Director of Business Operations
📍 Location: San Francisco, CA (Full-time, in-person, light travel)
About Backflip:
Backflip AI is building 3D AI tools for the physical world. If ChatGPT is the universal platform for text, Backflip is the universal platform for designing real things — from cars, planes, and buildings to everyday items like watches, furniture, and toys — you name it.
This is the second buildout for MIT founders Greg Mark and David Benhaim, who previously co-founded Markforged, the company that invented carbon fiber 3D printing and went public at a $2.1B valuation. They are now hiring a Director of Business Operations to help take Backflip from zero to one.
This is not a traditional operations role. It’s a high-intensity, high-autonomy position where you’ll act as the right hand to the CEO — part Chief of Staff, part COO, part generalist builder. You’ll help the company run, scale, and win. You’ll be expected to learn quickly, solve real problems, and deliver outcomes that move the business forward.
Second Time Founders:
You’ll work directly with Greg Mark and David Benhaim, two lifelong builders who grew up less than a mile from each other in Massachusetts and met at MIT. Greg built bikes and solar cars in high school; David built face-tracking robots. Their passion for making things hasn’t changed — now they’re doing it at a global scale.
Greg and David previously founded Markforged, taking it from zero to a $2.1B IPO. Now, they’re back — not 14 anymore, but channeling that same energy — and building their biggest act yet.
The Role:
This is effectively the CEO’s #2 at a ~15 person Series A company.
You’ll need to be:
- A self-starter who executes without handholding.
- Highly organized — owns details, logistics, and execution company-wide.
- Adaptable — thrives in sync with the CEO’s fast-paced, high-context working style.
- A sharp business generalist — confident across Strategy, Ops, Finance, HR, Marketing, GTM.
- A systems thinker — able to architect and scale processes from 0→1.
- Calm under pressure, resourceful, and relentlessly outcome-driven.
- Ambitious — sees this as a launchpad to become a founder or exec operator.
- Strategy & Execution: Drive strategic initiatives end-to-end. Lead critical projects, unblock teams, and ensure delivery against business goals.
- CEO Partnership: Translate vision into action. Manage calendars, priorities, and workflows so the CEO can stay focused.
- Business Ops: Own operational systems. Build out GTM, finance, HR, RevOps, and analytics functions. Improve efficiency and drive results.
- RevOps & GTM: Build and track the sales and marketing funnels, pricing tests, CRM, and demand gen analytics. Partner with the CEO to shape board-level growth strategy.
- HR & Infrastructure: Own company systems: Carta, Sequoia, recruiting platforms, onboarding, and eventually lead transitions to more scalable tools.
- Partner & Investor Engagement: Track action items and follow up. Run point on meetings with top-tier partners and investors like a16z and NEA. Manage prep, follow-ups, and relationship tracking.
- Communications: Write investor updates, internal memos, and strategic decks. Ensure alignment and crisp execution across the org.
- On the ground floor of a fast-growing AI startup
- Direct mentorship from successful entrepreneurs with a public company track record
- Fast-track career acceleration — a sprint to your next level
- A chance to build systems from scratch and run an entire company alongside the CEO
- Unmatched exposure to our network — meet with A+ folks from top-tier investors, partners, and founders regularly
- The opportunity to transform how things are made in the AI era
- 7–10 years in strategy, operations, consulting, VC/PE, or high-growth startups
- Strong generalist skills — capable across operations, finance, GTM, product, and HR
- Analytical thinker with attention to detail
- Exceptional communicator — clear, concise, and confident with execs and operators alike
- Experience managing SaaS systems like Carta, Gusto/Rippling (or other HRIS), CRMs, ATSs, etc.
- Proficiency with modern startup tools like Notion, Airtable, Superhuman, Slack, Google Workspace, etc.
Average salary estimate
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