SideShift — Head of Strategy & Business Operations

SideShift - Head of Strategy & Business Operations Type: Full-time | On-site | New York City, NY (Tribeca, 5 days in-person) Compensation: $130,000-$190,000 + competitive equity Hiring count: 1 Visa sponsorship: None available - US citizens or visa holders only Reports to: Neema (Founder) About SideShift SideShift is a creator marketplace connecting brands with UGC creators, with roughly 1 million creators on the platform. It has scaled to $8M+ ARR with a team of 17, recently moved into a new Tribeca office, and is raising a Series A. Backed by Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn founder, investor, and board member) and other respected technology investors. Active clients include leading AI companies like Cursor. Founded: 2024 | Team size: 17 (Seed; 11-50) | Traction: $8M+ ARR, ~1M creatorsIndustry: Consumer Tech, creator economy / UGC marketplaceWebsite: sideshift.appOffice: Tribeca, New York City Why Candidates Should Join True extension of the founding team: Work directly alongside the founders making the tough operational and strategic calls - a generalist operator seat where you own outcomes end-to-end, not a delegation-focused chief-of-staff role. Series-A-track equity upside: Meaningful equity in a creator marketplace with real traction ($8M+ ARR, ~1M creators) and top-tier backing (Reid Hoffman). Founder access + marquee clients: High-growth environment with direct founder mentorship and client work alongside leading AI companies like Cursor. Perks: meaningful equity, meals in office, rent stipend for team members living near the office. The Role SideShift is hiring a Head of Strategy & Business Operations to be a true extension of the founding team - owning operational and strategic outcomes end-to-end across four surfaces: internal systems, business operations, recruiting/people ops, and direct client work. What You'll Be Doing Build and optimize internal systems and processes (CRM workflows, campaign operations, bug reporting pipelines) Own critical business operations: payroll, contracts, onboarding, legal/tax coordination, vendor management Lead recruiting and people operations end-to-end (sourcing, screening, hiring process management) Work directly with clients (Cursor and other leading AI companies) on campaign performance and account health Create scalable playbooks and operational infrastructure that increase founder leverage Tech stack: N/A - operating role. Work setup: NYC, 5 days in-person in Tribeca. Lean hours (~9-7 / 9-8 in office, weekend flex depending on launch pace). Reports to Neema; works closely with the co-founder. Requirements 3-7 years IB, consulting, PE, ops, or chief of staff Creator economy bonus High agency, problem-solving day-one Client-facing polish for AI buyers NYC 5 days, Tribeca office No visa sponsorship (US persons only) Green Flags High-growth startup environment with direct founder mentorship Creator economy background (UGC platforms, influencer tooling, creator marketplaces). Direct domain match. MBB / IB / PE foundation followed by an early-stage operating chapter. The "smart and scrappy" archetype. Has been the operational glue at a 10-50 person startup (head of ops, chief of staff, founding ops). Knows how to build CRM workflows, campaign ops, and recruiting infrastructure from scratch. Client-facing polish: can hold their own in meetings with senior buyers at AI companies (Cursor and comparable). Red Flags Open-to-work LinkedIn banner. Job-hopper pattern: short tenures across multiple roles without clear narrative Buzzword-heavy communication style: lots of jargon, low signal-to-substance ratio. Neema direct exclude. Too senior (10+ YOE in a head-of-ops position before this). Doesn't fit the team size or growth phase. Needs visa sponsorship. Sideshift is not sponsoring (no H-1B, O-1, or TN). Role Details Salary$130,000-$190,000EquityCompetitiveOn-site policyNYC, 5 days in-person (Tribeca)Visa sponsorshipNone availableEmployment typeFull-timeLocationNew York City, NY Interview Process Stage 1 - Pending Approval - Candidates awaiting initial approval. Stage 2 - First Round - Behavioral and background. Stage 3 - Second Round - Co-founder (or rest of founding team). Stage 4 - Third Round - Founder round; order can flex between founders depending on availability. Stage 5 - Work Trial (2-3 days) - Hands-on operating work to assess fit end-to-end. Stage 6 - Offer Extended Stage 7 - Candidate Hired - Candidate accepts and starts. #J-18808-Ljbffr davidjoseph-co