Operations Manager

We’re an Industrial AI start-up founded by a Stanford professor and led by recognized leaders in AI/ML and Aerospace & Defense analytics.

Our product is an Enterprise SaaS Application that powers supply chain optimization for the U.S. Air Force’s 5,000-aircraft fleet ($100B yearly sustainment budget). It combines proprietary AI Engines that handle scarce/noisy data with Agentic AI interfaces (LLMs + RAG) to deliver explainable insights.

We’ve delivered $200M+ in documented cost savings, secured repeat USAF contracts, and are scaling 4x growth with a medium-term M&A exit strategy.

We’re looking for a hands-on, tech-savvy Operations Manager who thrives in a startup environment and can wear multiple hats across HR, payroll, benefits, IT, and project management.

This is a unique opportunity to join a small, agile core team, shape our culture, and build the foundations of our company as we scale.

Main Responsibilities:

HR & People Operations

• Participate in onboarding, offboarding, and employee lifecycle processes.
• Act as a point of contact for payroll, benefits, and compliance. Be responsible for record-keeping. Work with legal and HR consultants when needed.
• Support recruiting coordination (posting roles, scheduling, candidate experience).

Operations & IT

• Oversee IT tools
  • Manage user access
  • The tools include AWS, Azure, GitHub, Google Workspaces, Confluence, WebEx conferencing, Slack, Jira, Siteground, GoDaddy
  • Manage vendors, software subscriptions, and virtual machines.
• Ensure required security level (for CUI data) in collaboration with leadership.
• Support remote team setup.

Project & Business Operations

• Support leadership in tracking project timelines, deliverables, and budgets.
• Build processes for documentation, knowledge sharing, and communication.
• Assist with contracting, reporting, invoicing, and general operations tasks.
• Be the go-to person to “make things run smoothly” across the organization.

You’ll start on a consulting basis (competitive hourly rate), with the opportunity to move into a full-time role with equity as you demonstrate impact.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations, HR, IT, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 5+ years in operations/HR/business administration (start-up or small-company experience preferred)
• Proven ability to manage multiple functions: HR, payroll, benefits, IT tools, vendor management, and project coordination.
• Hands-on with SaaS/IT systems (AWS, Azure, GitHub, Google Workspace, Slack, Jira, Confluence, SiteGround, GoDaddy, WebEx)
• Strong project management, organization, and communication skills
• U.S. Citizenship (required for government contracting/CUI data)

Preferred

• Start-up operations scaling experience
• Familiarity with government contracting or defense industry compliance
• Vendor management and contract negotiation skills
• Remote team coordination experience

• All candidates must be US Citizens.
• Location: This is a remote position. USA, Nationwide. Proximity to our Palo Alto, CA office is a plus.
• Candidates should be available for occasional on-site meetings. 
• This is a contract-to-hire role.