Head of Scaling Operations & Systems

Buoyant Aero (YC S21); San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Buoyant Aero is seeking a COO to transform a founder-led operation into a scalable, systems-driven organization across deployment, manufacturing, logistics, and people operations. You will own budgeting, planning, and the operating machine behind growth, from strategy to hands-on execution.

The role requires building repeatable processes, defining ownership, KPIs, and accountability, while preserving speed and adaptability in a fast-moving hardware-focused company.

Qualifications

• Significant senior operating leadership experience.
• Experience scaling a physical-world business into a larger organizational system.
• Experience managing complex, distributed operations.
• Experience with hardware, manufacturing, logistics, or other physical operations.
• Strong supply-chain and operational-optimization experience.
• Experience building and managing growing teams.
• Demonstrated ability to recruit and address underperformance.
• Strong financial and analytical instincts.
• Ability to move between strategic planning and hands-on problem solving.
• High personal organization and exceptional follow-through.
• Ability to operate effectively in an ambiguous startup environment.

Responsibilities

• Scale the operating model across the country.
• Turn processes into documented, measurable, repeatable systems.
• Establish ownership, operating rhythms, KPIs, planning processes, and accountability.
• Identify operational bottlenecks before they constrain growth.
• Develop scalable deployment, manufacturing, supply chain, and logistics.
• Build and manage a high-performing organization with strong managers.
• Own budgeting, forecasts, and financial accountability with founders.
• Create structure without bureaucracy while preserving speed.

Skills

Senior operating leadership

Scale physical-world business

Hardware & manufacturing

Supply chain optimization

Team building & recruiting

Financial & analytical instincts

Hands-on problem solving

Ambiguity tolerance in startups

Job description

Buoyant Aero is seeking a COO to transform a founder-led operation into a scalable, systems-driven organization across deployment, manufacturing, logistics, and people operations. You will own budgeting, planning, and the operating machine behind growth, from strategy to hands-on execution.

The role requires building repeatable processes, defining ownership, KPIs, and accountability, while preserving speed and adaptability in a fast-moving hardware-focused company.