Founding Operations Lead for a Rapid Robotics Startup

Gradient Robotics; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Gradient Robotics is seeking a Founding Business Operations lead to become the backbone of day-to-day operations. You will own the operational framework, partnering with the founders to fix chaos with scalable processes and documentation.

This role touches finance, HR, facilities, vendor management, and strategic operations to keep the company running smoothly. You’ll drive cadence, dashboards, and reporting, while building automated systems to minimize manual work and ensure nothing slips

Qualifications

• 5+ years in business operations or related roles at startups.
• Experience owning multiple operational functions (finance, people, facilities, vendor management).
• Relentless closer; nothing you own goes delinquent, no thread goes dark.
• Systems-minded; automate or document repetitive tasks.
• Trusted with sensitive information and comfortable with internal access and discretion.
• Able to work on-site in San Francisco 5 days/week.

Responsibilities

• Own finance operations: payments, billing and renewals, monthly reporting, and expense management.
• Own company metrics and operating cadence: dashboards, KPIs, and the reporting rhythm for founders.
• Own vendor and supplier management: quotes, purchase orders, delivery timelines, and supplier relationships, including international suppliers.
• Own people operations: payroll, benefits, onboarding, equity paperwork, and HR compliance.
• Own facilities and office operations: leases, insurance, buildout projects, utilities, food, and day-to-day upkeep.
• Coordinate with founders: driving meeting follow-through, maintaining relationships, coordinating offsites and visits, supporting legal and fundraising initiatives.
• Coordinate with recruiters: managing applicant pipeline, scheduling, and fast feedback.
• Build automated systems so recurring work runs without manual chasing and document everything.

Skills

Operations management

Vendor management

Finance operations

Process automation

Cross-functional collaboration

Payroll & HR compliance

Attention to detail

On-site work coordination

Job description

Gradient Robotics is seeking a Founding Business Operations lead to become the backbone of day-to-day operations. You will own the operational framework, partnering with the founders to fix chaos with scalable processes and documentation.

This role touches finance, HR, facilities, vendor management, and strategic operations to keep the company running smoothly. You’ll drive cadence, dashboards, and reporting, while building automated systems to minimize manual work and ensure nothing slips