Lead Forward Deployed Operator

Socket.dev; United States; Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health stipend

Profit-pool participation

Hybrid work model

On-site deployment in Whitwell, TN

Job summary

Bolt Farm Treehouse is seeking a Lead Forward Deployed Operator to design end-to-end operations, deploy into uncharted territory, and deliver durable systems that prevent future fires. You will mentor teams, triage the strike queue, and own outcomes with high autonomy.

You will work across ops, tech, guest experience, and finance, building AI-augmented workflows and documenting every system for continuity. Hybrid deployment in Whitwell, TN is expected.

Qualifications

• 3+ years building operational systems, automations, or internal tools in a fast-moving environment.
• Demonstrated build portfolio showing real systems shipped and used.
• Proficiency with at least 2 tools from the listed set (Zapier, n8n, Make, Cursor, Python, etc.).

Responsibilities

• Get deployed to the highest-priority operational problem in the business, regardless of department.
• Architect multi-system workflows that reduce manual work and errors.
• Build, ship, and iterate on AI-augmented operational systems and pipelines.
• Triaged strike requests and prioritized by business impact.
• Mentor junior FDOs and Operators on speed, quality and ownership.
• Context-switch between ops, tech, guest experience, and finance quickly.
• Document every system so others can run it independently.

Skills

AI fluency

Ownership reflex

Speed of execution

Build portfolio

Cross-functional fluency

Leadership under ambiguity

Tools

Zapier

n8n

Make

Cursor

Python

low-code/no-code

Job description

Bolt Farm Treehouse is a luxury treehouse resort redefining hospitality through AI-first operations, radical ownership, and an obsession with guest experience. We don't just use technology — we build it into everything we do. Our strike team model means you won't sit in a fixed seat. You'll be deployed wherever your skills create the most leverage, then redeployed when the mission changes.

The Role

Lead Forward Deployed Operator is the senior-most execution role on our strike team. You're the person we point at our highest-stakes operational problems. You architect end-to-end solutions, deploy into unfamiliar territory without a playbook, and leave behind systems that prevent the next fire. You mentor junior FDOs, triage the strike queue, and own outcomes — not tasks.

This role reports directly to the Founder and operates with high autonomy.

What You'll Do

• Get deployed to the highest-priority operational problem in the business, regardless of department

• Architect multi-system workflows that eliminate manual work and reduce error rates

• Build, ship, and iterate on AI-augmented operational systems (automations, agent pipelines, internal tools)

• Triage incoming strike requests and sequence them by business impact

• Mentor Forward Deployed Associates and Operators on execution speed, build quality, and ownership mindset

• Context-switch between ops, tech, guest experience, and finance without ramp-up time

• Document every system you build so the next person can run it without you

What You'll Own (Outcomes & KPIs)

Founder-approved outcomes:

1. Deployment velocity — time from strike assignment to shipped v1 solution

2. System durability — % of built systems still running without intervention after 90 days

3. Leverage multiplier — hours of manual work eliminated per system deployed

4. Mentorship output — junior FDOs promoted or independently deploying within 6 months

Who You Are (Builder Traits)

• AI fluency — you use AI tools daily to build, not just to chat. You've shipped automations using Zapier, n8n, Make, Cursor, or equivalent.

• Ownership reflex — you see a problem and fix it before anyone assigns it to you.

• Speed of execution — you ship v1 in days, not weeks. You know when good enough beats perfect.

• Build portfolio — you can show us real systems you've built that real people use.

• Cross-functional fluency — you're as comfortable in a P&L review as you are in a workflow builder.

• Leadership under ambiguity — you don't need a playbook. You write the playbook.

Must-Haves

• 3+ years building operational systems, automations, or internal tools in a fast-moving environment

• Demonstrated build portfolio (show us what you've shipped, not what you've managed)

• Proficiency with at least 2 of: Zapier, n8n, Make, Cursor, Python, low-code/no-code platforms

• Track record of autonomous execution — you've been the person who gets pointed at problems, not the person who delegates them

• Comfortable with radical transparency, direct feedback, and a founder-led operating model

Nice-to-Haves

• Hospitality, resort, or guest-experience operations background

• Experience with AI agent frameworks (LangChain, CrewAI, AutoGen, etc.)

• Prior startup or founder's-office experience

Comp & Benefits

• Base: $95,000–$120,000

• OTE: $136,000–$171,000

• Performance variable: 30% of OTE, tied to Founder-approved KPIs

• Health stipend: $400/mo

• Profit-pool participation: Yes — tiered by build output, not tenure

• Location: Hybrid (on-site deployment periods as needed in Whitwell, TN)