Lead operations and act as chief of staff for a stealth AI manufacturing planning startup: build internal systems and playbooks, manage HR/Legal/Finance vendors, run customer onboarding and multi-site rollouts, translate plant-floor feedback into product insights, own stakeholder reporting to leadership and investors, and scale processes from pilot to network deployment.
UP.Labs is seeking a proven Head of Operations / Chief of Staff with a track record in 0>1 environments to join a new AI platform in our portfolio. This stealth venture is reimagining how mid-market manufacturers manage production planning and scheduling - an area still dominated by spreadsheets, MRP noise, and manual firefighting. Built in partnership with a $1.5B+ truck body manufacturer, the platform is a demand-driven planning co-pilot that helps manufacturers reduce schedule volatility, improve on-time delivery, and scale operational intelligence across their plants.
As our Head of Operations / Chief of Staff, you'll be a jack of all trades operator: building internal infrastructure, running back office functions, partnering closely with product and customer success, and directly engaging with enterprise manufacturing customers. You'll help translate plant-floor feedback into actionable insights, manage onboarding and adoption with manufacturers and OEMs, and establish the systems and processes that allow the company to scale from one pilot site to a network-wide rollout.
In this role you will:
- Build and oversee operations for the company, leading with a hands-on approach to processes, playbooks, and KPIs while aligning expectations with internal teams, corporate partners, and investors.
- Partner with customers during onboarding, deployment, and adoption - ensuring successful rollouts at manufacturing sites and capturing structured product feedback from schedulers, plant managers, and procurement teams.
- Work across business functions: managing and/or coordinating HR, Legal, Finance, and Customer Success vendors and partners.
- Serve as the connective tissue between customers, product, and engineering - gathering feedback from the floor, structuring it, and driving insights into roadmap decisions across a phased release plan.
- Establish and manage systems to run the company (e.g., Notion, HubSpot, productivity and reporting tools).
- Own stakeholder reporting: prepare updates for leadership, corporate partners, and investors on pilot adoption, KPI outcomes, and commercialization progress.
The ideal person would have:
- Success building operational infrastructure for high-growth startups, with the ability to stay hands-on while scaling processes.
- Strong background in customer success and enterprise SaaS implementations, ideally with ERP, MES, or supply chain/planning software experience.
- Reputation as a well-rounded project manager with exceptional instincts and organizational skills; able to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously - from a live pilot to an active seed raise.
- High EQ, low ego - you bring executive presence but thrive in a team-first, scrappy environment.
- Comfort with enterprise manufacturing customers and the ability to act consultatively with plant operations, procurement, and C-suite stakeholders.
- Experience building systems from the ground up across finance, HR, marketing, and operations.
You should have:
- 3–5+ years of experience in strategy, operations, or customer success in SaaS, with exposure to enterprise integrations (ERP/MRP/SAP/CRM).
- Program management and reporting chops - you know how to track progress and outcomes across complex, multi-site rollouts.
- Technical fluency with APIs and enterprise SaaS workflows.
- Background in product, consulting, customer success, or operations.
- Experience in a high-pressure tech environment with exposure to multidisciplinary teams; consulting or venture experience is a plus.
- Startup grit: willing to operate solo early on and wear multiple hats.
- (Nice-to-have) Direct exposure to manufacturing operations, APS/MRP systems, or supply chain software.
About UP.Labs
UP.Labs builds high-growth tech startups that enable faster, cleaner, and smarter movement of people and goods. Our unique approach combines meaningful equity for team members, scalable software built from the ground up, and deep corporate partnerships with industry leaders invested in the outcome. We focus on the first year of a venture's lifecycle - from ideation to MVP and beyond.
UP.Labs Santa Monica, California, USA Office
3100 Donald Douglas Loop N, Santa Monica, CA, United States, 90405
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