Operations Lead

About the Role
At River AI, we are building an entirely new kind of AI company. As we move quickly across research, engineering, product, hardware, legal, security, HR, and go-to-market, we need people who can help the company move with clarity, speed, and fluidity.
We are looking for a high-agency, highly versatile problem solver to work closely with all functions on River’s most important operational challenges. You will identify what matters, bring structure to ambiguity, drive alignment, and keep critical work flowing from idea to execution.
This is not a traditional operations role. You will operate across functions and levels, removing friction and creating connectivity so that information, decisions, and workflow where they need to go.
The work will evolve with the company. You should be equally comfortable shaping a strategy, untangling a complex problem, building a new operating rhythm, or rolling up your sleeves to get something across the finish line.
Who we are
At River AI, our mission is to create personal AI owned and shaped by each individual. To achieve this, we are building the full stack required for people and organizations to create AI models of their own - from training infrastructure and open-weight model post-training to personal hardware and next-generation interfaces.
We are scientists, engineers, and builders from the industry’s leading technology companies and AI labs. Our team has experience scaling consumer products to hundreds of millions of users and building the infrastructure behind frontier AI systems.
What You’ll Do
Partner directly across the founding on the company’s highest-priority problems and initiatives.
Take ambiguity from “what’s going on?” to “here’s what we should do” to “here’s how we’ll make it happen.”
Build connectivity across research, engineering, product, hardware, and go-to-market, legal, HR, finance, IT, and security, ensuring teams have the context and clarity needed to move quickly.
Establish low-friction operating mechanisms that improve decision-making, communication, and execution as River scales.
Serve as a trusted thought partner, bringing clear analysis, sound judgment, and actionable recommendations.
Anticipate needs and connect dots across the organization and surface opportunities, risks, and dependencies that may not be visible within a single function.
Leverage AI tools to research, analyze, synthesize, automate, and execute faster.
Execute to drive important work forward.
Skills & Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
Significant experience in operations, strategy, program management, chief of staff, consulting, or a similarly high-ownership role.
Experience operating in a fast-paced startup or high-growth technology environment.
Exceptional problem-solving and judgment, with the ability to quickly assess a situation and determine a practical path forward.
Comfortable with significant ambiguity and able to create structure where none exists.
Strong cross-functional instincts and the ability to build relationships and alignment across teams.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distill complexity into clear decisions and actions.
High agency, strong ownership, and a bias toward action.
Comfortable moving between strategic thinking and hands-on execution.
Strong data fluency and technical curiosity.
Strong fluency with modern AI technologies and tools, including LLMs, agents, and AI-powered productivity.
Demonstrated ability to use AI effectively to accelerate research, analysis, decision-making, automation, and execution.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience working closely with founders or executive leadership at a high-growth technology company.
Experience in AI, machine learning, developer infrastructure, hardware, or another highly technical environment.
Logistics & Benefits
Location: Palo Alto, California (on-site, Monday-Friday)
Compensation: Depending on experience and skills, the expected base pay is $200,000–$380,000 USD per year, plus equity.
Benefits: Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance; unlimited PTO.