Operations Manager at gravisrobotics

Gravis Robotics is a startup turning heavy construction machines into intelligent and autonomous robots. Our unique combination of learning-based automation and augmented remote control enables a single operator to safely manage a fleet of earthmoving machines in a gamified environment. With over a decade of academic experience at the cutting edge of large-scale robotics, our team is rapidly translating this expertise into real-world deployments with industry leaders in a trillion-dollar market. About the Role At Gravis, we operate at the intersection of hardware, software, and real-world deployment. Our Rooftop Autonomous Control Kit (RACK) integrates sensing, compute, communication, and networking into a manufacturer-agnostic solution deployable across a wide range of construction machines. As Operations Manager, you will play a central role in ensuring that customer projects are delivered smoothly and that our internal operations scale effectively as deployments grow. This is a hybrid role combining project management ownership for customer deployments with a strong focus on designing, improving, and operationalizing processes, tools, and workflows across the company. You will work closely with engineering and field engineering teams to coordinate customer projects end-to-end, while continuously refining how we plan, execute, test, and deliver deployments. Your work will directly determine how efficiently we can increase the number of autonomous machines operating in the real world. Customer Project Management • Own end-to-end planning, coordination, and follow-up of customer deployment projects in collaboration with engineering and field teams. • Engage extensively with customers throughout the deployment lifecycle, serving as a trusted point of contact throughout the project lifecycle. • Coordinate and manage on-site hardware deployments, working closely with field engineers, suppliers, and customer teams to ensure successful execution. • Oversee logistics, scheduling, and readiness for field deployments, proactively resolving issues related to hardware, access, or logistics constraints. • Track project milestones, dependencies, risks, and deliverables across multiple deployments running in parallel. • Translate technical progress into structured, business-relevant updates for customers and internal leadership. Operations, Processes & Scaling • Design, document, and continuously improve customer project setup, execution and handover processes to enable reliable and repeatable execution at scale. • Build and maintain operational tools, dashboards, and workflows to improve visibility, accountability, and decision-making. • Define KPIs and success metrics for deployments, operational performance, and continuous improvement initiatives. • Identify bottlenecks across teams and workflows, and proactively drive solutions in collaboration with engineering, product, and leadership. • Support the standardization of best practices across projects, ensuring quality and consistency as the company grows. Required Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management, Business Administration, Project Management, Engineering, or a related field — or equivalent practical experience. • 4+ years of experience in operations management, project management, program management, or a similar role in a technical, industrial, or fast-growing environment. • Demonstrated experience in customer-facing responsibilities, including direct communication, coordination, and issue resolution. • Proven track record of owning and delivering cross-functional projects end-to-end, from planning through execution and follow-up. • Strong ability to design, document, and improve processes, with a focus on scalability, reliability, and operational efficiency. • Experience working closely with engineering or technical teams, with the ability to understand technical concepts and translate them into clear plans, timelines, and priorities. • Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple parallel projects, dependencies, and risks. • Comfortable using project and operations tools to track progress, performance, and outcomes. • Professional proficiency in English. Beneficial Experience • Background in scaling operations in a startup or high-growth environment. • Experience with applying AI tools to streamline workflows and increase efficiency. • Proficiency with tools such as Jira or similar project and operations platforms. • Experience defining and tracking KPIs, dashboards, or operational metrics. • Experience in robotics, autonomous systems, industrial automation, hardware-software products, or complex technical deployments. Don't meet every requirement? If you're enthusiastic about this role but your experience doesn't match every qualification, we still encourage you to apply. You might be the perfect candidate for this or other positions. This is an opportunity to join a dynamic and versatile team, and to be part of a young startup that will revolutionize heavy construction. Gravis Robotics offers a fair market salary and a working location in the vibrant city of Zurich. As a forward-facing startup, we understand that work-life balance and flexibility are important considerations for many professionals: If you are a highly qualified candidate with the requisite skills and experience, we encourage you to apply and discuss your preferred working arrangement during the interview process. Gravis is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team, and do not discriminate based upon race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity, gender expression, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. We are an international team that is working to solve problems with a global impact: to facilitate efficient communication and collaboration, proficiency in English is a requirement for all roles.