerships. At the heart of it all is our mission: to help the next generation of travel entrepreneurs turn their love for travel into a fulfilling career, whether full-time or part-time. We believe that everyone, from seasoned professionals to first-time advisors, can build something both profitable and personal.
Founded in 2021 by seasoned entrepreneurs, Fora has grown steadily since, expanding to a team of 200+ full-time employees based in downtown New York City. In 2025, we announced our $60 million Series B and C investment rounds, led by Thrive Capital and Insight Partners, with participation by previous investors including Forerunner and Heartcore Capital. We've also been recognized as a LinkedIn Top Startup 2024, Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies 2025 and 2023, and Built In 2025 Best Places to Work.
We're building the first truly unified platform for all travel needs—leveraging the best of human expertise and technology to transform how people plan and book travel.
Fora is seeking a Director, Payment Operations to lead the evolution of our advisor-facing financial operations, ensuring that as advisors grow their businesses, their financial experience matches the quality of every other part of the Fora platform.
Reporting to the Director of Product Operations, this role leads the Product Operations Payments function, which owns booking ingestion, commission tracking, and advisor payouts. The role also serves as the primary operational partner to Finance across accounting, supplier-facing operations, and compliance. Working closely with Product, Engineering, Advisor Experience, Support, and Finance, the Director will drive the systems, processes, and cross-functional alignment that enable accurate payouts, efficient operations, and a seamless advisor experience at scale.
This is a highly cross-functional leadership role at a pivotal stage of growth. As the complexity and volume of payment operations continue to increase, the Director will build scalable processes, identify automation opportunities, and establish operational excellence across the function. The ideal candidate combines deep operational and financial expertise with strong product instincts, exceptional judgment, and a bias toward ownership and continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities- Lead the end-to-end operational quality of booking ingestion, commission tracking, quality assurance, and advisor payout execution, continuously improving accuracy, timeliness, and operational consistency.
- Identify, prioritize, and implement process improvements and automation opportunities that reduce manual effort, eliminate recurring exceptions, and improve the advisor experience.
- Own the operational partnership with Finance, including establishing clear escalation paths for supplier disputes, invoice corrections, and compliance matters while ensuring seamless collaboration across teams.
- Partner closely with Product and Engineering to define operational requirements for advisor-facing earnings and payout tools, advocate for scalable solutions, and surface operational issues that require technical investment.
- Represent Payment Operations in cross-functional planning, ensuring priorities are aligned across Product Operations, Finance, Product, Engineering, and the broader business.
- Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team across headquarters and the Philippines, fostering strong collaboration, consistent execution, and clear accountability across the organization.
- Establish and monitor key operational metrics across bookings and payouts, building reporting frameworks that provide leadership with visibility into performance, accuracy, timeliness, and exception trends.
- Analyze operational data to identify root causes, recommend improvements, and drive informed decision-making across the business.
- 8 to 12 years of experience in operations, preferably within a marketplace, fintech, payments, travel, or other high-growth technology environment. Experience in consulting or investment banking is valuable but hands-on operational leadership is the priority.
- Demonstrated success balancing strategic thinking with hands-on execution while driving operational excellence and end-to-end ownership of outcomes.
- Experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives and influencing partners across Finance, Product, Engineering, and Operations.
- Strong analytical capabilities with experience defining KPIs, building operational reporting, and using data to drive decisions and continuous improvement.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively across a wide range of audiences, from frontline operations teams to executive leadership.
- Strong judgment and the ability to make thoughtful decisions in fast-moving, ambiguous environments while knowing when to escalate risk.
- Experience managing and developing high-performing teams with a strong focus on coaching, accountability, and operational excellence.
- Experience within a marketplace, fintech, payments, or travel business.
- Experience leading distributed teams, including operations teams based in the Philippines.
- Familiarity with financial operations systems and a demonstrated ability to partner effectively with Engineering on operational tooling and system improvements.
- Curiosity about emerging AI technologies and experience incorporating AI tools into day-to-day operational workflows to improve efficiency and scale.
Compensation for this role varies based on experience, with an indicative range of $185K–$210K + equity. Final compensation will depend on the level at which the candidate is hired, as we’re considering multiple levels for this role.
- Unlimited vacation
- Health Insurance (including an option completely covered by Fora HQ)
- Dental & Vision Insurance
- Wellhub Memberships
- 401k plan with company match
- Commuter Benefits
- Supplemental Life Insurance
- Stock Options
This role is based in our beautiful New York City office (Tribeca/Fidi) with lots of natural light and great views.
We’re forging our own path
Fora has always been about driving change within the industry. We’re not interested in maintaining the status quo.
We’re stronger together
Community is our cornerstone and collective power is our strength. We believe we can all go further when we operate together, using our combined leverage to unlock better opportunities and outcomes for our advisors, partners, and travelers.
We believe in technology
We believe technology is an answer to some of the most fundamental challenges the travel industry faces. We believe advancements in AI, bold investments in our platforms, and a world-class data infrastructure will transform the work of our advisors and our partners, while creating better travel experiences for travelers.
We’re here to serve
We operate in service of our community and believe that when they’re empowered to focus on what they do best, we all win. It’s why we relentlessly advocate for our advisors and prioritize their best interest every step of the way.
We mean business
Fora is equal parts fun, meaningful work and serious travel business. We’re unlocking opportunities for thousands of travel entrepreneurs, delivering a stream of high-quality guests at scale for our partners, and providing a superior travel experience for our travelers. It’s a better equation for the future of our industry.
WORK AUTHORIZATION
Authorization to work in the United States is required for full-time roles based in our New York City office. Fora is unable to sponsor or assist with U.S. work authorization. Roles based outside of the United States are not subject to this requirement.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Fora is committed to an equitable hiring process and an inclusive work environment. BIPOC and traditionally underrepresented candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We will not discriminate and will take action to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or any other characteristic protected by law.
Skills Required
- 8 to 12 years of experience in operations (marketplace, fintech, payments, travel preferred)
- Demonstrated success balancing strategic thinking with hands-on execution and end-to-end ownership of outcomes
- Experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives and influencing Finance, Product, Engineering, and Operations partners
- Strong analytical capabilities; experience defining KPIs, building operational reporting, and using data to drive decisions and continuous improvement
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills across audiences including frontline teams and executive leadership
- Strong judgment and ability to make decisions in fast-moving, ambiguous environments and know when to escalate risk
- Experience managing and developing high-performing teams with focus on coaching, accountability, and operational excellence
- Authorization to work in the United States for full-time NYC-based role; employer will not sponsor work authorization
- Experience within a marketplace, fintech, payments, or travel business
- Experience leading distributed teams, including operations teams based in the Philippines
- Familiarity with financial operations systems and ability to partner with Engineering on tooling and system improvements
- Curiosity about emerging AI technologies and experience incorporating AI tools into operational workflows
Fora Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Pay Growth & Progression — Compensation for advisors includes a tiered commission split that increases with higher annual bookings, creating clear pathways to higher take‑home pay. Top performers are positioned to achieve strong earnings potential when they build significant sales volume.
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Healthcare Strength — Employees are offered comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, alongside life and disability insurance. This breadth of core health benefits supports financial protection beyond base pay.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Employees have unlimited PTO, paid holidays, and dedicated work‑from‑anywhere weeks that provide substantial time‑off flexibility. This scope of leave supports work‑life balance in a hybrid/remote setup.
Fora Insights
What We Do
Fora is the modern travel agency, redefining what it means to be a travel advisor in today’s world. We’re a next-generation platform that provides a comprehensive, business-in-a-box solution—combining cutting-edge technology, personalized training, a vibrant community, and exclusive industry partnerships—all designed to empower anyone with a passion for travel to turn that passion into a thriving business. Whether you're a travel enthusiast or an experienced professional, Fora equips you with everything needed to launch and scale a successful travel advisory business, making it the ultimate way to align work with your lifestyle. At the heart of Fora is our mission: to power the next generation of travel entrepreneurs to transform their love for travel into a fulfilling full-time or part-time career, offering unparalleled flexibility, autonomy, and support. We believe that everyone, from seasoned travel professionals to first-time entrepreneurs, can build a career that’s both profitable and aligned with their passions. Our platform combines innovative technology with the human touch, offering: Best-in-class training programs to help agents develop expert knowledge, no matter their starting point. A powerful suite of tools for booking, client management, and marketing, ensuring agents can focus on delivering exceptional travel experiences. Access to an engaged community of fellow advisors, fostering collaboration, support, and shared learning. Exclusive partnerships with top travel brands, providing access to competitive rates, perks, and experiences that elevate advisors’ offerings. Since our founding in 2021 by experienced travel entrepreneurs Henley Vazquez, Jake Peters, and Evan Frank, Fora has experienced rapid growth, expanding to a team of 130+ full-time employees based in downtown New York City. Earlier this year, we announced our $60 million Series B and C investment rounds, led by Thrive Capital and Insight Partners, with participation by previous investors including Forerunner and Heartcore Capital. This funding represents a vote of confidence in the enduring power of entrepreneurship, and secures our ability to build a category-defining travel brand. We have a vision for the future that leverages the best of humans and the best of technology to create the first truly unified platform for all travel needs - from staycation to the safari.
Why Work With Us
Fora is redefining the travel industry by challenging norms and fostering a culture of growth, curiosity, and autonomy. We invest in cutting-edge technology to fuel innovation and empower our team to drive impactful change. Here, you’ll find meaningful work with ample opportunities for internal growth.
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Fora Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Fora’s workplace policy offers balance and flexibility: we’re in-office 4 days a week, enjoy 3 weeks remote annually, and have flexible Fridays—all in a bright, inviting space in Fidi/Tribeca that fosters collaboration and creativity.
