Join Our Team
Deep tech is deeply complicated. Hard tech is hard. We exist to give it a chance. And to help great ideas become great companies.
Market Operandi (MO) is a high-octane commercialization firm of seasoned operators, engineer scientists, executives, and entrepreneurs who have spent decades in the trenches of the world’s most complex industries. From semiconductors, lasers, and quantum computing to climate tech and life sciences, we help deep tech founders navigate the "unknown unknowns" that kill startups before they reach market relevance.
We don’t just offer advice; we provide the proprietary frameworks and battle-tested systems that drive companies from their first institutional round through massive growth and successful exits.
Our mission is to save our clients months of burn and millions in wasted resources by aligning their technical brilliance with commercial reality.
Current Opportunities:
A Chief of Staff at the Center of Innovation
This isn't a traditional corporate role. At Market Operandi, you will be operating at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and aggressive business scaling.
You will work directly with our CEO and a dynamic portfolio of visionaries who are literally defining the world’s future.
We move fast, we solve "impossible" problems, and we demand anticipatory thinking.
If you are looking for a predictable 9-to-5, this isn't it.
But if you thrive in high-stakes environments, possess a relentless curiosity for how things work, and want to play a pivotal role in scaling the next generation of deep tech success stories, you’ve found your MO.
The Unique Chief of Staff Role at MO
The chief of staff for market operandi will gain experience that is truly career-making:
● Daily exposure to CEOs of startups in various stages.
● Being “in the trenches” in seeing the management and operational issues of real deep tech startups.
● Interaction with VCs, investors, and board members.
● Visibility into the complex life stages and evolutions (and critical moments) of startups entering commercial phase, scaling, and exiting.
The Ideal Candidate Profile
● A "Chaos Pilot": You possess a calm-under-chaos demeanor and the ability to find the "signal in the noise." When the CEO drops 10 ideas in a morning, you can instinctively filter which two are critical priorities and which eight can be parked for later.
● Operational Architect of MO’s daily and weekly cadence: While the CEO focuses on the "what" and the "why," you are obsessed with the "how." You have a natural talent for building lightweight, scalable responses that keep the business running without slowing it down.
● High-Speed Adaptability: You are comfortable with ambiguity. You can pivot mid-day when a strategic opportunity arises, yet you have the discipline to ensure that "must-do" administrative tasks don’t fall through the cracks.
● Radical Candor & Thick Skin: You can accept direct, professional feedback with little emotion. Equally importantly, you have the courage to provide "upward feedback” by effectively pushing back or redirecting the CEO when their focus drifts from the core mission.
● Professional polish: In daily interactions with CEO clients, VCs, CVCs, and M&A leaders you will carry yourself with the poise that reflects the professionalism of MO.
● Emotional Translator: You can learn the CEO’s "personality" and "language" quickly, becoming their surrogate in meetings or communications. You understand their intent even when their instructions are brief or disorganized.
● Independent Operator: You don’t wait for a manual or a detailed brief. You are a
self-starter who identifies gaps in the business and fills them before the CEO even realizes they exist.
● The "Follow-Through" Machine:
You are the person who ensures that visionary ideas actually reach the finish line. You take the "chaotic" output of a brainstorming session and turn it into an actionable project plan with deadlines and owners.
● Ego-Less Execution: You are happy to play the "silent partner" role. Your success is measured by the CEO’s increased effectiveness and the firm’s operational stability, rather than personal public credit.
● Technical Curiosity: You enjoy researching and learning new technologies and ideas.
Responsibilities Include:
● Shadow MO’s CEO in critical meetings, ensuring notes are taken and actions are recorded (including handling AI when appropriate), tracking and following up on action items, and making sure the company is staying focused on top priorities.
● Acting as an accountability partner to the CEO to make sure their time is focused on the most impactful and highest-leverage activities.
● Assist with orchestrating and coordinating meetings, and helping the CEO manage his often-overloaded schedule.
● Partnering with leadership to develop presentation materials for clients, VCs, and investors.
● Communicating with the team to ensure deliverables are not delayed (from CEO to team).
● Supporting day to day tactical business operations including financials (payroll, expenses, and reporting), benefits, compliance, vendors, etc.
● This is a great opportunity to get exposure to all parts of a company and be involved in preparing new processes and best practices as our company scales to its next phase.
Preferred Qualifications and Skills:
● Bachelor’s degree in engineering, physics or life sciences (or equivalent).
● MBA, or currently working towards one.
● A summer internship for an MBA student is available.
● Relevant experience in industry. Product development, manufacturing, operations, field apps/support preferred.
● Exceptional soft skills: must be able to communicate with CEOs, board members, investors, as well as very technical clients.
● Experience in program management and a desire to bring order to chaos.
Job Type:
Half-time to Full-time.
Summer internship (pre-MBA) or an ongoing job for a post-MBA.
Work Location:
Hybrid or fully remote. Our CEO is headquartered in Dublin, CA
Work Remotely: Yes
Apply Here:
If this sounds like you, please send your resume (including your LinkedIn profile URL) and a cover letter to:
"Instead of launching one more startup ourselves, we decided to form Market Operandi and help hundreds of other CEOs succeed at their startups."
Kevin Fahey, Ph.D.,
Founder and CEO of Market Operandi