Senior Business & Operations Manager (CEO Office)

tozero.solutions; Karlsfeld; Vor Ort; EUR 70.000 - 90.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

A leading recycling firm in Germany is seeking a Senior Operations Manager to build and manage the company's operating systems. You will ensure that key performance indicators are used effectively and oversee business operations while allowing the CEO to focus on strategic initiatives. The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of experience in business operations, ideally within a startup environment. Strong skills in managing HR processes and execution tracking are essential for success in this role.

Qualifikationen

• 5+ years in Business Operations or similar roles.
• Experience with CEOs and leadership teams required.
• Ability to thrive in ambiguous, fast-moving environments.

Aufgaben

• Build and run the company’s operating system.
• Ensure KPIs are visible and acted upon.
• Oversee execution tracking and accountability.

Kenntnisse

Business operations expertise

Experience with KPIs and dashboards

Hands-on HR operations experience

Startup or scale-up experience

Jobbeschreibung

ABOUT US

tozero is building Europe’s next critical raw materials champion. We recycle lithium-ion batteries at industrial scale and recover lithium and graphite more efficiently than mining, enabling Europe’s energy transition and independence.

We are scaling from pilot to a first‑of‑a‑kind industrial demonstration plant. This phase requires clarity, discipline, and strong operating systems across the company.

Your profile

Experience

• Background in business operations, strategy & operations, chief‑of‑staff‑like, or general management roles preferred.
• 5+ years in Business Operations, Operations, or similar execution‑heavy roles.
• Proven experience building operating systems, KPIs, and dashboards.
• Hands‑on experience with HR operations and payroll.
• Experience working closely with CEOs and leadership teams.
• Startup or scale‑up experience required.

Profile

• Senior operator mindset: structured, pragmatic, execution‑driven.
• Comfortable pushing accountability without formal authority.
• Strong judgment and prioritization.
• High ownership, low ego.
• Discreet, resilient, and trusted.
• Thrives in fast‑moving, ambiguous environments.

Nice to have

• Deep‑tech, industrial, or manufacturing background.
• Experience scaling from 30 to 100+ employees.

Why us?

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

As tozero grows, execution complexity increases faster than headcount. The CEO cannot remain the operating system of the company.

This role exists to build and run the company’s operating system. It ensures that priorities turn into execution, KPIs are visible and acted upon, and people processes scale without chaos. The role sits in the CEO Office as a senior operator with clear authority over execution systems and company‑wide execution cadence.

Your mission is to ensure that tozero scales with clarity, speed, and reliability by owning the systems that run the company. This includes execution tracking, KPI visibility, people operations, and follow‑ups, allowing the CEO and leadership team to focus on strategy, fundraising, and external impact.

This role does not own supply chain, procurement, plant operations, logistics, or delivery execution. Success after 12 months

• KPIs are actively used to steer the company to achieve company goals.
• Company‑wide execution cadence runs without CEO micromanagement.
• People processes are predictable, fair, and performance‑oriented.
• Leadership decisions translate into results reliably.
• The company scales with structure, not friction.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

Company execution and KPI ownership

• Define and run the company‑wide KPI and reporting company‑wide execution cadence.
• Track priorities and execution across all domains.
• Identify risks, delays, and misalignment early.
• Drive follow‑ups and accountability with domain owners.
• Escalate issues with context and proposed actions.
• Ensure leadership has real‑time visibility and execution does not drift.

Company execution and business operations

• Own company‑wide KPI framework, reporting company‑wide execution cadence, and executive dashboards.
• Track execution across all domains and enforce follow‑ups and accountability.
• Flag risks, delays, and misalignment early and escalate with context and options.
• Design and maintain lightweight operational processes that scale with growth.

People operations and performance systems

• Own employee lifecycle systems from onboarding to offboarding.
• Run performance, feedback, and promotion cadences focused on ownership and quality.
• Maintain people data, HR systems, payroll, and documentation at scale.
• Define clear ownership between HR and supervisors for people topics.

Hiring process enablement

• Own the hiring system and decision framework.
• Enable hiring managers to run hiring independently with clear structure and standards.
• Ensure hiring quality, speed, and consistency as the company grows.

What this role is not

• Not a recruiter.
• Not a classic HR manager.
• Not a strategy or proxy role.
• Not a domain execution role.

This role builds systems, enforces company‑wide execution cadence, and drives accountability.