Product Operations Engineer

happyrobot.ai; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary + equity

Healthcare, dental, vision

Ownership & Autonomy

Job summary

HappyRobot is hiring a Product Operations Engineer to be the operational backbone of the product org, working with the CTO and Head of Product. You will connect Product Engineering, Deployments, GTM and Operations to synchronize teams and solve high-priority problems affecting velocity.

You will refine data pipelines, structure pricing models, and manage deployment logistics in a high-output, disciplined environment at an AI startup backed by top investors.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in a technical or operations-heavy role.
• Strong analytical & technical aptitude.
• Experience interfacing between Engineering and Commercial/Field teams.
• Balance big-picture strategy with execution in data labeling and deployment coordination.

Responsibilities

• The Bridge to Deployments: enable the Deployment team on new features and manage feedback into engineering.
• GTM & Commercial Enablement: support Product-Led Sales motions and refine feature pricing structures.
• Metrics & Measurement: define and track product and company metrics with data, ensuring outcomes are optimized.
• Data Labeling Operations: coordinate internal labelers and external agencies for high-quality training data.

Skills

Technical operator

Cross-functional translator

Disciplined systems-oriented

Impact driven

Analytical aptitude

Job description

About HappyRobot

HappyRobot is the infrastructure for enterprises to build and orchestrate AI workforces. Our AI workers don't just communicate - they make decisions, take action, and run operations autonomously across voice, email, and enterprise systems. Born in Y Combinator (S23) and backed by a16z and Base10 with over $60M raised, we power critical operations for global enterprises worldwide.

Our platform is battle-tested in the most demanding environments - where AI has real consequences. We started in logistics, built our own voice stack, models, and orchestration layer from the ground up, and are now bringing that infrastructure to every enterprise that runs the real economy. Learn more about our vision in our manifesto.

Role Overview:

We are looking for a Product Operations Engineer to act as the operational backbone of our product organization, you'll be working directly with the CTO and Head of Product. This is a role for a high-output technical individual contributor who loves discipline, structure, and execution. At HappyRobot, you will sit at the critical intersection of four key functions: Product Engineering, Deployments, Go-To-Market, and Operations. You are the connective tissue that ensures these teams are not just co-existing, but synchronized. You will be a generalist execution machine, deployed to solve the most important problems blocking our velocity—whether that means refining data pipelines, structuring pricing models, or managing complex deployment logistics.

Key Responsibilities:

• The Bridge to Deployments: act as the primary link between the Product Engineering team and the Deployment team. You will ensure the Deployment team is enabled on new features, oversee the technical feedback loop from the field back to engineering, and guarantee new releases are successfully brought to market.
• GTM & Commercial Enablement: Partner with GTM to drive technical enablement, support Product-Led Sales (PLS) motions, and refine feature pricing structures. You ensure the commercial side understands the technical reality and value of what we are shipping.
• Metrics & Measurement: Work alongside Engineering and Strategy & Ops to define and track product and company metrics. You will get your hands dirty with raw data to ensure we are optimizing for the right outcomes.
• Data Labeling Operations: Manage the human element of our agentic stack across voice, reasoning and coding agents. You will own the coordination of in-house labelers and external agencies to ensure high-quality training data throughput.

Who You Are:

• A Technical Operator: You possess a rare mix of technical literacy (you understand APIs, data structures, and engineering constraints) and operational rigor. You don't just identify broken processes; you fix them.
• A Cross-Functional Translator: You can speak the language of engineers, salespeople, and operations managers. You are comfortable being the person who aligns distinct teams toward a single objective.
• Disciplined & Systems-Oriented: You find satisfaction in order. You are the person who creates the documentation, builds the dashboard, and sets up the automation that prevents future fires.
• Driven by Impact: You are a "fixer." You don't need a perfectly defined path; you need a goal. You are happy to jump into a spreadsheet, a code editor, or a strategy meeting—whatever is required to solve the problem at hand.

Requirements:

• 3+ years of experience in a technical or operations-heavy role (e.g., Product Operations, Solutions Engineering, Technology Strategy Consulting, Technical Program Management, or Forward Deployed Engineering).
• Strong analytical & technical aptitude – be able to solve problems with technology.
• Experience working in a multi-stakeholder environment, specifically interfacing between Engineering and Commercial/Field teams.
• Ability to balance "big picture" strategic work (pricing, analysis) with "in the weeds" execution (data labeling coordination for RLHF, deployment coordination).

Why join us?

• Opportunity to work at a high-growth AI startup, backed by top investors.
• Rapidly growing and backed by top investors including a16z, Y Combinator, and Base10.
• Ownership & Autonomy - Take full ownership of projects and ship fast.
• Top-Tier Compensation - Competitive salary + equity in a high-growth startup.
• Comprehensive Benefits - Healthcare, dental, vision coverage.
• Work With the Best - Join a world-class team of engineers and builders

Extreme Ownership

We take full responsibility for our work, outcomes, and team success. No excuses, no blame-shifting — if something needs fixing, we own it and make it better. This means stepping up, even when it’s not “your job.” If a ball is dropped, we pick it up. If a customer is unhappy, we fix it. If a process is broken, we redesign it. We don’t wait for someone else to solve it — we lead with accountability and expect the same from those around us.

Craftsmanship

Putting care and intention into every task, striving for excellence, and taking deep ownership of the quality and outcome of your work. Craftsmanship means never settling for “just fine.” We sweat the details because details compound. Whether it’s a product feature, an internal doc, or a sales call — we treat it as a reflection of our standards. We aim to deliver jaw-dropping customer experiences by being curious, meticulous, and proud of what we build — even when nobody’s watching.

We are “majos”

Be friendly & have fun with your coworkers. Always be genuine & honest, but kind. “Majo” is our way of saying: be a good human. Be approachable, helpful, and warm. We’re building something ambitious, and it’s easier (and more fun) when we enjoy the ride together. We give feedback with kindness, challenge each other with respect, and celebrate wins together without ego.

Urgency with Focus

Create the highest impact in the shortest amount of time. Move fast, but in the right direction. We operate with speed because time is our most limited resource. But speed without focus is chaos. We prioritize ruthlessly, act decisively, and stay aligned. We aim for high leverage: the biggest results from the simplest, smartest actions. We’re running a high-speed marathon — not a sprint with no strategy.

Talent Density and Meritocracy

Hire only people who can raise the average; ‘exceptional performance is the passing grade.’ Ability trumps seniority. We believe the best teams are built on talent density — every hire should raise the bar. We reward contribution, not titles or tenure. We give ownership to those who earn it, and we all hold each other to a high standard. A-players want to work with other A-players — that’s how we win.

First-Principles Thinking

Strip a problem to physics-level facts, ignore industry dogma, rebuild the solution from scratch. We don’t copy-paste solutions. We go back to basics, ask why things are the way they are, and rebuild from the ground up if needed. This mindset pushes us to innovate, challenge stale assumptions, and move faster than incumbents. It’s how we build what others think is impossible.