Operations Associate

About Cartesian Cartesian is building spatial intelligence for indoor environments to drive operational efficiency. We’re tackling one of the biggest challenges in the $35T global retail industry: in-store inventory visibility. Our platform delivers accurate indoor positioning and actionable product location insights, helping retailers streamline operations, optimize workflows, and reduce inefficiencies. Leveraging RF signals, we provide a uniquely scalable, infrastructure-free solution already deployed by international fashion brands. Founded by an MIT engineering professor and alumni behind award-winning, patented core technologies, Cartesian spun out in 2023. Originally backed by a U.S. National Science Foundation SBIR Award, we’ve bootstrapped to a live product now deployed in multiple countries and are scaling aggressively. About the Role We are looking for an Operations Associate to join Cartesian as we scale our business and customer deployments. This role is ideal for someone who is highly organized, detail-oriented, reliable, and excited to learn quickly in a fast-moving startup environment. As an Operations Associate, you will work directly with company leadership to keep critical business processes running smoothly, support customer-facing activities, and build systems that help the company scale efficiently. You will initially support recurring operational workflows across the business, then grow into owning and improving these processes as you build context and trust. This is a hands-on role with significant visibility across finance, operations, customer success, events, and general business operations. Location: In-person in Kendall Square, Cambridge Salary: $65,000 - $80,000 annually What You’ll Do Own recurring operational workflows across finance, customer operations, office operations, and internal coordination Build lightweight systems, checklists, documentation, and processes that make the team more efficient Track deadlines, action items, vendors, invoices, customer logistics, and internal follow-ups to ensure nothing falls through the cracks Support trade shows, conferences, customer visits, and company events from planning through execution Support finance and accounting operations, including expense reconciliation, invoice processing, billing support, and vendor management Support on-site office operations, including office organization, internal events, and procurement. Support customer demos and pilot activities, ensuring smooth communication between customers, business teams, and engineering teams Coordinate company travel, lodging, and logistics for employees and leadership Handle scheduling, administrative coordination, and special projects that help the team operate smoothly As the company scales, this role will continue to evolve with new opportunities for ownership and impact. Qualifications 0-2 years of experience in operations, administration, project coordination, finance operations, accounting support, event management, customer success, or a related field Exceptional organizational skills and strong attention to detail Strong written and verbal communication skills Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously High degree of reliability, professionalism, and follow-through Comfort working in a fast-paced startup environment with changing priorities Strong problem-solving skills and willingness to take ownership of outcomes Nice to Have Experience with tools such as Ramp, Brex, QuickBooks, HubSpot, Notion, Airtable, Asana, or similar platforms Experience supporting finance, bookkeeping, billing, events, travel, or customer-facing operations Experience working in a startup, small team, or fast-moving environment Why Cartesian Work directly with the founders and leadership team at a fast-growing startup Gain broad exposure to finance, operations, customer success, events, and go-to-market work Take on work that directly affects customer deployments, internal operations, and company growth Help build the systems and processes that allow Cartesian to scale from an early team into a larger company J oin a collaborative, ambitious team solving a real operational problem for major retailers Grow with the company as the role expands and new areas of ownership emerge If You’re Not Sure You’re a Perfect Fit We know that no one checks every box—and we don’t expect you to. If this role sounds exciting to you, and you think you could contribute to Cartesian’s mission, we encourage you to apply even if your experience doesn’t perfectly match the description. We care deeply about people who are curious, thoughtful, and motivated to learn, and we believe strong teams are built from a diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Interview Process Introductory call to assess motivation and overall fit Behavioral interview focused on ownership, organization, and problem solving Practical exercise focused on prioritization, operations, or process design Final in person interview with company leadership Reference checks