VP of Operations

Gozunga; Sioux Falls (SD); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

401(k) plan

HSA eligibility

Paid time off

Company holidays

Job summary

Gozunga is an early-stage cloud infrastructure company seeking an operations leader to own day-to-day execution and compliance. You will partner with founders to keep operations running, develop and document processes, and ensure audits are prepared and kept current.

Equity is a meaningful part of the package and you will have real ownership of growth initiatives. You will bridge engineers, support, and sales, and own customer commitments while shaping a scalable, compliant operating model in a

Qualifications

• Experience leading in a small company and wearing multiple hats.
• Ability to write and implement processes from scratch, not just maintain.
• Hands-on compliance audit experience (SOC 2, ITAR, HIPAA or similar).
• Strong ability to work with engineers and customers alike.
• Excellent written and verbal communication across teams.

Responsibilities

• Own the day-to-day operations and keep people, processes, and systems moving with minimal direction.
• Act as the glue between engineering, support, and sales to prevent gaps.
• Document and improve processes where needed; create new ones where absent.
• Manage SLA tracking, incident escalation, and ensure customer commitments are met.
• Lead SOC 2/ITAR/HIPAA audit prep and execution with involved coordination.
• Collaborate with outside counsel, accountants, and engineers on regulatory risk.
• Identify blockers and fix them proactively without being asked.
• Help onboard customers and ensure smooth handoffs between teams.

Skills

Ownership mindset

Cross-functional comms

Self-directed

Compliance focus

Technical fluency

Job description

Own operational leadership and compliance at an early-stage cloud infrastructure company

The Opportunity

Gozunga is an early-stage cloud infrastructure company. We're small, focused, and building something real. Right now, operations is handled by the founders and that needs to change. We're looking for someone to take ownership of the day-to-day so we can focus on growth. That means keeping the business running, staying ahead of compliance, and making sure the right things get done. Equity is a meaningful part of the comp package and we want the right person to have real skin in the game.

Ideal Candidate

You've worked at a small company and know what that actually means. You don't wait for a playbook — you write one. You're comfortable with compliance work, can talk to engineers and customers equally well, and you take ownership of problems until they're solved. If you're looking for a clearly defined role with a big support structure, this probably isn't it. If you want real responsibility and a stake in where the company goes, let's talk.

Key Responsibilities

Own the day-to-day — keeping people, processes, and systems moving without constant direction from founders

Be the operational glue between engineering, support, and sales; things shouldn't fall through the cracks because of you

Build and document processes where they don't exist; improve them where they do

Own SLA tracking, incident escalation, and making sure commitments to customers actually get kept

Lead compliance audit prep and execution (SOC 2, ITAR, HIPAA) — including documentation, evidence collection, and staying audit-ready year-round

Coordinate with outside counsel, accountants, and engineers on regulatory and risk requirements

Spot what's broken or slowing us down and fix it without being asked

Help onboard customers smoothly and make sure handoffs between teams don't create problems

Qualifications

Experience in an operations or leadership role at a small company — you know what it's like to wear multiple hats

Comfortable building process from scratch, not just inheriting and maintaining it

Hands-on experience with compliance audits (SOC 2, ITAR, HIPAA, or similar) — you've done the work, not just overseen it

Enough technical fluency to work effectively alongside an engineering team

Strong communication skills — you can translate between technical and non-technical, and between internal teams and customers

Self-directed; you don't need someone telling you what needs attention

Standout Qualities

• Background at a cloud, hosting, or managed services company
• Prior ownership of a SOC 2, ITAR, or HIPAA compliance program end-to-end
• Comfort working directly with founders and having a seat at the table
• Base salary with equity participation (structure discussed during offer)
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits
• 401(k) plan
• HSA eligibility
• Paid time off and company holidays

Our Mission

Gozunga Cloud was founded to give growing businesses an alternative to the major cloud providers — enterprise-grade infrastructure, including hosted AI workloads, without the cost and complexity of the hyperscalers. We're an OpenStack-based platform with a growing base of paying customers and a fast-growing pipeline of prospective clients in active trials.

Based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, we're an early-stage, hands-on team where your work has a direct and visible impact on the company's growth.

Why Join Us?

• Work with cutting-edge cloud technologies
• Small team with big impact
• Collaborative, learning-focused culture

Gozunga is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other status protected by law. Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities.