Chief of Staff to the Founder

Vaia; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 2,000,000 - 3,600,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaia in Bengaluru seeks a seasoned Chief of Staff to act as the founder's proxy, driving alignment across AI, technology, and financial services. You will lead cross-functional initiatives with high autonomy and own high-stakes programs from the founder's desk, coordinating teams to execute strategic milestones.

The role requires 5–7 years of experience, startup adaptability, and deep exposure to AI, tech products, and FinTech. Strong EQ, resilience, and stakeholder management are essential.

Qualifications

• Education background not specified in the ad.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional collaboration across engineering, product, finance, and growth teams.
• Drive high-stakes, ambiguous projects from the founder's desk.
• Lead fundraising readiness for Series A, including financial models and investor communications.
• Establish operating cadences and track key metrics (OKRs).

Skills

Cross-functional

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder mgmt

Communication

Job description

We are looking for a seasoned, high-octane Chief of Staff to serve as a critical force multiplier for the

Founder and an organizational catalyst across the company. At 5-7 years of experience, you are not just an executor; you are a strategic leader who can operate with high autonomy. You will serve as the

founder's trusted proxy, bridging the gap between vision and execution by driving alignment, managing cross-functional teams, and stepping in to own high-stakes initiatives across AI, technology, and financial services.

What You’ll Do

• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Proxy Leadership: Act as a central connective tissue across engineering, product, finance, and growth teams. You will drive cross-team alignment, unblock bottlenecks, and ensure company-wide execution of key milestones without requiring the
• Drive Strategic Initiatives: Independently lead and execute high-stakes, ambiguous projects from the founder's desk, ranging from evaluating technical AI roadmaps to structuring complex
• Fundraising & Investor Readiness: Partner deeply with the founder to lead the preparation for our upcoming Series A fundraising round, managing the financial models, data rooms, pitch strategy, and investor relations communications.
• Operational Excellence: Establish operating cadences, track key business metrics (OKRs), and serve as a sounding board to synthesize organizational challenges into clear action plans.

What We’re Looking For

• Educational Background: Bachelor's or Master’s degree from a tier-1 institution (IIT, BITS, IIM, or
• Professional Experience: 5-7 years of professional experience, ideally starting in Management Consulting (MBB / Tier-1 firms) or investment banking, followed by operating experience in a high-growth tech environment.
• Domain Fluency: Deep, hands-on exposure to Artificial Intelligence (AI), technology products, and Financial Services / FinTech. You must possess the maturity to seamlessly speak both "deep tech" with engineering and "unit economics" with finance leaders.
• Core Traits: Exceptional high EQ and collaboration skills. Energetic, authoritative yet empathetic, resilient, and highly adept at managing stakeholders and leading teams