In this Employee Spotlight, we connect with Corina Waggoner, Lead of Operations Enablement on Nextdoor’s NOPS (Nextdoor Operations) team. From understanding diverse community needs to reimagining self-service with AI, Corina shares how user passion and adaptability drive operational innovation at Nextdoor.
What skills or qualities do you think are essential for someone to thrive on the NOPS team?
Success on the NOPS team starts with a passion for users and a drive to create outstanding experiences. It’s more than textbook UX—you need curiosity to deeply understand our users, and the ability to turn insights into clear communication and action. Adaptability also matters; as an operational team, we often face the unexpected, and being ready to roll up your sleeves and solve real problems is essential.
What’s one operational challenge unique to Nextdoor that people might not expect, and how does your team address it?
Nextdoor serves incredibly diverse communities—different in size, demographics, and the roles people play, from neighbors and moderators to business owners and public agencies. This makes it critical to review operational changes carefully. We generally run even small changes through multiple stakeholders and scenarios to see how they hold up for different personas and communities. While this approach can slow things down, we believe it leads to stronger, more inclusive solutions for our neighbors.
How does your team collaborate with other departments at Nextdoor to ensure smooth operations?
Our Customer Experience Managers work hand-in-hand with the Product team, staying ahead of releases and advocating for user needs. They partner with our Enablement team to transform product knowledge into valuable resources for customers and those who support them. Just as importantly, they channel user feedback back to Product, helping us continuously improve the experience for everyone.
What metrics or outcomes does the NOPS team use to measure success?
We focus on empowering our users—self-service rates show us how effective we are at helping them find solutions on their own. When a user does have to contact support, we look at metrics like response time and customer satisfaction to ensure we’re delivering timely, high-quality support. And, as we grow, we keep a close eye on efficiency, so we can keep offering great service to our communities at scale.
Looking ahead, what operational aspects of Nextdoor are you most excited to help develop or improve?
Self-service is a huge focus area—every minute a user spends solving a problem is a minute they’re not connecting with their community. With advances in AI, we’re reimagining how our Help systems work, making it easier for neighbors to find the information they need, right when they need it. I’m excited to help shape this future and bring even more value to the people who rely on Nextdoor every day. Stay tuned!
Interested in joining Corina and the NOPS team at Nextdoor? Check out our careers page to explore current opportunities and help us build technology that brings neighborhoods together. This article is part of our ongoing series highlighting the talented individuals across Nextdoor’s organization. Stay tuned for more inspiring stories from our team as we continue to explore the people and partnerships that make Nextdoor a unique platform. Follow us on LinkedIn and X to catch future installments featuring more of our team members.
