Chief Operating Officer at Timescapes

Timescapes; Auckland; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity stake

Health insurance

KiwiSaver 5%

Wellbeing support

Job summary

Timescapes, Auckland-based leader in visual progress tracking for complex construction projects, seeks an experienced operations executive to scale the business. You’ll own the operating engine, run the rhythm of leadership reviews, and build the systems that connect what we build to what we ship.

You’ll lead data/BI capability development, manage finance and risk across four markets, and guide a movement toward an AI-native operating model, while keeping teams aligned and focused on customer

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a senior operations executive in a scaling company.
• Track record turning a product or service into scalable systems.
• Hands-on leadership with the CEO to establish foundations.

Responsibilities

• Build operational foundations to support growth and 10x volume.
• Run the operating rhythm through leadership meetings and reviews.
• Own business systems (ERP, CRM, field service, billing) and align planning with shipping.
• Develop data/BI capabilities to provide visibility across markets.
• Lay the foundation for an AI-native operating model.
• Lead end-to-end operations and field service for global markets.
• Manage finance, risk, compliance, contracts and insurance across regions.
• Lead with values and build cross-functional partnerships across teams.

Skills

Operational 2IC

Scaling leadership

Change leadership

Hands-on leader

Cross-functional influence

Commercial risk

Global mindset

Data/BI experience

Tools

ERP

CRM

Billing systems

Job description

Auckland City, N, NZ.

Full time on site.

About us

Timescapes is a visual progress tracking solution for complex construction projects. Our mission is to simplify construction through shared visibility. Customers love Timescapes because it helps them stay on schedule, validate construction claims and communicate progress more effectively. We’re a rapidly growing company, and are used by some of the largest construction firms across New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the United States.

The Role

This is a build role, not a caretaker one. A lot of what will sit with you currently sits with the CEO - commercial risk, the operating rhythm, the systems that hold it all together. As we grow, this is fast becoming the ceiling on how fast we can move. Your job is to take it on, put real foundations under it, and give us the operational strength to build a much larger company. If you’re energised by taking something that works, with basic systems in place and turning it into something that scales, this is the role.

What You'll Own

The operating engine

Build the operational foundations to hit our growth projections - the systems and infrastructure that handle accelerated growth and eventually 10x the volume.

Run the operating rhythm - the leadership meetings, business reviews and quarterly planning that keep the company aligned and moving.

Own the business systems that run the company (ERP, CRM, field service, billing) and the sales and operations planning that connects what we build to what we ship.

Data, visibility and AI

Build a real data and BI capability - modern visibility into what's working and what's not, across every market and function, without waiting for someone to pull a report.

Bring structure to how we manage information and knowledge, so the business - and the AI we build on top of it - can actually use it.

Lay the foundation the applied-AI layer builds on.

We're serious about becoming an AI-native operator, and this is where it starts.

Operations and field service

Own the end-to-end operation and the outcomes it delivers - everything from a finished camera to live on site: distribution, logistics, fleet, installs and the regional service teams in our key markets. A capable team run this already; you back them, clear the way, and lift the bar.

Own the customer's operational experience - the install, the first touch on site, uptime, and how fast we respond. For most customers, this is part of what Timescapes so good.

Own gross margin, and improve it as we scale - including how we turn cameras around in our lease fleet, and what we keep in-house versus move to partners as volume grows.

Finance, risk and compliance

Own operational finance, through the Financial Controller - controls, reporting, spend, payroll and equity administration across four markets and currencies (the forward-looking finance and fundraise work sits with our fractional CFO).

Take on commercial risk and compliance - the approval process, contractual playbooks, insurance, and a strong risk framework. Build it with external legal; bring counsel in-house when volume justifies it.

Own health and safety, privacy, IT and security across the business - real obligations for a company with people on construction sites and cameras across four regions.

Leadership

Live, breathe and drive our values - you'll be one of the main reasons our culture holds as we scale. Be a leader the whole company looks up to - the 2IC, setting the standard well beyond your own teams.

Cultivate an environment where functions and markets work as one company, and where alignment doesn't depend on personalities or goodwill alone.

Deepen the bench, develop the leaders you inherit, and carry our values every day.

Requirements

What You'll Bring

• A proven operational 2IC. You've owned the operating engine of a scaling company and can run the business so the CEO can lift out and work on the longer team opportunities.
• Scaling experience. You've built the machine from strong product market fit into the $50M-$100M+ band - built it through this stage, not just maintained it at a larger one.
• A builder and a change leader. You lead transformation and take teams through it, and you leave everything better than you found it.
• Hands-on. At our size this is a roll-up-the-sleeves role - in the detail when it matters, then back up to strategy. Not a pure delegator.
• Trusted across functions. You align people without needing authority over them, and people want to work for you. You take people on the journey and are a great communicator.
• Commercial and operational range. Real experience with commercial risk, insurance and compliance, and enough hardware or physical-operations grounding to lead a supply chain and fleet with confidence. Experience standing up data/BI is a strong plus.
• Global Mindset* - working across time zones and able to travel - we are operating across four markets so this is very necessary to be across all aspects of the business.
• The Timescapes Mindset* + Customer value focus - everything connects back to creating value for our construction customers; our success comes from theirs + Act with intent - think slow and act fast: understand the right approach, then execute with urgency + 1% better every day - genuine belief in continuous improvement, and helping others do the same + Simplification - take something complex and make it simple, scalable and reliable without losing effectiveness + Cross-functional collaboration - great results come from great partnerships across every team

Benefits

This is a rare chance to be the operational architect of a company as it transitions from scrappy to scale - building the foundations of something that genuinely makes construction better, alongside people who value authenticity over corporate theatre, results over politics, and our customers' success over everything else.

What we offer

• Competitive compensation and meaningful equity
• Health insurance and 5% KiwiSaver contribution
• EAP and wellbeing support
• EEO statement: Timescapes is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, and we're committed to building a team that reflects the communities we work in. If you need any accommodations during the process, just let us know.