Chief Operating Officer - Founding Leadership Role

A1 STEALTH LABS PTE. LTD.; Singapore; On-site; SGD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

A deep-tech company in Singapore is seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead company operations and scale-up from early validation through commercialization. The role involves managing operations across R&D, executing strategic plans, and fostering partnerships to align with growth objectives. Ideal candidates will have senior experience in operations within scientific ventures and possess strong stakeholder management skills. This opportunity offers equity participation and influence over company strategy from inception.

Benefits

Equity participation

Founding-level influence

Long-term equity alignment

Qualifications

• Senior experience in operations or program management within deep-tech or scientific ventures.
• Ability to lead complex projects in a startup environment with ambiguity.
• Strong stakeholder management skills across diverse teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations across R&D execution and market launch.
• Translate company strategy into execution plans with operational KPIs.
• Develop operational processes for procurement and vendor management.
• Collaborate on fundraising activities and investor reporting.
• Manage relationships with external partners to advance company goals.
• Prepare for scale by leading hiring initiatives and enforcing operational discipline.

Skills

Operations management

Program management

Stakeholder management

Commercial execution

Job description

Company Overview

A1 Stealth Labs is a deep-tech company developing autonomous, AI-driven laboratory platforms for energy materials discovery. The company integrates robotics, electrochemistry, spectroscopy, and machine intelligence to automate synthesis, experimentation, and optimization workflows. A1 Stealth Labs focuses on applications in batteries, catalysis, carbon capture, and next-generation energy materials, enabling faster, more scalable, and data-driven research. Its mission is to accelerate scientific discovery by transforming laboratories into self-driving systems.

Job Summary

A1 Stealth Labs is building an autonomous, AI-driven laboratory platform for energy materials discovery, spanning batteries, electrochemical catalysts, and carbon capture materials. We are seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead company operations, execution, and scale-up from early validation through commercialization. This role is designed for a senior operator who wants to co-build a deep-tech company, working closely with the Founder, CSO, and technical teams to translate scientific capability into a scalable, investable business.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations across R&D execution, partnerships, and commercialization readiness to ensure seamless progress from scientific validation to market launch
• Translate company strategy into detailed execution plans with clear milestones and operational KPIs to drive measurable business outcomes
• Develop and manage operational processes including procurement, vendor management, laboratory operations, and compliance to maintain efficiency and regulatory adherence
• Collaborate with the Founder to support fundraising activities, grant execution, and investor reporting, ensuring alignment with company growth objectives
• Manage relationships with external partners, customers, and research collaborators to foster strategic alliances and advance company goals
• Prepare the organization for scale by leading hiring initiatives, establishing governance frameworks, and enforcing operational discipline to support sustainable growth

Required competencies and certifications

• Senior experience in operations, program management, or commercial execution within deep-tech, hardware, or scientific ventures, demonstrating ability to lead complex projects
• Proven capability to operate effectively in an early-stage startup environment characterized by high ambiguity and limited resources
• Strong stakeholder management skills across technical teams, commercial functions, and external partners to align diverse interests and drive collaboration

Preferred competencies and qualifications

• Experience supporting fundraising, grants, or strategic partnerships to enhance company financing and growth opportunities
• Exposure to scientific, laboratory, or hardware-enabled businesses to understand domain-specific operational challenges
• Prior experience in startups, venture building, or technology commercialization to contribute to company scale-up and market entry strategies

Compensation & Equity

• Founding leadership role with equity participation, subject to role scope and commitment
• Equity structured under a Good Leaver framework, ensuring fair retention of vested equity in non-fault or mutually agreed role transitions
• Opportunity to transition into a salaried executive role upon funding or revenue milestones

Why Join

• Founding-level influence over company execution and scale-up strategy
• Opportunity to help build a globally scalable deep-tech platform from inception
• Long-term equity participation aligned with company value creation