Business Operations Lead

Watney; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Watney is seeking a Business Operations Lead to relieve engineers of non-technical tasks such as vendor contracts, site leases, and logistics. You will own cross-functional work that currently falls to whichever team has time, with no fixed job description yet defined.

This role is about enabling engineers to focus on core robotics work. The candidate will operate as a generalist in a fast-moving, small company, driving ambiguity to resolution and building foundational processes for Watney’s

Qualifications

• Operated as a generalist in a small, fast-moving company.
• Owned vendor contracts, site leases, or cross-functional projects with ambiguity.
• Able to take ownership of a problem with no clear owner and drive to resolution.

Responsibilities

• Build operating processes including vendor management, site leasing, and spend.
• Take ad hoc vendor, contract, and logistics work off engineering and technicians.
• Own cross-functional projects that don’t fit neatly into one team.

Skills

Generalist experience

Vendor management

Contract oversight

Site leasing

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Our Mission

Expand human ambition in the physical world.

Critical infrastructure is constrained by labor shortages, hazardous working conditions, and operational complexity. Watney builds and deploys autonomous robotic systems that increase the speed and capacity of buildout, starting with data centers.

About the Role

At Watney, the Business Operations Lead is the generalist who takes cross-functional work off the plate of technical staff - vendor contracts, site leases, logistics - so engineers spend their time on engineering.

Right now that work runs through whoever's closest. You'd own the work that currently falls to whoever has time - without a fixed job description waiting for you.

What You'll Do

• Build the foundational operating processes including vendor management, site leasing, and spend.

• Take ad hoc vendor, contract, and logistics work off engineering and technicians.

• Own cross-functional projects that don't have a natural home in one team.

You May Be a Good Fit If You:

• Have operated as a generalist inside a small, fast-moving company.

• Have owned vendor contracts, site leases, or cross-functional projects with real ambiguity in scope.

• Can pick up a problem with no clear owner and drive it to resolution.

We’re committed to building a diverse, inclusive team. At Watney Robotics, we welcome people of all backgrounds and identities, and we make hiring decisions based on skills, experience, and potential. If you’re passionate about robotics but don’t meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply!

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